Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-01-22
USEFUL SOCIETIES.
VALUABLE WORK OF VILLAGE I'M
PRovEMENT ASSOCIATIONS.
Towns Beautihed and Built Up, Bet-
ter Sanitary Laws Secured and
Some Phenomenal improvements
Made By These Organizations.

1nose VINO Woulu prOut Dy Ine III
creasing attention to the opportunitie
offered by towns and small cities bot
for living and for the conduct OF bus
ness must needs resolve themselye
into active local improvement organize
lions such as already exist in all part
Of the country, says Frances Cople
Seavey In the Chicago Tribune.
These societies, clubs, associations
call them by what name you will-hay
become the, chief factor in the transfer
nation OF hundreds of places from tn
happy go lucky. shlftless, down at til
heel appearance and condition charac
teristic OF the ordinary small place 4
neat and lively business centers tina
offer many advantages as places Il
live. These organizations have beei
started for various purposes, and won
en- have been largely. often exclusively
concerned IN their founding and main
tenance.
In some instances the primary caus,
of the movement has been an actiy'
evil due, perhaps. to sanitary defects
as In the case OF MOntclair, n. j., wher'
an epidemic that reused the women Il
action was found to spring from mill
supply poisoned at its source by fevel
germs 80 that residents had actually
been paying for fresh stock Of fine
active microbes delivered daily at theil
doors. Again, 1t has been the dlreci
result OF longing for neatness ant
beauty and good "outdoor housekeep
ing"
Some one, usually n woman, has dis
covered that the local cemetery, a place
hallowed TO every resident, was In a
shamefully neglected condition; that d
park for holding out Of door celebra
tons had become necessity: that fine
natural water privileges were being
neglected or debascd by the Ignorance
or selhshness OF the few 10 the direct
detriment OF the many, etc.
Towns that were mudholes and dust
heaps by turns, where tradcsmen daily
turned loose nying iocks OF waste pa
per 10 mar the streets and frighten
tlmid horses, where naturally charm
ing adjacent country roadsldes were
made the common dumping ground for
all sorts OF unslghtly rubbish. where
vacant lots bore no attempt Mt decora.
tion save mounds OF tin cans and will.
dernesses OF tangled weeds, have as.
sumed the pleasant aspect OF neatly
paved, ngreeably shaded streets.
Receptacles at street intersections re.
ceive the erstwhile loose papers, ba.
mana skins and other refuse formerly
carelessly thrown into the streets to
decay or on the sidewalks to produce
dirt or disaster. Vacant lots have been
cleared up and weed ordinance passed
and enforced. Ashes no longer form
mountain ranges along streets and al.
ieys, all being utilized In grading and
filling streets or low ground. River
banks have been cleaned planted and
In several Instances walled, and with
the stream have become the chief at.
traction OF the place. Country roads
have been relieved OF their accompan.
iment OF broken crockcry. wash boil
ers, old mattresses and springs, etc,
and nature given the chance TO repair
damages and make the drives OF the
immediate envlrons as delightful as
undisturbcd roadsldes always nre when
far enough removed from the hnunts
OF man.
1t Is n nice comment ON the ways of
humanity to note that neglected ma
ture Is always I'm way beautiful.
never offensive. II is only when hu.
man beings crowd In that ugllness and
squalor result. This truth is even par.
nlleled among dumb brutcs. Wild an.
imals do not devastnte and wipe out
the beauty Of the woods, fields and
waterways. II IL only where domestic
animals congrcgnte that vegetation Is
destroyed, beauty obllterated and sur.
roundlngs made wholly unbeautlful.
Truly civilized man can hardly do
less or more than devote some OF his
mind, Ingenuity, time, strength and
money TO covering up his worse than
unsightly tracks. II natural beauty Is
the heritage OF mankind, II we are 10
"lenve the world more beautiful than
we found IT," we must be up and do.
Ing, for the ways OF civilization are
obstructlng or destroying It's charm at
every turn.
There must be some building up
where there is so much trampllng
down, or what will the world look like
after a few more generations OF "ciy.
iliEed" humanity have battered It out
OF all shape and comellnessl We go
gayly along, cutting and hacking at
everything we ind In the way; we,
mostly, take no thought IN the matter
or giving nature an opportunity To re
trieye the opportunities that we have
wrested from her, yet we make n grcut
hullabaloo when there are floods aud
droughts and unsalubrlous conditions.
although we continue TO allow all the
trees and underground on the water,
sheds 10 be swept away. Civilization
Is strange term for such stupid. self.
ish or, at the best, ignorant proceed.
ings.
IL every community would look ont
for itself In these respects, bare banks
would again be clothed with the yegc.
tauon that not only makes them love.
ly. but also prevents their being wash.
ed into gullies when the water rushes
unhindered down such slopes. In the
one case II dnshcs over them as It fails.
scours out the soil aud becomes a
harmful agent In the other II Is first
impeded In lts fan by foliage and
then percolHtcs slowly through nat
ural retaining sponge consisting OF
fallen twlgS dry leaves and stlll older
leaf mold and h gradually dissent
mated to the benrht OF everything and
every person directly or remotely con.
eerned, which Is the entire population.
DR. GUMS BLOOD AND
NERVE TONIC.
There is not woman in this hud
bnt AT some timo IN her life Won N
have been the bottor for tho uso oi