Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1911-04-14
CLEANLINESS
Essentials OF Neoiness FOR
Civic Improvement.

The Saturday evenings Louisville
Times produces some wholesome adj.
vice in its columns, which would, il
applied to Barbourville, make our
city the queen city of the Cum
berland Valley.
"The second step in civic improve.
meut is the improvement in the es.
sentials Of neatness. Aside from
the mere cleanliness are certain addi-
tons which contribute to a pleasing
appearance; orderliness, trimness,
tidiness, simplicity. A home may be
clean yet lacking in these essentials
of neatness. A yard may be free
from all Objectionable matter yet
lay no claims to tidiness. a fence
may serve its purpose as a fence, n
walk as walk, street as street
and yet be disorderly. A house, n
town, city may be sanitary but
unsightly. However, this combina-
ton is unusual. and unkept, disord.
erly premises and streets usually
bespeak citizens careless Of health.
Society can be roughly divided into
two classes; the clean and tidy, the
unclean and untidy, the first express
ing thrift. pride, selfrespect, hope;
the second, laziness. slothiulness,
abjectuess. Both indicate character
"a longing for pleasing surround
ings can not be hidden. but is found
blossoming in the byways shut in
by filth on all sides. 1t speaks in
flowers and trees, in fences and side
walks, and always where it is, hope
and interest in life still exist. This
desire for making more attractive
ones surroundings is acquired.
Children by nature are regardless of
all ideas of neatness, and it is only
through years Of training that the
habit, for il is a habit, is acquired.
training during the early part OF
life is vital, for after maturity the
habit is seldom formed. For this
reason the home first OF all should
be the place where neatness is taught
and practiced. where preaching and
pain; go hand in hand, where moth.
ing which eliminates unsightliness
10 considered trife, for as truly as
these things indicate desirable char.
acter. as truly do they aid in it's
building.
at has been found profitable to
organize among school children civic
leagues in order to create among
them civic pride. To broaden the
idea of neatness to the town, to
make the child feel that upon him is
a part of the responsibility Of keep.
ing his town clean. Even the com
mons would cease to be receptacles
for garbage. Who litters up The
answer can be found on the placard
above the next trash can. Put your
papers and trash in the can and
help keep your town clean So it is
a citizen who throws papers. fruit
skins, ashes, bottles, and all kinds
of unsightly rubbish on the streets
A citizeu-one who lives in and is
part Of that town.
"No doubt the same quality OF
citizen is found throwing cans in va
cant lots, splitting on the sidewalks,
whiting on the benches in the
court house, regardless Of the fact
that he as citizen should be doing
what he could to improve rather
than impair the conditions about
him.
"The closer the law making power
is brought to the people the less
effective it becomes. Nearly every
town has an ordinance prohibiting
the throwing Of ashes and rubbish
in the street, ordinances requiring
citizens TO keep in proper condition
their cutters and sidewalks, ordi
nanses prohibiting the deiacing OF
public property, ordinances enough
TO keep town in perfect condition;
then whyl Perhaps the man who
threw the ashes in the street was
Mr.. Bonds sister.in.law's uncle, or
perhaps the man who keeps the