The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1917-04-11
BY HAROLD G.

up ehofI Is OF pfen1StOf1C
origin. Ask the school children and
they will tell you that In Greek
mythology they read Of a cleanup
day that for colossal endeavor and
results probably beats any renovating
job of the rapid-fre sort undertaken
since. 1t is not a pretty story, but
here it is: Augeas. the king Of Ellis,
was not strong on sanitation.
Fol decades he had permitted filth to
accumulate. He didn't care much about
his people or his health, but he had a
little herd of some 1900 oxen of which
he was considerably proud. For 30
years the stable which housed the herd
had not been cleaned, when suddenly
Old Augeas awoke. He wanted the
stable cleaned.
The job was so stupendous that or.
binary mortals could make no head
way against the piles of refuse, until
Hercules, who had never before been
famed as a sanitarian, stepped up and
said he would clean it up. Two rivers.
the Alpheus n the Peneus, flowed
near by. Hercules changed the course
of the rivers until they flowed through
the Augean stables, and in a day the
"clean-up' task "a accomplished.
g Hercules Emuiated.
Since that day Cleanup has had its
place in the worlds vernacular. With
the spring the desire to r%efurbish
comes subconsciously into the hearts
Of men and women, and communities.
But without direction and sustained eff
fort the expression of that desire, in
the form of the ordinary cleanup
day" or "week," has resulted in such
4 superficial sally against filth thai
the more experienced and earnest civic
workers have for long held such "days''
in %disrepute.
Hercules "a Of the gods. If he
wanted to cleanup" in a day the
heavens backed him and he did it.
Since that day men and mere
m%ortals, have sought to emulate the
original cleanup" expert in speed,
and they have failed. Communities for
years have conducted cleanup days"
of the annual-bath order, only to find
that the next day there was filth "be-
hind the ears" and "between the toes"
And a week later conditions generally
We're as bad as ever.
1t remained for Allen w. Clark, pub
Usher Of a st. Louis trade paper, to
turn the Spring cleanup interests
into permanent and constructive chan
nels. Years ago Mr.. Clark made up
his mind that this could be done; that
real campaigns, working toward def
mite ideals and accomplishing real re-
suits, could be organized everywhere
to take the place of the old hit-or-miss
~"clean-up' methods.
In May, 1912, he founded a "clean-
up" and 'paint-up' organization. He
hoped that a thorough-going movement,
national in Its scope and practical in
its principles, might take the place
Of the annual bath" idea as ex-
pressed in the old-time cleanup day"
Or "week."
Movement Growing.
For four years the scope Of this move
ment has been rapidly extended until
this year it is cooperating with more
than 5000 local communities in the
organization and direction Of real
cleanup and paint-up' campaigns, not
days or "weeks."
Continuous campaigns for homes and
home towns beautiful, sanitary and
safe, conducted by permanent commit
tees, and involving the cooperation Of
city and town officials, clubwomen,
commercial organizations, the school
children, fro prevention interests. all
business men and property n and
the press, and the goal aimed at by all
of the cleanup" propaganda. And
this solid success is being achieved in
thousands OF cities and towns through
out the country today. In fact, requests
for ~"clean-up" assistance have come
from South America, the Philippines,
Australia, India, Canada, England and
France. The slogan, "Clean up and
paint up" has indeed become the bat
tie cry Of earnest and practical civic
workers round the world.
Such magazines as Outlook. Pictorial
Review, Every Week, Associated Sun
day Magazine, the American City, Kan
a municipalities, Journal Of Michi-
"a Municipalities have printed ex-
tensive editorials and feature articles
On the practical value of the work.