South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-23
TODAY'S TALK
GATES
BY George Matthew Adams

ike TO pass through a gate. Ike to open and
shut a gate like to look at beautiful gates.
Gates have great meanings
But 10 not like cold. big gates that shut
human sympathy and emphasize ownership and
superior worldly reward. like 20 see an open gate.
an unlocked gatc-a gate easily opened
When I was a boy used TO see gates that were
opened by pulling rope and adjusting long pole
that made the gate almost talk as it swung oren
for you
a winding patI-often trod by many feet-passing
through gate CT a series Of gates. can you think
Of anything more Economically restful and appealing.
I like to think OF ny life little journey
through many gates. Every once in a while like to
retrace my footsteps and go back to gates that I
have loved to pass through, ana again experience
the thrill of youth Of past associaton-and then
come back again to the task at hand beyond the
last gate
don't like locks on gates though. want any
body to come into my life any time and ask me
questions talk to me- exchange thoughts and thereby
help me better to mingIe as a human traveller in
the world.
The happIest people are those with the most
people In their lives.
How many troths have been made at gates! There
the little toddlers from the home door have waited
for the father the mother,
Gates should never be made TO keep PEOPLE out
but TO let them in.
the eve of the big crash.
Then as now many wise-heads insisted that
prices can never 90 low as they were"
Those generations back yonder at least didn't have
TO dodge autos? Worse still, Judging from old &C
counts were the ganoping horses and wagons of
bakers boys and hucKsters. The drivers were
mostly wild young men, anxious speed Things up.
Ana they were accustomed climb down ana Deat
up any pedestrians OBJECTED to tranic hazards
The Evening POST in 1905 called these daredevil
drivers "nylng Mercurles,' ana recorded that-to
strike terror into of people foot
tney delighted to crash around the of mar
streets Dreakneck Speed careenlng on two
wheeas splashIng mud.
DlrlcuIt to douge your way city streets now.
But it much than 100 years since hogs in
great droves ran at large in New York CIty, upset
ting pedestrians and swishing muddy water against
fashionable ladies skirts.
This state OF affairs went unmoested until the
swine took a fancy to lying around in Wall street.
Then the irate hnanciers Up in their wrath and
got action in the form of ordinance against using
the pubic highways for pastures.
You don't have to go back much further to find
cities without sewage systems. all garbage and
refuse dumped in the streets until rain swept it
away. That's how the terrible plaques started.
There was also tax on windows 50 high that the
roor had live in dark homes. Thugs had pretty
much their own way, with few police. Fire
constant peril only bucket brigade to fight it.
Since people first congregated in cities. they have
howled and squirmed at the lawful conditions"
These conditions the penalty of city life. And
conditions in every city always least five years
ahead of what is being done to cope with them.
The solution of the city is to get out of the city