Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-11-02
THE CITY
BEAUTIFUL
Commissioner Christy Does
Good Work
EVERY SECTION COVE RED
Today the Streets and the
bitches of Phoenix Are in
Better Condition Than for
Ten Years and Tree Trim
ming Is Progressing.
EVERY SECTION COVE RED

today does not commend itself to the
| public eye it is not the fault of Street
Commissioner Christy. No promise
| ever made by any public official has
been more faithfully kept than Com
missioner Christy's agreement to place
every street and alley in his iurisdic-
ton in a Clearly, slightly condition, not
only that fair visitors might be most
favOrably impressed but that Phoeni-
clans themselves might be warranted
in assuming a greater degree of pride
in the appearance of the city generally.
The street department of Phoenix,
under Commissioner Christy and his
assistant, Frank Fowler, has put in a
most strenuous two or three weeks in
furthering, to the best of its ability.
the plan to make this community The
City Beautiful" How well this has
been accomplished can only be de-
termined by a drive through the streets
of the city.
With the exception of a very few
scattered sections, the entire city has
been cleaned up" Every ditch has
been freed of weeds and cleaned Of
mud and other refuse AS fast as the
weeds and vegetable growth along the
streets and bitches have been cut and
piled up the torch has been applied
leaving every thoroughfare in apple
pie order.
Probably the most thoroughly beau
titled street, made so through the work
of the street department, is West Nc
Kinley, along which upon either side
are rows of stately palms. These had
grown to the extent that their appear
ance was little short of unsightly. A
party of trimmers was placed at work
over a week ago and these palms
trimmed up, leaving only the topmost
foliage untouched. The bitches below
were gone over carefully and today
there is no more beautiful thorough
fare in the city.
The trimming of these palms has
been conducted along different lines
than those of previous years. In 9TH
er years it has been the custom to trim
not more than ten feet from the ground.
The trimming this year is in the hands
of Landscape Gardener Blackmere,
whose long experience in Riverside and
other California cities fits him most
admirably for the work He Is en-
deavoring to proceed along the best
established lines and the result is that
his work has brought forth words of
praise from everyone who has visited
the sections in which he has already
been at work.
Grand avenue, the one thoroughfare
over which the bulk of the fair travel
goes, has been given every necessary
attention and today is one of the best
boulevards in the southwest. Wherever
it was found that there were depres-
sions making the road dangerous to
automobile or buggy travel, a dressing
of caliche has been applied and after
having been thoroughly wetted down
has been tamped until it was as hard
as any paved street.
Out in the Capitol and West Capitol
the chain gang has in some
localities proven very effective, while
in other sections the paid laborers of
the city have been worked assidiously
in placing the streets in a thoroughly
presentable condition. Not alone have
the weeds been cut down and burned,
but much construction work of culverts
and crossings has been done Even the
remote cross streets have come in for
a full share of attention until in that
section there is hardly weed or I'M
slightly brush left standing
The tree trimming party is now
working along West Washington street
and before the end of the week will
have placed that thoroughfare in first
class condition out as far as the capitol
Every tree, whether umbrella or ash,
has received attention and wherever a
tree is found dying and there appears
no hope of saving it, it is Immediately
cut down, rooted out and preparations
made to set out a new one in its place
if such is deemed advisable.
Arrangements are being made to
open West Monroe street across the
railroad track at Nineteenth avenue,
thereby affording an outlet for some
of the heavy traffic now necessarily
diverted to the Yuma road. This work
will be done within the next few
days, surveyors yesterday being en-
gagged in stalking out that portion
Of the street not yet opened. The rail
road company has agreed to do its
share of the work just as soon rs the
city is in readiness to go ahead. West
street is one of the most i'm
portant in the Capitol addition and will
become more SO once it is opened right
Along the Yuma road the chain gang