The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-31
A CITY sEAUTrruL.

conditions are all that could be desired. The location is sufficiently undulating for all purposes of ornamentation. As.a text we take this from 8 recent issue of The Portland Oregonian:
 The residents on Thurmond Street are | taking the lead in the. matter of beautffy- ing the city and saFMning M sPorusne the Several hundred rose bushes of different varieties have. already been planted in the space between the sidewalk and property line, and only one person has yet ob- jected to this.
 This scheme for beautifying the city has been tried on small scale on several streets, but this movement on Thurmond Street is the first concerted effort on q large scale in that line The practicabiii- | ty of the scheme has been doubted by some who imagine that dogs, horses occa- sional stray cattle, and more especially I gangs of stray hoodlums will be likely | to wreck or destroy the rose bushes or. lat least, strip them of their blossoms. and prevent them from becoming the I ornaments intended
 these is no danger of this and the boys I haze engag ged to foster and protect the 1 bushes. If they fulfill this promise the 1 good effect of the work on them in teach \ ty of others or of the public. and to take l a pride in beautifyingthe city, will amply l repay all the cost ofiplanting the bushes. 1 There is the idea. but we would go far beyond it. Here we need not confine our selves to roses. Our comparatively mild climate permits the successful cultivation ! of such a variety of ornamental and flow- ering shurubs. perennial as we'll as annual that we are not bound down to any one kind. We can select from almost any plant that grows in the United States and enjoy an almost infinite variety of | beauty.
 We are not speaking now of. the yards and gardens, but of the streets and side- { walks. Every street. away from the main business center of the city, wher- ever street paving and sidewalk building is going on, has a space of several feet left between the street proper and the sidewalk. Most of those spaces are sod ded with grass and planted with elms. That is we'll enough. as far as 1t goes. Grass is good in its place and trees are not to be desplsed. though a stunted elm is not a model of either beauty or use- fitness.
 We want something better than trees and grass. We want something that will apeal to the esthetic lasts of our people, stimulate their love of the beauti- full and gratify their just pride in our city. How is it to be accomplished? There is an old legend to the effect that the streets of some famous city-Jeru- salem, perhaps-were kept clean by the Insw 70
 before his own door. That was d good plan, but we favor enlarging and improv- ing on it. Instead of merely sweeping in front of his property let each citizen who owns his own lot plant Towering and other ornamental shrubs and p ants in the will not cost much either in time. trouble or money. The required plants can be leasily procured from florists and seedman. It is a good time now to begin, hut there is always a good time. for that matter.
 We appeal especially to the women of Montgomery, for they can accomplish anything they go at in earnest. Last at the cross and first at the tomo'' was
 said of the good Christian women almost two-score- centuries ago and their faith. full natures have not changed. Love of the beautiful is born in them and clings
 to them through life. This Is a work
 that they can supervise and push forward , as nobody else can. Example is & won- derfuI stimulant and educator. A well
 arranged bed of beautiful plants and shrubs in front of any one lot will be an
 object lesson and will encourage others
 to follow in the footsteps of the pioneer Most people do not take kindly to the Idea of being left behind, especially in a work which of itself is attractive and praise. worthy.
 We do not think there need be any ap, prehension that the success of such a movement as we have outlined will be
 seriously interfered with. Boys are often
 thoughtless and sometimes reckless, but
 they are not savages. If anything like a
 general movement Is begun to beautify
 the vacant places along the sidewalks we
 do not believe the boys of Montgomery
 will be an obstacle. They may pick a
 flower occasionally but they will not
 destroy the plants. Especially will there be no danger if their pride and emula- ton can be brought into play. If the ornamentation movement shall be made general all the boys will be interested and their spirit of rivalry aroused. In- stead of destroying they will build up. especially if they are made to understand that the mothers and sisters look to them for assistance in the preservation of the common beauty of Montgomery.
 Will not the good women lend their ef- forts and their influence to a work which will also be a pleasure, and the success of which will be lasting monument to
 their good taste and their love of the
 beautiful? If they will they can succeed
 Even the mere men will be shamed or
 stimulated into helping them. It cannot
 be accomplished unless the women so
 determine, and it cannot fail if they set their wills and their wits to work Let
 us have d Beautiful City.
 --S-S
 What the Republican Party wants and l what 1t is sadly in need of just at this
 time is somebody to manage it. Hanna t has practically refused the job and there l are several others who are not crying , for it.