The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-08-11
civic Needs.

The spirit of civic pride needs an
awakening in Union City We do not
know what it will take to prompt it, but
we do know that if number of our
leading citizens and property owners
ever became interested to the extent of
cleaning away the weeds and rubbish
and identifying their premises with lawn
grass, concrete walks and flower beds
that the spirit would become infectious
and there would be change in Union
City such as the most yirle dreamer
ever never hoped to see.
1t is not our purpose to overlook the
fact that there are few rare exceptions
to this criticism in Union City. Some
Of these exceptions are notable, and the
contrast in the localities where these
exceptions exist is enough to excite at
tention if not desire to emulate the
example.
We must also give due credit to those
who have removed their old fences
Quite a lot of this work has been done
but there is certainly an abundance Of
it needed. Remember, this is not call
ing for something which will be loss to
any property owner The expense Of
these improvements will bring tenfold
returns either in comfort and pleasure
or profit.
The question of fences in many cases
is one of preconceiyed idea. Many per-
sons are so accustomed to the old ways
that they have not been able TO see the
utter uselessness OF an old dilapidated
fence nor the manner in which it mars
or detracts from the appearance Of their
homes.
A low-roofed house with tall picket
or paling fence in front of it looks more
like cellar than home, and good
way to get a striking impression Of its
quaintness and primitiveness is to have
it photographed by the amateur process
with a titled camera, producing an effect
something like the sway of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa. And worse still if the
fence is an old one But when once re-
moved, old or not old, the owner would
never have another unless it be a stone
or concrete curbing.
When the fences are removed trans
formation begins at once. In their
places come sodded yards with smooth '
and shapely concrete walks and in adj /
vanced stages the flower beds. These +
things need not be done all at once, but h
the minute the old fence and the weeds a
and rubbish are removed comes taste r
for newer and better and more attractive
things. 1t costs something Of course to b
build walks and sod the yards, but the II
old fences and the old rubbish can be
removed practically without expense, as t,
The wood can be used for kindling and il
other purposes.
There is at this time OF the year or "
,arlier in Union City always cause for al
'emark about the weeds. Union City d
$ in the heart OF rich, fertile section, @
md the weeds grow like mushroom. re
But suppose the weeds on the streets W
we're removed, would the city look much ia
,etter with private premises covered with Of
ii sorts of rank weeds from two to ten ce
eet high? There is always cry, Why ty
J it the city does not do this or that, A
nd yet these same people are too care l.
sss or indolent to do anything them d'
elves in the way Of removing these OBJ ca
oxious and unsightly impeachment to -
atural and artif cial beauty. En-
The Civic League organized here a
hort time ago started the spark OF civic Cl
ride, but the league dropped into in