Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-07-22
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT
by Bryan Civic League.l

iadies OF the Civic League to contrib
ute an article on some topic german
10 the caption, "Civic Improvement.
!, is with some diffidence that | un
dertake the task. for | must admi
mat a very meagerly equipped person
mas been chosen for such an article
Ihis feeling of inaptitude was in
creased by the statement of one OF
the ladies who remarked, Civic i'm
provement seems to mean plant d
rosebush and all Is DONE" II may be
however that one looking upon the
question from the Viewpoint OF new
arrival can offer some suggestions not
altogether unworthy of the subject.
AS the purpose of the Civic League
is to beautify the city, one may pre-
sent the query. Why do we call a
thing beautiful What is beauty ?
Here we are upon questions that 20
deep, In search of answers We find
ourselves thrown straight back upon
the soul and its structure, for the
beautiful is evidently spiritual per.
eeption. Place a horse in front of our
iairest prospect and 1t sees nothing
OF what We mean by the word. Even
IN man himself the perception is one
that unfolds only gradually. The saw.
age has little sense of 1t. 1t has taken
ages to develop this special response.
And yet ii lies in the depth of every
soul, and in proportion as that soul
moves toward perfection does the sen.
timent find amplitude and volume of
expression.
But what is this response? What is
contained in our idea of beauty? On
this subject philosophers and scien-
lists have discoursed abundantly from
various viewpoints. Materialists have
discussed ii as an affair of curves. :
surfaces and sensory impressions. But
when all has been said il remains that
the recognition of beauty by the mind
can be explained satisfactorily in only
one way. Our feeling here is recogni.
ton, that is reknowing, reminder |
Of what the soul already knows. of |
what is native to its realm. The |
beauty of nature is the work of a SUI /
preme artist whose fundamental ideas
are reproduced. however, family, in
our own. Without such a relationship
10 begin with there could be no posi-,
Die recognition of beauty on our part.
The topic as it thus opens up is far
more than merely speculative one
We must admit that it has some i'm
'ortant practical consequences. For
Instance. the incubation of righteous.
less should ever link itself with the
ouls innate sense of beauty. But the
ubject has wider bearing than its I
pplication to Sunday worship. Our
municipal life is as yet only at its
eglnning. There are a hundred differ
Mt lines along which it has to de- u
elop, but one of the greatest and t
lost fruitful will be in its education {
nd satisfaction of the public sense of "
eauty. The mass of American people t,
e children here where the ancient
reeks were grown men. In coming
'nerations our towns will be, not an I
ltrage upon nature, but a blend with h
,r. And the beauty cultivated will ii
} that which appeals not only to the in
e, but to the ear also We shall be C;
ahing an approach to the municipal n,
cal when the whole civic atmosphere
so penetrated with high and en-
bling influences, with such elements Ell
art and refinement, that the mean eli
citizen, by the mere fact of ming r,
g with it, will find his own life i'm tn
'asurably enriched. | have been an
y much impressed with the organi- OF
ion of towns in the Canadian west.
oh town is laid out in such way
t beauty of formation and rapidly w
progress go hand in hand. And we be
'uld endeavor to instil this sense of Co
uty into the citizenship of every
n where the inhabitants are work
for material progress and an in wa
ased population. There are many is
lgs to which should like TO turn at
minds of our citizens, especially
minds of those who sincerely de- Z
city of beauty in its true signifi. wa
on. | need not elaborate the vari- tw.
matter; a suggestion will suffice. the
my readers can perform the work Raj
There are two evils Del
{, to my mind, require immediate
ntion. One of these is profanity A
he public streets, the other is ex- Diet,
Grafton on the ewalks-both of city
IN are offensive to persons who cas-
any conception of decency. Then aga
e IS a plot of ground east of the
ston d Texas Central depot, ex- r
ing south for two blocks, which TAX,
eyesore to our Civic League, and app
a sure 1t also causes a good deal sch,
Comment amongst visitors to our amC
These are three of the matters, agri