Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1904-01-09


great scenic beauty, removal of the
unsightly and the unsanitary. Wheth-
er large or small, whether affecting
the few or the many, the impulse back
of this work is wholesome and is
making for a realization of high
ideals, but it needs encouragement,
sympathy and above all direction,
this is the function Of the Ameri-
can League for Civic Improvement:
organized on democratic lines. it
seeks to interest the many and train
the few
The road commissioners In the ru
raj districts near Chicago have takeI
steps to prosecute all persons who
post fiaring bills of any kind on
bridges, culverts Of the public high
ways; already considerable improve
ment in the roads of northern Iii
nois is noticeable. We want them re
moved from the rocks west of town.
There was a bill offered in The Yer
mont legislature by one Of It, menl-
bers at the session Of !69S-1S95 to the
effect that all persons forming sueh
communities as Lenox, Mass, Tuxedo
Park, Long Island, Birkley neighbor
hood, California, taxes should e re-
r1itted on such property for life or
fer a very long term Of years.
There is an astonishing history Of
what is being done with very 1.-THE
money III various parts Of the coun
try, for village beauty "r preservation
Of what they have, for instance, al
Hcnes9ale, Pa, the town IS crossed
by liver, banks in shamefully neg.
lccted condition; the. built retain
ing wall on each side, the council aid
in" by forbidding tie dumping Of
ashes or rubbish. They made a path
tive foot) on the no j. side of the
liver which was already shaded by
double row of naples; vines were
planted along the walls and space
gained filled III ard flowers planted, a
long row of hydrangias reflected In
the water on the sopth bank. A foun-
tain was placed in the rive" about
twenty feet from a bridge. There was
also a frog pond and dumping ground.
This was graded, paths made, trees
and shrubs planted with large flow
er bed in the center Of the park.
There is another park or square in the
center Of the town. with largo
fountain in the cer.ter, this is SIR
rounded by a circle one foot wide, of
tulips in the spring, followed by flow
ering plants all summer. Cans paint-
ed green are placed along the streets
at intervals for the reception of rub
bish and papers. - This is all done b.
an organization of women -nobly aid
ed by the town council. Let rs have
civic awakening in Richmond; let
rs get out Of the monolony of villages
laid out by cows. We do not now
need stockades of fences, nor live
close together ike tribes. We are now
old enough to have tree enbowered
towns like New or Old England.
Quaint well-kept villages Of song and
story to allure travellers; foreigners
comment very unpleasantly upon the
lack Of beauty and cheerfulness in
and about our villages and towns.
The Engelmann Botanic Club Of
st. Louis has a member who writes of
trees. StThe indiscriminate cutting
away of the branches by telegraph,
telephone and electric light companies
is great source Of injury; in maxine
new sidewalks or cutters the roots
are cut away without regard to the
influence this will have on the tree
Barbarous pruning has DESTROYED
many beautiful tree; not only IS a
tree cruelty injured by cutting off
large branches, but when in addition.
this is done so as to leave nagged
stumps, from which decay starts,
then an incalculable injury is inflict-
ed; decay in trees is caused by fungi
which gets in through wounds made
by horses or pruning he says, "nev-
err cut a tree when once set. trimmed
a little to make the trunk, the beauty
of tree lies In the grace of lis ex-
tended limbs or tops. Chop off the
tail of your dog, if YOU must, and
shear his ears, If Won will, but never
cut a tree.
J. NJ Yaryan.
See Tourist Club
II II ~