Henderson gold leaf., 1911-08-31
DIR TOWN GOVERNMENT.
ACall to Progress.

This is II call to progress and not
,.Ii TO arms. | would not like to
i.,..Io wear my mouth in a sling
a.I am not ready or prepared to be-
.,.r,.. Inc town bouncer. II the truth
i.,. a..n stated or shall be stated in
tt,.-. articles, then no one has
,.Gr to become offended. II any
tfl.., eatrue is published, show me
Iar.rr,r and will swallow my state
n-nt This ought to be fair enough
fir any man who is not chicken
hcrt~trd-
T.. publicity OF our town govern
m-nt and OF the laws OF our town
a,i # the execution OF the laws
t..f.,f have been SO neglected by our
rraaplpcr and so overlooked by the
,e.a-r4I public that to even speak
,,.rf3y Of them now at this late hour
wound be like throwing a cake OfsOap
itqthr Reehive Geyser in the Yel-
L..~tuur National Park. You know
rlrlNiug Il cake of soap into that
obi argser creates II Dickens OF a
connection.
am not after men. All of our Of
f.,.r- and commissioners are honor
ulH. men They are good enough,
D.rhap4 too good. Some of them
tower III age like solitary Obelisks
amidst the prairie sage. Perhaps
ra.garr nearer to Heaven than they
nr.to Henderson, perhaps not. l
n,mmHte no names, | designate no
u.-tiuiaa. The point is plain. We
da not warbIe the whole night long
about mrn-we want progress. The
race Of progress is on. Brer Rabbit
i, wing on the wayside asleep and
rh. Tortoise is ahead Of Us making
t,rthe goal Wake up Brer Rabbit,
shake Yourself and make your tail
Our white flag of progress.
Ware Antony, standing over the
dead tucsur, said that he himself was
nut an eloquent man like Lord
Kruru4 hut that lie was only plain,
blunt man who spoke the things he
iu,-H aEd spoke right on. When
Antony read in the will OF Caesar
that taesar had bequeathed all his
private walks, his parks, his arbOrs
t. the populace, the people clamOred
murder, fire, kill, revenge. Ever be
fore that time and ever since that
time all people have wanted good
public ways, good streets, good
parks The people OF Henderson are
mo- exception. Wewant good streets
". wunt IL park like other people,
We need a park like other people.
Hug you cannot find any steps taken
Nv our aldermen, nor is there any
public sentiment to buy or establish
any place of recreation for youth or
regeneration for old age. The only
park in Henderson, the only "Land
ol Fair Delight" '" the only place OF
rest is the cemetery, and you have
To pay to stop there long. Watch
man. what Of the nightI
What do you think of this, or do
yuu think? Our streets are i'll bad
condition and growing worse. | do
nnt know that You ought to blame
uur street commissioner too much.
W. pay him less than the CrOatan
CIuh pays it's jHnitor. You cannot
expect to get $50 worth of work
per month for SO per month. We
lack progress in our streets just the
same. | honestly believe the average
street in Henderson is worse than the
average road i'll Vance county. Take
gin rirky to steady your nerves,
put OH corset to steady your vitals,
puII down your hat over your Adam s
apple. seat yourself in u buggy or
automobile, bury your finger nails
III the painted sides of the vehicle and
Irts riccochctte some over the streets
ui Henderson.
Gar main street, we are on main
street now, is rough and bumpy from
North Henderson to the macadam
Iu front of Mr.. IIOOver's house. It's
tuu rough between the Post Office
and the Garage. The same street
from the Southern depot to the town
limits is something terrible. Will
uua street is in bad condition the
Wh1I. length of the town. Street
after street is in bad condition and
thr bitches need cleaning out. If
Hm wrong. say so. Watchman, what
ut the night,
What do YOU think of this, or do
luu think In putting down side
walk pavements, the pavement is
supposed to be in the middle OF the
walk with n space of about one foot
tar turf and grass on each side of the
concrete pavement. This ought to
hn But in nearly every case we find
that wherever a curb, next to q man s
Ipt is put down in concrete, that
curb is Jam up to the concrete, freez-
In- out the grassy plot on the inside
u. the walk, conveying to the owner
ut he lot without right, without law,
Without Just compensation, the pos
session of that foot of side walk be-
tween a mans lot and the concrete.
Hy this method q mans yard is eX-
tended into the side walk about one
f1ut giving to him, his heirs and as
~l.u4 10 their only use and behOOf
:or their inclusion and the exclusion
ut tine public one foot of valuable
town property not belonging to said
mau. would not mind so much
swing away few acres in the sandy
desert of Sahara, but to snag the
town 10y making its sidewalks one
iurl narrower is Il shame. | do not
wish to lin jitsu or calculate against
thn rich or against the poor. But
those people who are able to put
I"Hn concrete curhing ought to be
"'dr to let that side walk, one foot
wide 10y nobody knows how long, re
insuu to the use of the town. They
heed not expect the town under its
present form of government to look
ont for its own property. You viii
i.n! this kind of business on Charles
street, Garnett street, Winder street
al.d on Burwell avenue. Watchman
What Of the night
What DO you think, or do you
jEiGk2 Who cares for the towI
Property? You cannot find out VIII.
tAe electric light bills and the Goa
hI.~ for the municipal building ar
:" high simply because you canno
Md out who has charge of the mu