Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1915-01-29

Mothers Club and prominent physi-
clan of the town tried to start q system
OF gardening among the children and
offered prizes, but could not enlist the
interest Of either children or parents
The State University at Vermiliion has
started an educational moving picture
dim exchange which sends out, free of
charge, reels on good roads, sanitation,
Fairgrounds, ohildrens' gardening and
civic improvement. For that matter,
why not municipal movie show, we'll
Censored, with the profits to 20 to i'll
ter"s. Improvement
Our plunRes, though not particularly
beautiful, are great attraction in the
town and We hope the approaches to
them may be made less dangerous and
more in keeping with the sidewalks In
other larts Of the town. We are proud
of our county court house, one of the
substantial buildings Of very cub
stantial street, though the front steps
thereof are apparently built only for
the use Of athletes. The surroundings
OF the building might, without great
trouble or expense, be made more at
tractive, and the prisoners in the cells
would not be made more lawless By the
sight of few flowers outside. We are
proud of our hospitals and their sur
roundings and admire the odd little
rustic park below the Hsrgens sspi-
tsrium. Speaking of parks, our whole
canyon is a park and it's natural beauty
is one Of the greatest of our assets. It
is not only bad esthetios but very bad
business that the most prominent
points of rock, both up and down the
river, should be made ugly and redio-
ulous by painted signs, and badly
painted at that. Even transient polit.
ical advertising has thus daubed upon
the face of otherwise beautiful scenery
to distlgure it for a generation. This
feature OF our landscape atsmps US as
a backwoods community in the eyes of
anyone coming from really progress.
sive city. The scenery belongs to US
all and for any individual to thus put
his brand on 1t is unfair to the rest of
Us. In many cities advertising is rig
idly regulated and can be placed only
in certain designated spots.
The grass plots by the depot, kept By
the railroad agents, are appreciated BY
the public. We see these grass plots
everywhere along railroad lines. These
corporations realize the value of beau
tifying their premises. The front Of
the buildings opposite the depot is neat
and we'll built bot the line would look
far better without the saloon In its
midst. That, however, like other early
day crudities, is on It's way to oblivion.
The little chime clock at the bank
corner ts step toward civic beauty
and utility that Is commendsble. The
natural focus of the town seems to be
at the Evans and that oastle-like
structure is the architectural pride of
the town. Its builder was looking for.
ward to the time when the little town
would be city. 1t is q pity that the
Miunekahta Avenue view from the
vsrsnda should not stretch clear to
the State Home. Evans Park, contain.
ing the kidney spring, has recently re-
cetved urban treatment but aside from
raising its level. has been little beauti-
aed. 1t has lost its charm Of its rus.
ticity without acquiring the beauty of
park, and is now common trampinR
ground with its seats placed about ss
symmetrically as IL they had fallen
during hailstorm. As the city has
begun to improve the park Why not
add an srchwsy entrance. lay q broad
gravel walk to the spring with benches
on either edge and curb of marginal
lawns with flowers, to give it q real
park-like appearance. Though the
site is not elevated I would suggest q
riverside flagstaff to display the symbol
of patriotism and give touch of color
to the hillside,
No town of its size has 90 many good
substantial stone business homes AZ
has Hot Springs. Our native stone is
excellent. 1 wonder IL We appreciate
the chsste beauty Of the new soldiers
monument above National Ssnitarium
cemetery. Instead of using marble
how fitting it was to build it of rouah
hewn native stone against the rugged
background Of the mountain. We can
gain many artistic hints from Uncle
Sans men on the hill.
Coming back to the street, my civic
pride rises as step on the excsllen,
pavements, for l remember, some yeart
ago while here attending Q church CON
ference, Bishop Fowler would say
whenever We stepped out on the street
"Give me your arm, somebody, or ties,
horrible sidewalks will trip me-
Things have been improving.
C0rt0in SionhoorAo .,o