Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-05-16
Correspondence,
Village improvement.
ELLSWORTH, Me-, May "a, 1917.


To the Editor Of the American:
Though "the days are cold and dark
and dreary, 1t rains, and the wind Is never
weary" the springing grass and bursting
buds proclaim spring 10 here--the season
when every man and woman In the COM
munity must needs make special effort
toward cleaning up.
1t il q mania with New England house,
keepers to clean house indoors; 1t is OF
as vital importance to cloan out-of-doors.
Let the back yard be as thoroughly raked
as the front lawn, and the accommodations
OF the long cold months be burned or
most carefully dumped, that We may be
free OF flies, mosquitoes and germs Of
disease.
Many OF the cities and towns around us
have cleanup" day. Let US agitate
that subject, talk 1t up 30 that early in
June we can unite with the municipal
government, which doubtless will gener-
ously aid the housekeepers in hauling
away the refuse they may have collected.
As the years have passed the member
slip OF the village improvement society
has sadly decreased. Death has claimed
many OF our most devoted workers.
Let MS pay their memory this tribute,
doing the thing they SO earnestly desired.
Much permanent and effective work
has been accomplished in the past thirty
years by this society. Trees have been
planted, useless, disreputable buildings
RACED to the ground, old. neglected cellars
filed, drains and culverts built, sides OF
streets Strengthened, graded and grass
grown, many unsanitary dumps cleared
and purified.
Upon Grant street, plainly visible from
the library and other public buildings, .
row OF handsome willow trees was
planted, the lot cleared Of old refuse,
leveled and grass grown, making little
| beauty spot OF what had been, since the
memory OF man, neglected and unsightly.
The largest single piece OF work was
contributing 900 toward the asphalt side
walk on Main street, from Oak to the
railroad. How gladly, proudly the women
gave those hard-earned dollars. Probably
we will not have 500 to spend this season,
bot much can be accomplished by all pull
ing together for ''clean-up' day, by little
effort ana less expense. The back yards,
bitches, dumps, etc., can be made whole
some and attractive.
| A most grievous source OF annoyance
are the ruins OF old burned buildings.
| We gratefully appreciate and commend
the promptness with which some owners
Of property, destroyed by fire on Main
street, cleared up the debris, but alas,
there remain several blots on the land
scape.
| Our little city is naturally mighty
pretty. Where will you find a more
picturesque view than from the bridge?
Toward the north the wonderfully
beautiful fall OF water, hardly surpassed
by Niagara; toward the south, the sudden
/ bend in the river bordered by lovely
Turner'S hill. Yet Eight here, in the
heart OF the town, where every automo-
bile, every traveller TO and from the train
passes. are unsightly, blackened ruins,
| that disfigure the otherwise charming
view. More than almost anything else,
we want those miserable wrecks torn
| down.
In the near future an entertainment,
OF W hich proper notice will be made, is to
be given to raise funds for the usual work
upon the roadsides. We bespeak your
interest and liberal patronage.
II.