The daily sentinel., 1905-03-10
Clean Up and
Beautify the CITY

+.
So we are told. But We have know
q few godly folk that were tria,
dirty and devotion and dirt are a
team of steeds that will run vor,
hearse down the road of ruin to the
ehmchyard in surprisingly short
period Of time. Rational godliness
is good thing. indeed: but. in this
Sublunary world of dust and CRIME
we should say that their places
should be reversed and the adage
should run: "Godliness is next to
cleanliness"
There is a growing sentiment in
Grand Junction just now in favor of
cleaning up and identifying the city
the streets, parks, school grounds.
vacant lots and, to be sure. the hum
Bile alleys. The Chamber of Com
merce, the daily press, the Woman s
Club and other good folk are ready to
lend hand; an organization viii
soon be under way which will be
non-partisan, unsectarian in its meth
cd Of work and will call on all mem
bers of the community TO help clean
up and beautify the city Of Grand
Junction. We use the word beau
tify" here advisedly By beauty we
do not have in mind any bird-in-a-
gilded-cage fantasy; nor do we pro
pose decorating the telegraph poles
with the national colors; we will not
even dare suggest that the city coun-
ell purchase a Sistine Madonna to be
placed in that museum of antiquity
the Grand Junction depot. The
ideas of beauty" Of the fashion
plate, the modiste and Mrs. Grundy
arc often widely different from those
of the artist, the architect. the nat
uralist, and it is with the latter only
that we are concerned when we say
Clean up and beauufy the city. Let
us understand, fully and clearly, that
beauty stands for health and whole
someness, just as dirt stands for de
cay and death.
What would we?
To begin with, we would cart
away or burn up the refuse that now
disfigures our streets and alleys:
then we would try to grow a few
flowers and grasses on our school
grounds and vacant lots where none
grew before tThe Grand Junction |
Seed Company will supply the seed
free of charge. If we do the work. |
By and by we might have "a first class |
drinking fountain placed in con
spicuous center. as memorial. say
to Abraham Lincoln, the well be |
loved. Such a memorial would be |
both useful and beautiful, and would |
suggest to the little folk the Lincoln !
attribute; plain living and high |
Of course. the question will be
asked, "WiH it pay?" And the an
5wer is al hand Dirt is always eN-
peusiye; cleanliness and beauty are
cheap at any price" Considering .
the matter on the lowest possible /
plane that of financial profit
there is no better or safer investment .
a people can make than to have IT |
known that their city is clean, heal
thy and beautiful There is hardly |
"A practical solution Of a single mu-
nicipal development which is pre-
sented that cannot be made less ex-
pensive within very few years by
the development of the artistic side
Of the city's life.
We owe it to the unborn that we
shall leave this earth in as good or
der, If not better, than we found it. |
Tomorrow we go-let us remember
he people who shall live here when |
we are gone.
WHY NOT TRANSFORM EVERY
VACANT LOT INTO a GARDEN TO
BE USED BY THE PEOPLE?
How do you feel on this subject OF
leaning up? Are you Interested?
In the words of Happy Hooligan,
ARE YOU WlD US?"
GEORGE N. FALCoNER.