South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-20

BY DANIEL +. GARLAND.
Writing material was scarce
en- the days when Benjamin Van
Cleve sat in his log cabin and re-
corded the events OF his village in a
rough blank book. Time was
precious and it was only in the even
ings that he found moments 20 do his
scribbling. The cabin was crUdely
lighted. and the wavering flame Of
@ tallow dip scarcely suffced to sup
PIGMENT the blazing brush fire on
the hearth. Benjamin could sit
with his diary on his knees, while
often the hunters babbled around
him. relating the experiences Of the
day But, despite poor illumination,
despite pressure for time and despite
/ Interruptions. Benjamin Van Cleve
Kept up his diary for &c years-a
diary which, in modern times, has
served as a pioneer history Of the
city Of Dayton.
Fifty years later another notebook
played a part in the development Of
the Ohio city. Benjamin Van Cleve's
son John was a bachelor. The vii
lage to which his father had come as
a pioneer 10 bring civilization 10 the
Ohio valley. was now a gOod-sized
tOwn-a town which took the place
of home and family 70 Benjamin
Van Cleve, the original settler. John
Van Cleves heart interest was wrap
ped in its welfare. and the stately
old gentleman rarely went forth for
a stroll without carrying with him a
small memorandum. Between its
covers he jotted down suggestions
suggestions for municipal improve
rnent. His eyes would rove up and
down the landscape. an idea would
strike him, and il would be recorded
before he had a chance 10 forget. II
was he who planted the tall rows Of
trees on the main street. the levee
and the boulevard. To his enthus-
iasm Dayton owes the starting of its
public library system. From his pri-
vate shelves, John Van Cleve loaned
book lovers his choicest volumes.
The. picture of these two pioneer
examples of municipal loyalty re-
Verts 10 mind when the subject is
brought up of what an individual
owes his city.
Think Presence a Favor.
The majority of average minded
persons seem to believe they do a
CITY a great favor when they select
e. as their place of abode, and that
in return the city owes them the
dabt-that it should prove its graft
fude by rendering utility and public
ConvenienCes.
Every individual owes something
70 his or her city. Some owe more,
Some owe less. There are men and
women who have derived nearly all
their success from the city in which
they make their home-the city fur
nishing the field for their life work
The individual in these days is be-
Einning TO realize and TO discharge
this debt of obligation. However, a
very large majority of people still
nav taxes with scowls and COM
plants. They literally grab all they
can from city life and hold it in
selfish use without regard for others
Oblivious as 10 whether the remand
Gr OF the city folk live or die.
There are men who have amasScd
fortunes by shrewd purchase of CEN
tral properties which the tax as
SCISSOR has kept on low taxation
basis. and who have held these pro-
perties out of fitting use till they
have multiplied in value three-fold
four-fold, ten-fold and even 100
fold. and then have pocketed the un-
earned increment and ChuCkled
while they did IT, There are dozens
OF such citizens in every community
N.yho farm the city. but who never
ND5ch II. take everything out of i,
they can get and put only as much
back into IL as they legally must
Paper ArOuses LccCheS.
some years ago In Dayton. one OF
the newspapers undertook 10 exhibit
this type OF citizenship by showing
how much certain downtown pro-
perties had been assessed for taxa
tion and for how much they were
held by the owner for sale. or how
much the owner actually received
one particular piece of property was
on the tax duplicate list for just
oue-seveuth Of the price FOR which
80 had been sold. IL had been taxed
FOR $4,000 and had been sold for
$4,000. The issue OF the paper am
J nouncing this state OF affairs reused
; a commotion among the real estate
leeches who were sucking the life
blood out OF that city. and they put
q total quietus on the editor.
Every man owes time. service and
money 20 his community. Instead
OF Hkeuing the city 10 our servant
We should consider ourselves the
servants of the city.
The minister. physician and schoo
give more for nothing thar
do any other class OF servants. Tn,
profession OF the physician and min.
lister requires them 20 answer every
demand for need which is made
upon them The teacher, too. set.
a high standard OF service. Thos.
engaged i'm these three calhngs pay
their debt more fully TO the com