The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-08
o o o O o G O O o o 0 . o Q o o Q
q MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT 9
q TREE PLANTING. AND
o FORMAL GARDENING 6
8 o 0 o O 0 c 0 Q 0 0 O 0 o o c

By Kate G.. Locke.
The high sounding phrase Municipal
Improvement" will be used In these
articles merely In the sense Of the artls-
tie Identifying OF cities wish 10
prove 90 the fair-minded. practical man
OF business that Il Is to bis onterest to
beautfy his city. 70 prove to every
man. woman and child IN community
that IL ie TO the personal advantage Of
each individual to contribute his quota
towards this end,
Under thin strata Of custom and
usage under the dust Of habit often lies
a brilliant truth. which, il uncovered
and placed where all men can see IT,
shines as a star and illuminates the
minds OF the unthinking Today there
are men and women at work on all
sides who are endeavoring 70 unearth
the fact that in beautiful surroundings
lies a secret OF happiness. and that the
cultivation OF the faculties which per-
ceive beauty in surroundings contrib
utes largely towards that serenity Of
mind which Is the object Of an human
desires When n man Of hard common
sense has realized the thing which in
duces a mental equilibrium, which tends
to preserve that balance In his nature
which means content. he is certain TO
hold fast TO the thing he has grasped.
II means so much tc him. it means re-
lief from the mental strain under which.
consciously or unconsciously, we all
labor until we have shuffled on this
mortal coil
While a complete surcease IS perhaps
impossible IN this world, there are miu-
CATIONS. and undoubtedly a healthy and
happy one Is this steadfast en-
deavor to beautify to improve the
conditions which exist IN our world
To illustrate this wg have but TO
form mental picture OF Two
homes; to one the tired owner re-
turns at night from commercial pro-
fessloral or manual labor; when he
turns into the block which holds his
home. he is unconscientiously oppressed
by the ugliness. the responsiveness Of his
surroundings. The hap-hazard houses
built totally without regard to the gem
eral effect Of the sereet look shiftless
and unattarctive; some OF them are
placed back in unkept yards, while 9TH
ers blink with stariag, uncurtained vim
dows close to the street
There is, even in the coloring, absolute
ly nothing ON which the eve may rest
with pleasure The sidewalks are un-
shaded by trees and the eneet Of the
block OF residences is bald and unhnish-
ed
In such environment there is nothing
TO rest ana refresh the mind Of the man
who has worked an day for the means
with which to sustain this establish
ment No ambitious hopes, no leading
I towards higher erdeavor. spring into
/ his mind to strengthen HIN Tor future
effort at sight Of such home as this
/ on the other hand he may be fortun-
ate enough to live IN a nelghborhood
where an unselflsh desire 20 contribute
TO the general good has heen aroused,
where the houses are built and arranged
with a view TO obtaining the best effect
/ possible in such cases. Where some
/ thoughtful mind has graspcd the fact
that each house which Is upon the block
I may be made TO add lustre TO the whole.
when rows OF pretty windows whose
white curtains aford ailuring glimpses
OF cosy interiors, greet him on every
side. his mind is lifted into pleasant
thoughts.
Where velvety grass plots with neat
/ flower borders show beside the way,
and clustering vines shade the entrance
where window boxes Of bright blossoms
lend o certain gayety TO the simplest
houses; he treads the path which leads
To his own door with both hope and
contentment IN his heart, and half the
battle Of life Is won.
a. 81. ..l
! have no feature which may not be al
the command alike of the rich and Well
to-do man and the poor man. The hous
es may bee stately mansions or they MA,
be simply cottages. the fact OF th'
money invested ia them has nothing {,
DO with the underlying ana hupomu
facts Of their artistic beauty Many
hideous structure costing "a hundre,
thousand dollars has been perpetuate,
In the United States and elsewhere
and many an inexpensive little homl
has been invested with that charm
which like the pearl without price lie
beyoud the reach Of dollars and cents
There Is n town IN one Of the middle
states in which the experiment OF in
citing an entire community 70 an ambi
tious beauuylng Of che ZONES has beer
tried
individuals were induced to vie will
one another in the adomment Of thei
. houses by means OF flowers, trees. vine
and shrubbery, by the ofer Of prizes.
Tbe house which without material
! alteration, but merely by the tasteful
! addition OF growing plants. was madI
most picturesque and attractive. re-
ceived "a prizei the yard which wal
kept in the most perfect order. and was
garden Of bloom. received another. an'
50 wonderful thing occurred. A distrio
} which had fallen under the sway o
poverty and unthriu, suddenly bios
somed forth into actual beauty WheI
ii had before been avoided as under
ban. b was now sought out and admir-
: ed. property which had been yalueiess
acquired q price Where shabby houses
were So leovered with llSuriant vinel
fIuf all fIaf sfnInUrIr rrna nfIHar