Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-08-19
IMPRACTICAL" ROAD IMPROVE
MENT

Away back when the interurban
railroad was first built the engineers
who selected the route between OF
tawa and Utica were damned right
and left by every lover Of the beauti-
full, to say nothing of ordinary con
servationist, because they condemned
to the axe a number of magnificent
elms west Of the county house. The
act was one of vandalism and those
superb trees, which could never be re.
placed, were sent to the wood pile
rather than interfere with theOret-
ically perfect engineering job. When
the South Ottawa east hill was wild
ened the unnecessary cutting Of trees
on property to which the city's title
was decidedly questionable, to say the
least, was only prevented by siren
uous fight after much damage had
been done to the abu.ting property.
Trees along the road entering Starved
Rock State Park were ruthlessly sac
rifced and many of those left stand
ing we're only saved because a crank
insisted that the element Of beauty
and ordinary conservation should en-
ter into the project, and finally made
winning fight to save number
which had been condemned. These
are only a few examples Of what
road improvement" so-called, has at
ready done in the vicinity OF Ottawa,
and are now ancient history But
why should the vandalism be per
mitted to 20 on? Why in laying out
the roads for Improvement is not
some man included in the working
force who has some element IN ms
make up beyond the merely practical,
or more properly theoretical, who IA
able to see something in roadway
more than the shortest distance be-
tween two points? While the south
side road from Ottawa to the state
park will doubtless be splendl1
piece of engineering and cannot De
criticised until it is completed am
opened, the work has progressed lar
enough to SHOW that the element OF
beauty and conservation of natural
scenery has been of decidedly minor
consideration. 1t is, therefore, a mat
ter of congra ulation that at least one
prominent landmark in the form CT
one of the splendid elms to be found
along the road may be saved. A short
way this side of the old watering
trough Is one Of the most magnificent
elms in La Sale county. 1t was in
considerable enough to have grown
over hundred years ago where the
genii of the prCsen. century wanted
to improve a road Its life was TO be
sacrificed TO the Improvement. u
actually looks now as ii the roadway
may be diverted a fraction OF an
inch from the straight line and the
tree permitted to stand, More good
work Of a crank"
Is the same policy TO be followed IN
all the road Improvement work the
state Is to take up? God save the
mark,
That the idea Of tree saving Is not
an indication ina me lShltf LOT tH'
life Of tree is sentimental cram
is shown By the fact that no less
practical and sound publication tha'
the Scientific American dcNotcs col
umns to this very subject urging tina
every possible tree be left STANDING
and in recent issue says, Every SIN
gle tree, whether it be i'll city stree
or country field, plays its part L
the regulation Of winds, china an
rainfall The American Legion ma
been highly commended by forest e'
perts for its policy of planting tree
as memorials to fallen heroes.
"The observation OF Arbor daJ y
school children has resulted IN tn
planting Of thousands more OF tree
which will be preserved largely b.
cause Of their sentimental value.
There is hacdly man but who
some .imo or other has to make a d
cision as to whether tree shall stan
or fail 1t IS tho part OF patrioti8i
whenever possible to let 1t stand.
What other communities arc dom