The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-07-16
THE CITY BEAUTIFUL


larry to the Moscow Chamber of Com
merce.)
We are all very proud of our fed
eral building, and justly SO. TIL
structure is handsome, the fittings ar
in keeping, and the grounds are beau
tifully laid out and carefully ATTENDED
to. The new lawn is a marvel O
smooth green and is obviously under
expert supervision.
At the rear of the building the lit
tie formal garden is making excellent
progress. Too much satisfaction can
not be left in the intelligent pride and
pains that maintain such a public
square
And yet much of the happy effect
rightly belonging to this block is
lacking. The unsightly lot on the cor
ner of Sd and Jefferson streets which
belongs to the Presbyterian church,
robs the federal building grounds OF
the fine impression they would other
wise create This untidy lot is one
of the most unkempt in the city. 1t
has battered, implanted fence stray
Cling along part of the Sd street side.
On the alley, in full view of every
person who enters the government
building, lies huge, rusty furnace
with spilled ashes and debris all
about it. The lot is covered with a
rank growth of weeds some of them
four feet high. This is not pretty
picture, and it is scarcely the proper
background for the trim, green lawn
adjoining it, or for the neat residence
property on the south. =
The committee in charge of the mat
ter composed mostly of women l1v-
ing in that immediate vicinity who are
greatly annoyed by the condition of
the lott have directed two appeals to
the trustees of the property, urging
that it be cleaned up and put in such
shape as will render it less of an eye
sore. The only result so far has been
the removal-this occurred early in
the spring-of some building-paper
and some lumber that remained aft
er the destruction of the tabernacle.
That is all that has been done. Ev-
en- the saw-dust was not hauled off
though it should have been disposed
of either by carrying off, by burning or
by blowing under.
Church property, though exempt
from taxation, should not be exempt
from the observance of accepted rules
in regard to cleanliness and order
Trustees should feel the same obliga-
ton as toward their own lawns.
The "City Beautiful organization
once more asks the trustees who con
troll the lot in question to have the
weeds Immediately cut down, the
fence and furnace hauled away, and
the place generally cleaned up.
If the trustees do not care to at
tend to this property, the City Beau
tiful" auxiliary will be forced to issue
call to it's open-air squad OF work
ers who proved so efficient the other
day in the park. They will NOV the
weeds and rake the lot, and they Will |
try to find some one who will haul Off
the fence for the fire-wood it can be |
made into
The Auxiliary has, however, so
many other matters that claim its at
tention and effort, that it hopes 1t
will not be called upon to give the
particular demonstration of its sin
cerity and it's determination to make
Moscow beautiful. 1t hopes to see the
necessary work undertaken by the
trustees during this week.
In the plot of ground Immediately
in front of the Guild hall of st. Marks
the Episcopalians have
splendid chance, with very little ex-
pense, to develop a charming garden.
This plot should have been planted to
clover and well watered. row OF
rose bushes on either side of the rath-
or long walk, and a lilac hedge on
he south boundary would have prov
I'd both beautiful and profitable. They
would have been certain to rich har-
yest in flowers for the altar +
Instead of this neat and inexpensive
avn the weeds in the Open space and
n the parkings are most untidy and
)oor lesson in citizenship. The prop
,rty of S. L. Willis Immediately adj
dining the Guild hall is perfect
model in neatness and beauty. The
mass of bloom in the window boxes
he close cropped lawn, the well-grad-
d and carefully kept parking, the i'm
naculate cement sidewalks, and all
he other numerous evidences of good
aste and home pride, deserve better
boxing neighbor than the Guild hall
rounds as they are kept today. 1t
yould cost very little to kept the
reeds cut, even if the water cannot be
upplied for lawn or the bushes set
ut.
Church property well cared for
'ould be a constant reminder and
roof of the graciousness and charm
well-ordered surroundings.
Miss Mabel PauIsOn Retrns.