Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-06-03

what He Saw n Recent Trip-How
UnsiEhtly Towns and Villages Might
he BenutiHed - Marking Historic
spots In n Community.
In n recent issue of the Christian En-
deavor World the Rev. Francis +. Clark
contributes an article on village i'm
provemcnt and civic pride that CON
tains many valuable suggestions He
says in part:
As | write this article am riding
on one of the great trunk railway lines
ST our country, and | am diSgusted
with some of the ramshnCkle, filthy.
uAicmpt towns through which | am
passing At the last stopping place a
big dump heap of refuse and garbage
graccd the approach to the railway
station. A shallow stream, crossed by
several bridges near the center of the
town, was beyond expression unpleas-
ant to look at. Broken barrels and
shattered CrOCkery and dcfunCt cats
and battered tin cans strewed the sides
brook which might have been the most
beautiful and attractive feature of the
landscape was transformed by care
lessness and Indifference into n foul
open sewer, and l began to wonder
whether what foreigners say of us IS
true-that America is the most untidy
nation of the world"
Yet side by side with these insight
sores We're fine public buildings; cheek
by jowl with tumbledown cabins were
elegant mansions, evidently the abode
of wealth and perhaps of culture
Then the thought came to me, as 1t
often did before: Have not Christian
Endeavorers something to do with clean
ing up the physically unClean as well
as the morally unclean! Can we not
start a crusade for tidiness, for village
Improvement, for the identifying Of
our streets and squares and vacant lots,
our highways and byways and hedges ?
Not all parts of the country are
equally untidy Many New England
villages are as neat as a Dutch house
wife could desire Some places In all
parts of the country have learned that
cleanliness is next to thrift and pros
perity as we'll as next to godllness, but
much is left to be desired
Why not make 1t one of our good
citizenship efforts to beautify and
cleanse the outside as we'll as the IN
side of the municipal cup and platter?
Why not also arouse civic pride and
keep it alive by marking historic spots,
even though they be Of only local in
terest, and by holding meeting once
in awhile to hear their story and kin
die the fires Of local patriotism?
l was reminded of this phase of my
subject by visit to Guilford, Conn, a
few weeks ago, when | attended q
capital meeting Of the Guilford Chris
tan Endeavor union. Guilford Is one
of the most charming of New England
villages. Broad streets lined with mag
nlhcent elms and comfortable resi-
dences and fertile farms abound every
where. Here, too, Is a town of the
most intense historic interest, full of
landmarks of the Revolutionary and
anti Revolutionary days and yet, with
single exception, not one of them Is
L
never have known how rich Guilford is
in memories of other days if my kind
host, Mr.. Knowles, the president of the
Christian Endeavor union, had not
been particularly we'll posted and
pointed them all out to me.
Search your town records. Take
pride in your own history Mark the
places which are only of local interest.
If your society or union cannot do it
alone call meeting of citizens to Sc
cure their interest and financial help
See that the work is done neatly even
If ineNpensively. Keep records Of what
Is done for those who come after you.
Have an occasional public meeting for
recounting and emphasizing the history
of the past.
lf you want an example of the best
way Of marking historic sites go to
Concord and Lexington, Mass, where
every road and every old house is made
to speak IN eloquent language of heroic
deeds Of yore. But in less elaborate
and less expensive ways much may
be done to preserve the memories Of
the past.
Christian Endeavor itself has some
memorials u its own. The birthplace
of the first society in Portland Is al
ready marked by n beautiful bronze
tablet. The second society, that In the
Old North church of Newburyport,
hope will some time have its memorial.
The first societies In all the different
states and countries and counties even
might well mark the fact In some way.
Christian Endeavor, however, is young
and has had but little time to make
history, but it can mark history and
thus preserve the traditions of the eld-
erS, hand down their good deeds to flu
ture generations and lead the young
people everywhere to emulate their
virtues
All such efforts for good citizenship
will be recognized at Baltimore, 1905"
with beautiful certificate and honor
able mention in the Recognition Book I"
1t is none too soon for societies and
unions to consider, record and mark the
interesting spots and events in the his
tory of their communities.
At least we can clean up our waste
corners, remove our dumps from the
sight Of every passing traveller, tidy
up our lawns and create public SEN
timent that will be ashamed of slat-
tcrnly municipal disorder Then the