Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-04-29

are hearing so much about this line OF
civic improvement just now that there Is
no need for me to say anything beyond
that hope none here feelthe same as the
man, who, whiting pine stick, when,
approached with the question; Don't
you want good roads7'' replied "ob, |
dunno, "there ain't no place around here
| that's worth going to-"
| Not only is he idle who does nothing;
but he is idle who might be better en-
ployed.
| And that brings me to the concluding
| part OF my paper: How to know enough
| to be OF real use; how to see enough to be
| real leader; how to be good enough TO be
| good for something-that is the new prob
| lem OF social service.
| hope to see the time when we, as vot-
ers, will show enough business acnmen,
| to study the fitness of those whom we
elect to run the town affairs. Although
| the grange forbids me talking politics
under the title OF this paper, may draw
your attention to the spectacle we have
often in town affairs. Men who have
made failure of everything else will run
! for office and sometimes be elected. You
/ may depend upon it that the man who is
| incapable of running his own affairs, is
/ not the man to run yours or the towns,
Wblch Is ABOUT the same lnlng.
| We are doing our best to breed up
class of men who are worthless when
! brought face to face with real life and re-
/ quired to earn their wages before they are
| paid. This is the kind OF men who will
| strut around and tell you, This country
owes me living" What did President
Wilson say recently when stating his po-
| sition towards business? He said this:
EVERY man who wants the opportunity
and has the energy to seize it. is going to
be given chance" That's about ali an
industrious man would ask.
| God forbid that | should sneer at the
unfortunate. The little child born,
through no fault of its own, with some
| deformity which prompt outside help may
/ remove, ought to have that help. The
honest, hard working man, who meets
| with accident, again through no fault of
/ his own, ought to have the care his case
calls for. The poor widow. deprived OF
l her wage-earner and left with helpless
I little ones, ought to have assistance till
/ she can put herself and them in the way
of self-support. But in town affairs
especially, we need more of the doctrine of
'sHe who will not work, nett her shall he
eat"
IL the world owes one man living, then
/ he, as an undivided and indivisable part
/ OF the world, owes the rest of it its living,
/ which he'll always find harder to earn
/ than just his own.
J
enough to erect and maintain artistic pub
! lie advertising spaces. This could be
] made source of income to the town, as
/ well as do away with the practice OF Civ
( ing or selling space along our country
roads for cheap and gaudy advertisements.
Then hope to live TO see the time when
/ our telephone and electric light companies
will be compelled to put their wires either
/ underground, or in eonduits along the
/ surface, and do away with the miles and
| miles of uDsightly poles and wires and
mutilated trees which We now have dis
( figuring almost every country road.
Then / hope we will follow the example
of Germany in the matter of funny and
| artistic sign posts. which give the traveller
/ pleasure as well as information.
began this paper with the children. 1t
! seems to me civic Improvement rests large
| with them and in our attitude towards
them. Anyway we have got to have a de-
sire for better things before we will get
out and work for them. We can teach
| them to work for money only, or the iarg-
er field OF service.
| Rural communities can take advantage
/ OF many inexpensive ways OF adding to
| their welfare without great wealth.
! The natural surroundings of the
country home give development to ability
4 and courage in children that are better
| than wealth. The same principles of
| thrift that are to be cultivated for the
I
| larger welfare that a wise enjoyment of
natures gifts and natures lessons may
| bring.
| The thrifty farmer comes nearest OF all
men to the ideal condition of the wise
| man expressed in the wish, "Giye me
/ neither poverty nor riches" He can have
enough to comfortably house, clothe and
! feed his family in the midst of surround
! ings as wholesome as the world affords.
He can give his children, by the aid OF
| their healthy bodies and strong hearts, as
| good opportunities for education as any
| can use. He has natural leisure for
! self-culture in the use OF papers and books,
| il he tries to use it, and his relations with
| neighbors of similar abilities are more
human, more true than those found in
| any other circumstances.
III we live as we ought, our homes will
be centers OF true hospitality, trua sympa-
thy for human rights; and with a little
| more constant care for neighborly spirit
would come nearest to giving the true
1 foundation for manly and womanly char
acter in children and so in ourselves.
| Patrons, / have tried to bring to your
minds some of the things we can do
along the line of civic improvement. |
have tried to confine myself to those
things we have around US and for which
we have the remedies in our own hands.
think you will agree that il these things
can be remedied we could take pardon
able pride in our communities.
"Man wants but little here below
So runs the good refrain,
Alasl that little always is
What's hardest to obtain.
Anyone interested in the white pine can get.
for fifteen cents, Bulletin No. 10, Feb. "a. 1914,
from the Agricultural Department at Wash
ington, d. G.
Anyone accepting the offer of assistance
from the Rural Nei1 Yorker should not follow
! directions ClQseiy.
both inside and out, should express our in
dividuality.