The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-29
Removing the Trees.
Editor Item:

Bartlett street, is now being discuss
ed, the writer would like to make q
Few suggestions in reference thereto,
which he trusts may not be entirely
lacking in interest.
There are some Of these trees that
should be removed, irrespective of
their location, for the reason that
they are hopelessly decayed, worth
less for either shade or ornament and,
In case Of high wind, dangerous to
Doth person and property. There are
others, not especially valuable, but in
fair condition, that may, without the
slightest inconvenience to traffic. we'll
be left for the present, there being
no immediate need for their removal.
The finest tree on this part of the
street is a Willow Oak in front of the
new postoffice, and to remove It
would, in the writer's opinion, be a
piece of inexcusable vandalism. and
every possible effort should be made
to preserve 1t. 1t talks a good many
years for tree to attain the size of
this one, and in addition to this It is
something Of land mark, planted
very probably when the city was in
Its infancy. There is another tree of
the same variety, unfortunately too
near the first mentioned, which is in
very good condition and this might
be spared also. Just a little lower
down Is fine Elm that ought also to
be left. The writer is aware Of the
fact that most people hold to the
opinion that trees are out of place on
business street, and it must be ad-
mitted that they are when the street
Is narrow and the traffic heavy, but
under favorable conditions it is pos
sible to have them In street lined
on both sides with business houses.
Then the idea prevails that trees on
the business streets Of city makes
it look like a village, but there is no
force in this objection, for the sim
pie reason that a city has just as
much use for shade and as much
right to be attractive as has the viii
lage.
The writer is such a believer in
trees, both for beauty and comfort
that if he could lay off the streets for
q f1,f,r cft ho Ia
mess streets one hundred and fifty
feet wide. and have a row Of fine
trees on each side, placing them 25
feet from the lot line, so as they
| would not be in the way of the build
ings, leaving one hundred feet for
the use Of vehicls and street cars.
This plan would not only add to the
value Of the lots, but at same time
make it an ideal street for beauty
| and comfort.
Ever since the writer has been in
Sumter he has been trying to induce
the Council to adopt systematic
plan for the planting Of trees and for
the care Of those already on the
streets, but so far his efforts have
been unavailing. The city is growing
rapidly and some effort ought to be
made to make it attractive by plant
ing trees, for putting aside the Ques-
ton Of beauty, they are, in our cli-
mate, a necessity for both comfort
and health. About a year ago one
of the street hands boasted to the
writer that he could trim a tree so
that it would not need any trimming
for the next five or six years. He
made good his boast, but when he got
through with his work the tree had
very little in the way of beauty to
boast Of
Sumter has, in the estimation of
the writer, for it's size, remarkable
number of attractive homes, it's busi-
ness interests are large and growing
this speaking we'll for the energy anc
enterprise of it's citizens, yet with all
of this nobody so much as lifts fing-
er in the way of making the city
| beautiful, and the question may very
reasonably be asked as to how long
this utter absence of civic pride is to
| continue. Business enterprise, with
| in reasonable limits is commendable
in every way, but it should not domi-
nate ones time and attention to the
exclusion Of everything except that
which can be converted into money.
Sumter has a very active Civic
League which is doing a great deal
of good work among the poor, but alb
| solutely nothing in the way of MAX
ing the city attractive, and for this
reason ought to take the name Of the
Kings Daughters. 1t is certainly not
a very pleasant thought TO feel that