Show t I I Old Towns lowns and New Ir I T Tf f- f I r A GREAT change has come upon upon American Amer Amer- i J t i ian ican an to tons towns ns in the the last twenty years Am American ican towns are arc strikingly alike This is as s true now a as it was at the begin beginning ing of this J. J century n uY Y Yet t the die similarity nowadays is diff dif dif- f rent from the simil similarity rity of o f wo a ago o. o J f Slowly y and steadily our town torn are losing oti i i the peaceful air hat that once was wasI theirs Not long ago th the casual tra v I easily could find a small city that was many r leagues removed from anything sav savoring ring of bf Dusty main modernity or or up to streets wooden sidewalks quiet squares a gelf general ral atmosphere of peaceful somnolence r and unhurried friendliness these friendliness these were the thet t characteristics of the minor city until recently But the change has come E Every ery town even the smallest is alive nervously ea eager er 0 to grow bigger and noisier than before Th The dusty main streets are becoming brick or cef cei cement ce ce- ce- ce f r i ment ent t the wooden sid sidewalks walks walk's have long since w. w been replaced even the remotest town has its radio store it its up-to-the-minute up garages its chamber r of commerce its movie theatres and so on The old sleepiness is gone gon and the c tense speed M f modern America has lias replaced it There are many people to whom hom alt all of oJ this seems a shame Doubtless it is true that there th re was something attractive ab about ut th the theold old r type of town ton the town where life flowed in ina a a moderate unhurried manner where people could spare time from the rush lUsh of making money to enjoy enjoy- the unique e privileges of the small city peace city peace rest and quiet And in indubitably indubitably indubitably in- in there is something repellent about many modern towns they are some of them so hurried so blatant so frankly and unashamedly unashamedly unashamedly un un- un- un ashamedly ugly Yet this is progress progress even even though it may often see seem 1 to some people like deterioration For the change that has come upon the I. I Ii small smaIl city is only a symptom of the change that has come upon the country as a whole y Y- Y I As s a a people we have become tremendously busy We are in a mighty hurry and it is J worth remembering that we are hurrying t tp- tp ward something not a away way from something yv We e have a goal and we are working towa toward rd it even though we may n lt always see just what it is The American town caught in this rush is Its od oid virtues r changing are disappearing but new ones are emerging and it is not hard to trust that in the end they will make makeI our towns better places than ever in which I to live |