The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-06-18
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT


. tContihueo from Pe8c OneJ
beautiful irregularity under the
eyes Of every young man and young
woman who walks past there 10 the
Music Hall 10 learn 10 appreciate
the wonderful beauty Of Mendels-
sohn, Beethoven, Listz and the 9TH
or masters Of harmony. While I was
standing beside this place sometime
ago counting the different kinds Of
rubbish in the mosaic, n Carolina
wren perchcd upon a limb in the
brush heap and sang a clear, sweet
song Of joy. Al the same time I
heard someone in the Music Hall
playing one Of Beethoven's sonatas.
! thought Of the couplet that con-
tains the greater part Of Mrs. Wigs
philosophy:
I'm the mud and scum of things,
Something always, always sings"
And thanked God for the wren's
song and the sonatal I should like
Ia head brigade 10 rob this spot Of
its terrors.
There are other spots besides
these where the filth and dregs Of
street and yard sweepings, and 9TH
or refuse have been piled up. Some
are around rear doors in the town I;
some are by the street side. Where
ever they are, they will. unless re-
moved before the warm spring days
arrive. become breeding places for
flies, --and flies scatter the seeds Of
enteritis, dysentery, hookworm, tu-
berculosis, other diseases, and
these diseases actually kill human
beings. There's many a death at
which people mourn and weep over
the loved one. believing that the
Lord IN his mercy just took the dear
one away. when in reality that dear
ones death can be traced directly
along the line a houseny Travelled TO
a fllthy spot near the back door or
to dung heap in the barn yard.
Another feature of our town
scenery that appeals to one who
walks about with his eyes open, is
the surface toilets. Some of these
are kept in excellent condition but
some Of them are both picturesque
and distressing. Some Of them are
marvels of architecture built upon
plans that are entirely original. I
have gone into some Of these toll
els and have found the interiors
quite as attractive as the outside.
There are at least three in the town
with gunneysacks for doors. The
last time heard the Star Spangled
Banner sung and imagined could
see the stars and stripes proudly
waving over the land Of the free and
the home of the brave, ! could not
for the life of me help thinking Of
one Of those gunny sack privy doors
that bellied and tapped in the wind
as walked past it, Now | think my
idea of the stars and stripes is real
ly as lofty as that of most other
people. but on this occasion my
mental picture was certainly spoiled
by that gunnysack.
II would mean much to the peo-
pie Of Berea, and much to the peO-
pie Of the entire state, if cam
paign should be started here that
would result in the building of good
sanitary toilets at every house
where they do not already exist.
Many a child has its strength and
happiness torn from il during the
summertime by sickness that can
be traced directly To the unsanitary
surface priyy. Here again the house
fly is the active agent that causes
the trouble. He has two favorite
places where he loves to dwell and
play with his fellows; one is at the
surface toilet, the other is among
the dishes of food on the dining
room table. Many a death results
from his gambols, but some people
have not yet learned that.