The $2,000 High School Fence

sviiAcrsK, N. Y., .luly 6, 1881. DKAuCotKiKit:- Jiein-í siuUJeiily called away from home on :i two weeks absence, and knouiii tlmt n majority of the Ann Arbor aobool boud taror the coiistruction of :m iron timet to siiiroiuul the beautiful ground.s of the high school before my return. tlierel'oie, hs u Bwmberof said board, I wish to enter my protest against it, as a WOnt llian m'cdlc-.-s expense; but, as soon as we c:in ;,l)onl it, I would favor the luxury of a stone fl;igging like thataround our court house. Fur tlie reputation of the city , I nm sorry to say the fence H urged is a neiis-iiy to protect the treea and grasa from injury, and the lady ioiikuu r :.,.-, ,1, I un tunrilltag to adait that there are scores of other cities in whiih the rights of the public are safer, and the people more hi lilv civilied than in Ann Arbor, and rvperience in Ann Arbor disproves the tlie aaKltiOB tliat open Iawns cannot be pfOteCtod, or ladit-s kept from insult witliout a fence. Wliat are the facts? Stuilents most surely are not kept from the planti and grass by a fence, no matter how high or expensive. Nor does a high fenee keep vicious men from committing depredations, as the gates - both night and day - are always open, so the fence is a Meld, i atlier tlitin protection from the vicious at ojgkt. The licüel that OBI cliildren are in great daoger of baron and insult is not borne out by the facts. Our smal! oliildren play marbles, trundle hooDS, and do all manaes of innocent tilines on the open Kreet !!._¦¦ ifa aioooo, without bami or molestation. Half dozen times .1 day I pass the hirh s hooi, when every comfortable sitting along tlic street is occupied by young ladiea, Wko resort therc for study, rather tfcaa Kay in ihc home, or on feneed up gronndft Thus have I passed tliat school for 11 ycars without hearing eomplaint of ham or insult. It is barbaron and halt civiiird ]icopic who banieade ttbartg and virtue. In tiic Weat Iuiiiis and Central America I have seen miles of dwellings whose inmates could not look outside, except through iron gratings, like our prison bars. Should we barricade as thcy do, and end iruarils witli our women on the street, uur people Woold room be edueated up to the idea that ungnarded rights are not entltled tO lespeet. Baring l)een laniiliar with the growth of mo.-t American cities during the past litiy years, I would state that when I begU to travel, all nice gardens and public groandi wen expenslvely fenccd. Qradaally, hOWSVer, men ot taste he,L;iiii to pull thrm down and exposé theii' gardeus to pnbHc view. 'l'hotifih the progress has been aloWi many intelligent commanitle have now come to the eonelusion that both public and private grounds areequallraalb and nmch more Ueantil'ul without euclosHVCS. I have knmvn families (o -ell their last eow for means to fence their dead relatives toto len foot lot, hut experience has shown that they are just as safe without the ex]n nse, rad llie üioundn are gnmÜy buatitilied hy tearing them away. Ai ron the street from where l now sit are sonic of the most beautiiul gTOundt and expensive ihrulM and plaat! to be found a uy Wil en - trees, riirnba, aml plants by. the tens of thooaaitd dolían In value - yet here they are without fence, hedgeor wall. So it ig every ulieic I go, and rich men with expensive grounds are pulling dow n li-nei -s, uhich, not long ago cost them inuch moncy to build. Good people, consider tliis matter beforc you ezguid $2,000 ibr :i frncethatyou will wisli was blotted out of existence. Though ii reqatra tboujfhtfol oontldenUoa to beli- tliat :i respectfnl and trnstini; conliilcncf In pOMlblfl g(jlnoss of man is I inner protaoUon to property and rtrtua tlian Mgb ftnces or strong walls. Servjints who are ronstmitly watilml and treated iis if dishonest soon becoine tliiivcs in spiie of their best endeavors. Fifty yoars afro Tiiany plni fanulii-s rcftued to allow tlicir hm and draghten to sitin meeüiiL' 011 faine IjliicIi. My experteoee is, tlmt jomtg peopta ut now niiich non viiliions tlian thcy witi: before pertnitted to occnpy promlRcuoua tittinga. Kit'iy jeuu iQt Di-tioit tboogut she needed ¦ hlgfi, tttaag fimee to pnatecl ber COttOnwOOd trees and muddy water holes ¦ ui in-r puto; niuv, beantifal lawm, 1 pciiniw slinilis :iinl !;ii.t Ut Hlffl w ittiout tli e sign ol :i I'cikt. Hoping tliat tn comtrad tor a fcnco will BonflrnMd until llie people have anaple time to oomlder tli' matter. I id, EteHMCtAallr,