The Republican journal., 1909-07-15
OUR CITY BEAUTIFUL.

OF all the cities of Maine there is not one
for whom nature has provided more perfect
environment than Belfast.
At her feet the most beautiful bay of the
Atlantic coast; rivaling in its scenic beauty, we
are told. that of Naples.
From the highlands which form the crown
of this City Beautiful stretch out to every
point of the compass landscape views only
equalled in beauty and variety by isolated
spots in the memory of the globe-encircling
tourist. On the landscape coloring nature be-
slows depth and vividness during the spring,
summer and autumn months that can not be
duplicated perhaps in all this wide world of
ours.
The early settlers in this most beautiful
building spot among American cities, in way
realized the grandeur of the bay, the softness
and delicacy of the middle distance in the
landscape opened to view from the hilltops,
the whole panorama unfolded to view and be-
came impressed upon their consciousness
And they sought to give expression and
appreciation by building beautiful homes.
1.-The accident of circumstance" has won-
derful effect in moulding public opinion and in
framing popular ideas regarding places and
things.
Because the great epoch making events of
colonial times called attention of the whole
world to small area of territory around the
shores of Massachusetts Bay, and that the
attention of scholars, tourists and writer's was
thus focused to a limited area, can unquestion-
ably be traced the idea in the popular mind
that only in that territory can beautiful Colon
ial Architecture be found.
But in Our City Beautiful today can be
found as the outcome of the attempt of the
earlier residents to build up to the setting
furnished by Nature for their homes some of
the most beautiful examples of Colonial Archi-
lecture extant.
World renowned architects like Sir Chris
topher Wren gave of their knowledge and
skill in the designing of some of these old-tlme
mansions of this City of ours; houses which
today are among the most beautiful of the
many strikingly artistic homes of the City.
Every section of the city has old Colonial
homes in good repair and condition that have
for more than a century stood as monument
to the grand attempt of their builders to build
up to the environment
These same early settlers set out and cared
for many, if not most, of the magnificent shade
trees that line our principal thoroughfares
They worked together for the common good
in these things, however much they might
have differed on individual lines.
| To us, the descendants of those who planned
and executed and transferred to our present
keeping this City Beautiful, the upkeep and in
crease in all that goes to make for higher
ideal should be constant inspiration.
/ All over this broad country of ours Home
Improvement Societies have come into exist
ence in order that collectively the people car
join in making the town they collectively Gre
ate and the home they individually occupy
whether they own it by title or not, more at
tractive. That is the one thing into which sect
or creed, sex party, politics or religion
should not and can not enter successfully; it il
movement that benefits ALL and to which al
can and should contribute gladly, even if CO
operation and welcome words of commentator
is the utmost some, as individuals, can give
Even that helps to maintain what our fore
fathers left us, The City Beautiful.
Let US all work together, men, women ant
children, to make the legacy still more beauti
full for ourselves and for those who will follow
E. R. PIERCE.