Evening star., 1916-05-04
CLEANUP ---PA|NT-UP.
Written by Mrs. H. u. Collins. 5t3
Quincy street nOrthvest, winner of one
Of the 81 prizes In The Stars ciean-up
-paint-up essay contest.

The slogan .'clean up-paint up that
has started in our city will soon be
heard over the length and breadth OF
this whole land. in contradistinction to
the slogan death and destruction" that
is now ringing across the ocean. and
this thought should cause us to make A
united effort to clean up and paint up.
and thus show forth the prosperity and
peace we are enjoying. This ought not
to be done in a spasmodic manner. but
we should continuously put in prac-
tce this motto.
The words clean up Immediately
bring to our minds the thought of
healthy. sanitary conditions, and we
are moved to get our premises into this
desirable state. Instead of the. back
yard being left through the summer
with old tin cans. half full of water.
breeding mosquitoes; piles of ashes and
old rubbish of every kind, we go to
work and remove all trash and dirt of
every description: then. step farther
to the cellar. and now we begin to real
ize that the campaign is only begin
nlng; so. with determined effort. we
roll up our sleeves, either in reality or
by proxy. and clean up from cellar to
attic. When the work is completed we
are fully repaid by the well kept and
cleanly appearance of the house and
yard and the sanitary conditions sur
rounding us. When concerted effort is
made by each individual the city lifts
it's head proudly and invites inspection
and another stride is made in civic i'm
proVement, while the health. morals and
character of each person are improved.
Another picture is presented to our
minds by the words paint up" and
now we sec not only clean and health
ful city. but also a beautiful one To
paint anything Is to color it: to repre-
sent in colors. But this comprehends
something more than the application
of coloring substance to the surface
of houses. outbuildings and fences. and
under this broad definition even the
poorest persons can paint up their
premises at a very trifiing expense.
\ few cents invested in flower and
vegetable seeds planted in the clean
up yard would cause the appearance of
the place to change in a wonderful
manner and the labor expended in
returns in vegetables and health. The
increase in value of a place that is
kept painted and in god repair is some
thing to be considered, while one tina t
is allowed to become run down will
never be worth much again. although
a few dollars judiciously expended in
carpenter work and painting will cause
any place that is detriment to a
neighborhood to change its character
and become an improvement thereto.
up goes hand in hand with the cam
paisn of thrift now being waged in this
country. one cannot advance without
the help of the other. The character of
the inmates of house as to thrift is
shown by the condition of the premises.
When we see a well kept place in from:
and then go to the rear and see the
yard Uttered with trash and in an in
sanitary condition, the inmates inevi-
tably drop several degrees in our esti-
nation. While one who has his rear
yard clean and beautified with growing
plants we acknowledge at once as a
thrifty person To clean up and paint
up the premises is as contagious as
whooping cough or measles. If one
person on block persistently plants
and cultivates flowers and keeps his
place in a sanitary condition in all re-
spects. it will be surprising to the un-
initiated how quickly the rest of the
dweliers on the block will go and do
likewise" In conclusion. therefore. We
would say to every individual in our
city, clean -up-paint-up