OCR Text |
Show "Street Ornamentation." Salt Lake City, March 30, 75. Editors Herald: As street ornamentation appears te be the topic, a few words may not be amiss. Our city fathers have undoubtedly un-doubtedly gone to the furthest extreme ex-treme in passing an ordinance grant-ingso grant-ingso much of the streets for botanical botani-cal experiments. They probably pictured to themselves a vast flower warden tastefully laid out, uniformly fenced, and interspersed with crystal fountains, from which grateful pedestrians pedes-trians could quench their thirst, and enjoy the inviting shade. All this is very delightlul and poetio, but impracticable. im-practicable. Witness the diversity of opinion in building and beautifying our homes; some consider a wood pile and chip heap an ornament to their door yards, while otliers have artistic flower beds and well kept walks, green lawns and inviting shade trees. A walk through our city will readily convince a reflecting mind of the impossibility im-possibility of success in the movement move-ment contemplated. But on the other hand I would suggest the planting of ornamental shade trees, such as the chesnut, elm, linden, etc., in the centre of the streets. They would occupy little room, require no fencing fenc-ing save a Blight protection for the first year or so, and the amount of water required to irrigate them would be very little, their roota reaching deep into the earth for moisture, and it has been proved beyond doubt that trees induce rain, consequently we receive interest for our investment in grateful showers. What can be more pleasing than avenues of noble trees, a carriage drive or ramble beneath their shade, with the cooling breezes to fan us ? They would aiso screen our homes from the clouds of stifling dust which rise and choke our lungs, producing sickness. By all means let us have treces on the sidewalks and in the centre of our streets, and in the dim future, should business domand the sacrifice, sacri-fice, they can be cut down. J. J. |