Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-02-21
FOR PUBLIC BEAUTY
MANY ASSOCIATIONS WORKING FOR
TOWN IMPROVEMENT.

Some of These Enterprisin= Organ
izntions and How They Have Beau
tilted and Euiit Up JnnttrartiSe
Villages.
From Maine to California. cast to
west, there has grown in the past decade
such thirst for public beauty that our
country is filed with associations, pub,
lie and private. organized for tn" rur-
pose of conserving natural beauties and
changing ugly conditions to new and
beautiful ones.
An aid to this conservation of nat
ural beauties is our government. which
is recognizing more and mere the i'm
portancc of preserving forests. writes
Katherine l.. Smith in the Christian
Endeavor World. Trained lumbcrmcn
have been sent to the Philippines to
cover all the important forests and re
port thereon, four national parks have
been selected from among the beauty
spots of America and Il plan ia an foot
to preserve the CalavcraS grove of big
trees of California and obtain the Lecch
lake region of Minnesota for :; park on
forest preserve.
Too much Importance cannot he at
tached to this matter of preserving
trees. In Europe the roads are lined
with fruit trees. Il custom which Della
ware has adopted III a measure. and Il
drive along the highways with fruit
trees on each side and grapcNincs
trailing over rail fences makes one
wish the idea might become universal.
We have all seen the ungainly rural
schoolhousc with bleak surroundings
which might be transformed into Il
thing of beauty by the planting of
trees and shrubbCry and the iudicious
arrangement of flowers. Some of the
Improvement associations realize this,
and the result is a complete transfer
nation from the ugly to the artistic.
Quite as important as trees in this
movement for public beauty is the reg
ulaton of roads. Every state has at
some time " other had the old fash
toned village whose streets are Il
slough of dcspOnd' because of lack of
proper drainage, which must lie at the
root of good roads. That this state of
affairs has changed is largely due to
the improvement associations which
are interested in all forms of highway
embcllshmcnt.
The first incorporated society was at
Stockbridge. Mass, and this from the
start has devoted much attention TO
lettering and identifying roads. Lcnox
soon followed. and Sharon, Conn, and
Cazenovia. y. V, fell into line.
Sharon, Conn, has a street improve
mcnt association devoted entirely to
street work. and the double row of
clmS of this old town are one Of its
chief glOricS, and where these are sup
plcmcntcd by Towering shrubs and the
fragile columbine, goldenrod. laurel and
clemats the effect is charming.
Another interesting phase of this
work is the transforming of ugly ham,
let's into attractive EdenS by setting
aside lots for parks and recreation
grounds. Many a forlOrn, unattractive
bOulevards and miles of well paved
streets. and property has become more
valuable, while desirable people have
been attracted to the place.
1t is Il pleasant task to record what is
being done and to show in how many
ment is being applied to various sur
roundingS. Several old associations, not
ably those of Stockbridge, Mass, and
Bar IIarbOr, Me, have state charters,
while many of the large cities. like
Denver, Oakland. St Paul and Mime
apolis. find it a good plan to have a
number of associations scattered in va
riOus quarters of the town, but the aim
of all is practical education in civics
and the cultivation of love of every
thing beautiful in nature and art. AS 1t
is always inspiring to know what is be-
ing accomplished, let us cite a few in
stances taken at random from thou
sands of these organizations which per-
mcatc our country.
Under the supervision of the street
committee in Montclair, n. j., galva-
niZed iron barrels were placed ut inter
walls along the main highway to be re-
ceptacics for rubbish. Shopkeepers
were requested to keep their premises
in order, and if they failed TO comply
with the request the association sent a
man with a wheelbarrow, broom and
hoe to clean for them.
The women of Bethany, Mo-, called
a meeting at the courthouse and or
ganiZed. In four months the streets
We're cleaned, the courthouse square
and schoolyards We're attractive with
growing plants, public restroom was
opened, and all this in Il town of fewer
than 5000 inhabitants.
The association at Fairhavcn, Mass,
has erected Il fine drinking fountain ut
the entrance to Il new bridge; the as
ISOLATION at Greeley. Colo, transformed
II town built on dry alkaloid plain to
Il place with well shaded streets, lawns
and parks, and one town in South Da-
kOta with little grass and few trees
drilled an artesian we'll The result is
an artificial lake in the center of the
town surrounded with drives and
walks, Il suggestion for other western
towns troubled with similar conditions.
4 Valuable League.
\ citizens league which was organ
lied two years ago in an Ohio town