Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
WASHINGTON With City Portals Will ead General M0vene1

| pie, the electric railway company has
| built station plant valued at $4,000.
| of which $1,000 was applied to the
| preparation of the grounds, two acres
| in extent. The grounds were graded
to uniform surface. sown to bluegrass
| and planted with many shrubs and
shade trees. The company believes it
! is a paying proposition. The general
| manager says:
! Our reasons for beautifying the
grounds were that we were large
| owners of suburban property at Over
| land Park and other stations and
identifying our stations was an invi-
| tation to those who purChase property
to do likewise. The result has been
| the development OF I nice suburban
| district"
Glen View, Ky. passengers for
many years patiently used d, diIapi-
dated wooden shack as q trolley sta
ton. Finally they decided 10 build a
new station themselves, 10 men be-
| coming financial sponsors. A stone
station, with overha nging tile roof
was located among the trees on a
erased plot $50 feet long, borde-ed
| by hedges, in all costing more than
! $4,000. As the Post Office depart
ment was about TO close the local
office and substitute street boxes, the
/ citizens included in the building a
room for the post Office
In addition 10 his small compensa-
tion for looking after the mails. the
postmaster receives from the com
munity d salary for looking after the
station grounds and approaches. The
trolley company reciproCates by fur
nishing electricity without cost 10
light the building.
Bellevue. Iowa, d boatIanding town
of 700 population, on the Mississippi
River. had the usual river-front con
dItionS that such towns have 10 con
tend Wlth-narrOw. poorly lighted
| streets, vacant lots overCrown with
weeds or filed with refuse, and poori%
! constructed small buildings. About
eight years ago II was decided that pas
senGers on passing boats and excursion
lists from steamers dropping anchor
should have a favorable impression Of
the village. Now, in place Of the old
conditions, there is a neat little park
of close-cropped greensward with plant
lings of trees, shrubs and flowers; per
manent observation and band stand.
large bowlder bearing a World War
honor roll, World War cannon, sub
stantial flagpOle, and seats, all APP
preached from the river by a concrete
landing, walks and steps, IS feet wide,
| with attractive electric light settings
a Wellgraded and lighted street paraf-
lels the park
The total cost Of the enterprise was
$500, obtained from numerous pull
lie subscriptions and a 2-nilI town
tax. Band concerts. public speaking
and celebrations take place in the
park. In June, 1929, the 250th an
niversary OF the explorations Of Father
Marquette and LouiS Joliet was cee-
brated at Bellevue and thousands of
guests had an opportunity to inspect
the new waterfront gateway.
AS soon as the park was completed.
1t was noted adjacent property own
ers began to clean up their premises.
paint and repair buildings, and i'm
prove their surroundings.
Slmsbury, Conn, is proud of its me
mortal gateway of stone, bronze and
wrought iron; its library, community
house, club buildings. churches.
schools and private dwellings of har-
monious designs and settings; its wide
lawns. its park and its shaded streets.
all due to militant civic pride. This
attractiveness is anticipated at any
one of the three main road entrances.
| visitors say, because of the absence
of the dilapidated shacks dump heaps.
Weed-covered vacant lots and run
down fences so often found along APP
proaches to villages.
IN RECENT years the officials of
Forest City. y. c.. which has a pop
ulation of 1900, have submitted bond
issue propositions TO the total value
of 100000 for waterW orks. sewerage.
electric lights and school systems which
have been approved at the elections.
Not satisfied with this. the Ladies'
Civic Club finally succeeded in per-
suadlng the town officials to permit
them to place three small parks along
the center OF Main street. the club to
finance and maintain them. These
parks, a distance of about three blocks
apart and Sepa ted by cross streets
are planted with trees, shrubs and
flowers, have cement curhing, are
provided with a. fagpole, seats and an
inscription stone and are TO be dedicat-
ed to the eX-SeTvice men of the coun-
ty. The total cost was So 800. secured
from the proceeds of entertainments
of various kinds and public subscrip-
! tons. Maintenance expenses are
from 500 to $3.50 q year obtained
from similar sources. The city faith
ers are now considering taking over
the care of the parks.
Lanark, H., a village of 1000 peo-
pie, is unique in that it gives such
| care to its cemetery as to cause the
latter not only to attract wide atten-
| ton but to stimulate the better plan
| ming of the cemeteries OF half a dozen
! other villages
For many years after its inception.
| in 1862, the cemetery at Lanark was
| little more than a burial place, in
| creased in size as need arose. Later
! 1t was placed in the care of q board
! OF managers appointed by the mayor.
This board then planted trimmed ar
borvitae hedges within the cemetery
area Of % acres, framed them with
elms and naples, and provided three
small circular parks planted with pine
or maple trees, fenced, and placed
benches at convenient distances.
! or late years the maintenance eX-
lpense of $500 yearly, including the
salary of a Caretaker and improve
ments, has been financed from interest
received from an endowment fund oh
tanned from the sale of lots at $50
each.
The courthouse at Lake Andes, 6.
Oak, furnishes evidence that the love
for beautiful things was not absent
from the nature of the western piO-
neers, but was merely held in ahey-
ance while the more pressing need
of subduing a. continent was in prog
ress. Although the country about it
is given over almost exclusively to
5 farming as soon as these farmers had
: overcome primitive conditions they
began the construction of county
t courthouse which, occupying a rise OF
1 ground in a conspicuous position in
the county seat, is built along good
chitectural lines, surrounded by
| we'll laid-out and we'll kept grounds
and is expected to have a compelling
effect upon constructive efforts in the
; whole county.
THE especial pr lie OF Freehold. n.
L J., is it's beautiful high school, on
, the main street IN the center Of the