Frostburg mining journal., 1908-09-26
A CONTRAST IN
CIVIC BEAUTY.
Experience of Idaho Town With
Two Railroads.
ONE DEEMED AN EYESORE.
The Other Considerate of the Peoples
Rights and the Municipality's Wei
fare and Appearance-Strikin Diff
ference Between Their Depots.

fare and ppearance-Strking Diff
ference Between Their Depots.
From one end Of Rathdrum. Ida, to
i,e other, almost running parallel east
and west, two railroad lines are i'm
portant adiuncts of the village. The
physical character of one dlstigurcs
and mars the surroundings; the other
has been constructed with view to
giving an additional beauty to con-
tiguous points
The Northern Pacific at this point is
Il positive cyesorc to all the inhabt-
ants of the village, and no less so to
tAe travelling public, says Bartlett Sin
clair IN the Spokane Spok kcsman-R Re
view. In the construction, subsequent
Improvements" and maintenance of
tri; great commercial highway (hcre
81 lcISt nothing seems to have been
q ..i:tcd to impress the eye with its
r'pulSivcnc,'S
It enters the town from the east
t.. .ough Il beautiful grove of native
lincS. Without apparent demand for
he act the old right of way was sunk
:o.nc ten feet through that lovely spot
destroying hundreds of the most state
Indicate the ravage the stumps of the
monarchS. the huge limbs and trunks
lie promiScuouSly on the banks of the
depression. There may still be seen
disgusting evidences of the old camps
of the army of vandals.
AS the road gets into the heart of
ton until ut several points 1t divides
TIE town by an cmbankmcnt of five to
fifteen feet The sides of this emDank-
mcnt, stretching like Il huge, black
serpent through the town, are covered
with filthy cans, useless scraps of rail
road iron. fragments of old cars, con
demn"d and ragged ties. all set in Il
bed of black and gray ashes.
No description of offensive refuse
but may be seen or Smcllcd on the
right of way within the town limits.
For twenty years a space covering Il
margin of two blocks has been used
as Il dumping ground for the discarded
ashes from the engines. This aCCumu-
latiOn ut times reaches Il height of ten
or twelve feet and Il Width of twenty
feet and protrulcs for distance of
800 feet along the right of way within
the town limits. Sometimes this un-
slightly pile is higher and wider, but at
all times it is there The commercial
club and the village trustees have ap-
pealed time and again for relief but all
to no purpose The railroad authOri-
ties are imperviouS.
The horrible mass is COcXtenSiVe for
several blocks with the south walk of
the recently laid out village park. Its
uncanny appearance is intensified by
the natural beauty across the street
The prospect from the park in the di-
rcction of the road destroys all sense
of the natural grandeur Of the beauti-
full brook, the shrubs, the lawns and
magnificent old trees. The existence
Of that foul embankment IS submis-
sively endured The people think they
have no recourse.
But that Is not all. The cid depot
buildings and platform are a positive
disgrace not say menace to safety.
The ratings are down, and one of the
depots is without steps, necessitating
an aCrobatiC or monkey feat to get
within. This great corporation, with
millions at Its command, maintains the
dirtiest yard and surroundings in the
town. The poorest and most parSi-
monious person Of the village supports
nicer and more aesthetic surroundings.
SO long as this ulcer is maintained
In It's present condition our village,
repute. And so must many another.
These unkempt railroad grounds are
the first and last sight of all people
who visit us The nauSeating OdorS fill
the atmosphere. and the rough slOres
Of the roadbed, strewn with ashes and
dirty debris from many and misCel-
laneouS sources, shock ones sense Of
the beautiful.
There are so many towns In the
same suffering, helpless class with
Rathdrum between the coast and St
Paul that the situation becomes one of
general interest and concern Some
thing ought to be done.
The other railroad which interSectS
the village is the Idaho and Washing
ton Northern. AS is well known, this
road Is n recent creation and passes
between Spokane and Newport and Is
the work of the Blackwclls. \ large
part of the road has been completed,
and the extension into the Metallne
section Is going forth at Il rapid rate
The Blackwells in the construction OF
the road have given valuable Illus
tration of the truth that II railroad line
through village or city need not be
Disagreement and may be so built
as to lend an artificial pictureSquencss
to the landscape and to municipalities
The wise and considcrate cOuFSe was
pursued by these contractors and true
artists Of cleaning up behind them as
the rails were laid. No unSightly ref
use was left to mortify the sight along
the right OF way Besides n beautiful
roadbed, even and regular, the mag
nlfcent country through which the
road passes is not marred by noun
tainS of tangled treetoDs. stumDs and