The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-25
MODERN STREET LIGHTING.


ton have both been responsible for
the development and installation of
lighting systems. Civic
bodies, municipal associations and
business mems clubs have been eager
to do something for their cities that
would attract attention and place them
in a class just a little above their
Ornamental lighting at
once appealed to them as an effective
and comparatively inexpensive means
of accomplishing this purpose
In addition to the advertising value
to the city as a whole, the popularity
of ornamental lighting systems may
be attributed to the important part
such systems play in the popular
NOV ement for the City Beautiful; to-
the benefit in dollars and cents &C
cruing to the business interests in the
lighted district; and to the increase IN
property values and decrease in crime.
The subject Is one in which keokuk
is especially interested just now be-
cause of the plans under consideration
for the ornamental illumination of
Main street. Perhaps as good an eA-
position of modern street lighting as
has been made to date was that con-
tanned In paper read before the an
nual convention OF the American Civic
Association In December last by G. L.
Eshleman and published in the Febru-
airy number of The American City,
a monthly review of municipal prob
lens and civic betterment. Mr.. Eshle-
man attaches high value to proper
lighting Of the public streets. 1t has
been truly said that In popular govern
ment abuses are the penalty of neglect
on the part of the governed. civic
pride is the surest step toward better
municipal government. Mr.. Eshleman
argues from this that anything when
adds to the general attractiveness of
/ the city excites interest in Its affairs
and fosters public spirit and civic
pride. Every citizen, he rightly says,
should be able to point with pride
to his own city; but how shall he do
this when he sees such woeful de-
ficlency as poor public lighting? He
may not be able to pass upon the rela-
tive merits of its public library. or the
architecture Of it's public buildings, but
public lighting is thing OF SO con-
spicuous and evident nature that
there is no escaping the odium OF an
lunfavorable comparison.
Generally speaking, the value OF
property on business street is direct
ly proportionate to the number OF
people who make use of the street as
thoroughfare. Anything which adds
to the traffic of given street must,
therefore, add to the value OF the
AUDITING property While conditions OF
accessibility to necessary utilities,
such as railway stations, hotels, banks,
public buildings. etc, have doubtless
n preponderating Influence in de
Itermining the traffic of street, it is
effually true that no subsidiary condi
ltion has such vital effect as the
lighting, In support of this view Eshle
imam cited specific examples as fol
lows:
= "a western city has long. open
square in the center of it's business
section which naturally affords a
prominent location for business. II
! happens that one side of this square
has been brilliantly lighted up, most
Ely by private enterprise. AS result
nine-tenths of the pedestrians in the
evening take that side OF the square
, with the result that 1t is far more
: valuable as business location than
the opposite side. The merchants or
one of the main business streets of
large eastern city saw that the bull
, of traffic failed to pass them in the
natural course OF business. They in
: stalled brilliant system of stree
? lighting, and forthwith their street be
came the center OF attraction; ant
, similar instances can be cited in mum
. erous other cities.
= Mr.. Eshleman comedies that i
$ would, of course, be absurd to expec
L to create a popular business stree
t out of thoroughfare lying far be
yond the natural limits of traffic: blu
:. he properly maintains that there is NJ
!. question that any street directly trlbu
i tary to business thoroughfare cal
t be fully doubled in value by the instal
lation of spectacular lighting. In tn
Il same connection he said further:
: "In more general way, lighting tn
+ entire business section of city up t
!. the standards Of modern illuminatio
d does for the city, as whole, what tn
e lighting of particular street does TO
that section: ii increases values b
increasing the traffic, not only fror
the city itself. but from the surrount
!, ing country and nearby towns. Tha
!. good light increases the value OF res
!, Dental streets by making them NOR
desirable needs no argument. Goo
|, street lighting, more than any othe
: thing. gives to city an air of pre-
L gressiyeness and prosperity
. In speaking of better street lightin
as sanitary measure the author {
;, the paper did not claim that it wonl
add directly TO the healthfulness {
= the street: but he emphasized th
power of suggestion In influencing a
ton. There is no denying the fact, Ii
:" 4 ocIaynJ that ono iroproypn,anf en-