The Tupelo journal., 1909-12-03
Snap Shots
BY COL. W. L. CLAYTON
Author of Pen Pictures of the
Olden Time.

Well, since wrote last ! have again
been going to and fro in the City OF
Tupelo and walking up and down in
it this time, and taking observations of
things ccmin9 under my view, and
shall now proceed to fire a Snap
Shot" and want you all to observe
where it hits. If it knocks out the
bulls eye" all right, but if it falls
short Of he,mark I'll try again, Dec
volente. Well, reckon you all
know we have in the City of Tupelo
an organization called the Civic
League" as my memory best serves
me, or it may be the Civic Associa-
tion,' or the civic something else, but
at anv rate it is civic covenant or
agreement of the members to look
after the Identification of the city. |
should judge it would include the old
soldiers monument and the court
house grounds, and the cemetery, and
a kinder looking after your ncisabor
By belutifyins your own premises in
modest way ana thereby saying, now
friend do likewise, or more so or some
thing that looks in that direction at
any rate" All right; nobody objects to
that. or at least your humble servant
does not myself have found out
that you cannot really tell what some
folks will not object to.
Well, as l was saying, the Civic
League exists, AMI | have been waiting
for some time to see if they, or it,
would sound a note in the direction
this Snap Shot points, and not having
heard anything, move forward.
A few days ago was walking north
toward the southwest corner of the
court house square and | met my old
friend Dr.. 7. A. Boggan, whom | had
Just seen walking down a well-worn
path from the south entrance of the
court house to the said southwest
corner of the said square. On meeting
him | said: Doctor, I'm going to stop
you from travelling that path How S
that?" replied the doctor. You'll see,
said |. | continued, Doctor, do you
see how that path scars and renders
ungainly the beauty of that court
house plat? See, they have made one
path and are now beginning another
right above it, 1t ought not to be. !
make it a point never to walk ii. "
Have any of you noticed the path and
how ii mars ani scars the beauty of
the ground?
Private John Allen had lot of beau
tiful trees shipped here for that square
AMI turned them over to certain citi-
zens, one 10 each TO plant and every
thing was looking quite well and the
trees were growing nicely, when by an
Unfortunate slip CT the mower while
cutting grass many of them were badly
bruised and Scared. | know fine one
| set out, a beautiful Horse Chestnut,
was barkcd almost round, and the poor
little thin6 has been for two years try
in5 to bark over its wounds and scars.
but It's doubtful if it ever RECEIVERS SC
that it may make tree. | noticed ii
specially because ! planted it, and |
noticed slightly several others which
were SCARED and bruised, but not SO
badly as the little Horse Chestnut. And
now comes the path. What will it be
in a few years if not stopped? The
water will follow the depression and
wash out the path deeper, and when it
GETS below the grass roots the deepen
ing will be more rapid, and another
path and still Others will be made for
more convenient walking, and you can
see how it will be blot or rather a
series of blots, upon the beauty Of the
grounds. No, no; it must not be. Was
not right when said, Doctor, I'm
going to stop you from walking that
path?" | don't know who started if,
and its too late now to enquire. But,
who will stop it2 That's the question.
Listen! Just few days after our
present mayor, Will Robins, was elect
ed met him on the walk just south of
the court house and said to him, Will,
t,le day after you are inaugurated as
mayor, ] want an ordinance passed
that will efectually close up this path
- L