Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-21
CIVIC PRIDE.

CIVIC PRIDE.
Some Timely Suggestions That ART
Worthy of Local Consideration.
To Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
In the hope Of awakening some in.
terest along the lines as indicated by
the above caption, you are respect.
fully requested to give this publica.
tion in The Enquirer:
There should be-and this state
ment will hardly be discredited-ir
the makeup Of every good citizen and
taxpayer, a certain amount Of civic
pride and interest in the welfare, So
cially and commercially. Of his own
home town. A city or town is just
what Its citizens make it-no more
no less--and is consequently a true
reflection Of the characteristics Of Its
people. Just in proportion to the
amount of civic pride exhibited and
pracGiced by a city or town, In that
same proportion does 1t receive the
commentator or disapproval Of Its
neighbors and the outside world gen.
orally. This is especially the case
when 1t comes to the matter of out
side appearances-the physical make
up and condition of streets, pave
ments and other municipal works
Appearances count for a good d sal,
and to the visitor or "passer-by" the
sight of clean, well-kept streets and
pavements, and neat and attractive
private premises, is one of the best
references as to the progressiveness
and wide-awake spirit of the citizens
of that particular town. On the con-
trary, streets Uttered with old papers
and store sweepings, empty tin cans
and other trash, its cutters and
drains stopped up with rubbish and
rotting leaves, unsightly bill boards
with fiaring patent medicine adver-
and vile and odorous back
lots, leave anything but a favorable
impression on the stranger within
our gates" and is often a "vexation''
and "a stencil in the nostrils" Of the
respectable citizen.
For the purpose Of improvement,
cleansing and beautifying. numbers
Of towns now have "Civic Improve
ment Societies" generally organized
and carried on by the good women
The good results Of such organiza-
tIons are only limited by the amount
Of earnestness and determination OF
the members. Yorkville now has a
Civic Improvement society. an organ
lzation long needed, and one worthy
of the hearty support Of every citi-
zen-man, woman and child. 1t is
deplorable-yet a very evident fact
that Yorkville is far from being
a model for clean streets and pave
ments, sanitary drains and back lots
Her main street Is the dumping
ground Of all sorts Of rubbish, dirty
papers and store sweepings, an occa-
sional woodpile, building refuse, ETC.,
and this with the addition Of rottine
leaves and trash so clogs the cutters
and drains that they are unable to
carry off the water when 1t rains;
this floods the streets, and with the
accumulated dirt Of the ages In the
roadway, produces at times an odor-
Gus exhalation that has no resem-
blance whatever to "Hoyt's Dime Co
logne," besides making the streets
well-nigh "uncrossable" to pedes-
trians Vacant spaces are adorned
with unsightly bill boards, on which
"he or she who walks may read" OF
the marvellous virtues of numerous
patent medicines and other articles
Back lots and premises have to stand
the burden Of the refuse that hap
pens not to be permissible to plain
view on the streets, and with theiI
pools of stagnant water, are admira-
BILE terminating grounds for the fris-
ky "Muskeeter," as we'll as malaria
and typhoid.
/ will leave it with the observani
reader to determine IL the above de-
scription Of conditions Is overdrawr
or exaggerated.
These conditions should be RENE
died and the sooner the better. TIC
get satisfactory results Will require
some attention by constituted author
ity, some work and some money. Il
is nothing short Of foolishness to as
sert that Yorkville Is unable, from
financial standpoint, to keep hel
streets clean. One man regularly
employed, with the assistance every
few days Of a horse and cart, coulc
work wonders in the cleanliness Of
our thoroughfares. Yorkville ma!
not be able at this time to put In
sewerage system or to lay her street:
In asphalt, but she can, with some III
tie effort keep what she has clear
and slightly.
1t Is to be hoped that the York
Vile Civic Improvement society will
prove a live and permanent organiza
ton, and that it will receive, as 1t de-
serves, the hearty cooperation OF eV
cry citizen in its efforts to make wha
Nature, by her gifts to Yorkville
made possible and practicable, beau
tiful and healthy little city. The re
sponsibility, however, rests with eacf
individual citizen; he must do hi
part he must sweep before his owl
door,"
This article Is not written for th'
purpose of charging anyone in par
ticular with neglect Of duty, nor In
spirit of criticism and a desire II
rifle" somebody, but In the hop'
that it may assist in a way In bring
ing about a much needed reform II
Yorkville-Clean streets and mor'
civic pride. YoRKVILLIAN.
A TOKEN OF GRATITUDE.-A rare ex
ample of discerning gratitude Is giVel
by the late Marchioness Isabella Lu