Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-07-13
Your City---An
interesting Study

(Read by Benz. C. Sheldon before
Chautauqua Round Table, Tuesday,
July ID
The city of Ashland has recently
taken a step in civic improvement
which will have large influence on
the city's future and probably deter
mines the role which she will assume
in the sisteyhood of Oregon cities. /
refer to this splendid park and min
eral spring development
Tie recent dedication of this enter
prise suggests tE might be profit
able for the people Of the citv to give
careful thought to what the step
really means The successful busi-
ness man finds II necessary from
time to time to make a survey OF the
conditions bearing on his bush css-
the sources of supplies, market con-
ditions, labor problems, etc. What
is true of business concern is equal
ly true of city, for a city is simply
a corporation in which the people
living under the complex conditions
of a congested community are the
shareholders, organized for the busi-
ness of providing mutual protec-
tion and welfare.
Study Your City.
So a city should take stock of its
natural advantages and disadvanS
tages-try to make the most of each
to consider along what lines city
building can best be directed-what
are the shortcomings and how they
can be remedied-all to the end that
the people may contribute in the larg-
est way toward building that city
which its natural advantages, the
civic accomplishments to date, and
the peoples needs indicate as its log
ical and highest future.
A real study of this question is
matter of months and even years. So
a discussion limited in time as that
of this afternoon must be. cannot be
expected to do more than suggest
lines of thought. But If that may
he done, perhaps this hour will have
been well spent.
Let us first call to mind the fact |
that the people now living here have !
it within their power to make the |
city's future. The energy and public |
spirit of these people will determine |
what the city will be a generation |
hence; and the city thus planned and |
built will react on the people, help
ing or hindering their happiness, |
health and general social and cul-
tural development. 1t is the law of
environment which at all times has
powerfully influenced the welfare of
the human race.
A City's Individuality.
Then let us remember that no one
wants to live in a city that is an un-
interesting, monotonous place in
which to exist Like people, cities
have Observation-Disclosures That
individuality is ofttimes determined
by the people, especially if largely of
foreign birth, but quite as often by
the natural location and surround
ings which caused the growth of a
city at tlrat place. Thus New York,
Boston, New Orleans and San Fran
cisco necessarily became commercial
centers; Pittsburg, Cleveland, Bir
mingham and Minneapolis became
manufacturing cities; and Denver,
Butte and Spokane are mining CEN
ters.
But aside from business considera-
tions, city is interesting and attrac-
tive as it has or has not that some
thing out of the ordinary which gives
1t a distinctive individuality. The
visitor to Rome brings away last
ing memory of ruins that speak elo-
Quently of a civilization that is past
Naples has Vesuvius; Edinburg is
crowded up round a high rock on /
which stands an old CASTLE in Boston
one is impressed by the quaint hooks I
along the crooked streets; and the
old graveyards; Washington has it's {
fine avenues radiating from the ma {
tional capitol; Kansas City, its hand /
some parks and limestone boule- s
Yards; Minneapolis, its chain of lakes !
bordered with parkways.