Our Man About Town

One ought to be careful this dry weather where he throws a lightcd match or a half burned cigar. A few days ago a man threw a hghted oigaretto iuto a patch of tall dead grass which immediately ignited and it required the united efforts of two persons and several paila of water to put out. This shows the necesaity of carefulness on the part of those who smoke. If Ann Arbor had no water works, a great hue and cry would be made because the grass in the court yard lawn was dying, for the want of water. As it is, with plenty of water, a big, big hose and plenty of men to use it, the grass is brown and looks bad. Why cannot soinebody authorize it to be sprinkled, and that right liberally, not once or twice a nummer, but as often as necessary, and then see that it is done. What is the matter with the business men's assooiation? Two evenmgs they have been oalled together in vain, and now again for this evening the seeretary issues a cali stating '■ important oommunications to be read. " What has beoome of the members? Are they all out camping, or touring it through the country? It seems to me that there might enough of them get together to, at least, let the people know that the asaooiation still lives. In interviewing the leader of the band one day this week, he said tbat the band boys would be glad to fuinish music for at least one band concert a week, and would be reasonable in their charges. Now, I say, once a week let us have open air concerté, during tho months of August and September. I suggest the oourt yard lawn . I understand some have been opposed to using the lawn for such a purpose as it hurts the grass, but it is all right to allow men to loaf all day, week in and week out, on tho grass, only once in a great wliile thinking it is necesRary to water this same lawn too good to be used by the women and chüdren. It would cost but a small sum to have theso ooncerts and I am sure every business man would give accordiug to his meana, and now somebody pass around the hat and begin the collection, and let us have the boys give us some good music which they can do most beautifully. I was talking with one of our prominent citizens Monday in regard to a street railway and he expressed himself as greatly in favor of it. That at first the people might not taketo it kindly, would look at their nickel and then conclude to walk, but he said that would pass away, and most of them would soon feel that they could not walk even a short distance, aDd that undoubtedly it would pay and pay well. Now this is encouraging to have a man talk in this way, and not say as I have heard men say: " It will uover be," "A street railway would never pay here," etc, etc. Now, why would it not pay here? See the men doing business down town, clerks and others who would ODly be too glad to patronize it. Perhaps not many studente would ride, but in the course of a few montha the street railroad would be just booming and these old fogies who are so afraid Ann Arbor wil! have all that any metropolis bas would open eyes in astonishment. I wonder what has beoome of the society which was formed a few weeks ago " For the prevention of cruelty to animáis." Nothing is heard of it, and every day upon our streeta man's ïnliumanity to horses ia witnossed by many. On some itreots, for blocks, horses are kept on tbo run by repeated lashings, and often times kicking and beating is resorted to if a horse does not do as the owner likes. If ever a city needed such a society I think Ann Arbor is that oity. Saturday I saw a man abuso a horse most shamofully on one of our business stroets, and that too in the presence of one of our ofllcers of the law, who looked on with the utmost indifferenco. One man stepped up to reason with the brute who was lashing his horee, but whether it did any good I do not know as I soon passed out of sight I have been told that in several instancea borses have died when beaten and otherwisc injured by their owners. This might be stopped if gome one of these bruteB oould be arrested and dealt with as ho ought to be, but when will this be done? Let our society go to work, ind do somethiug. It sounds very nice to say Ann Arbor has a society for the prevention of cruelty to animáis, but what does it amount to if nothing is done to those men who are seen day after day repeatedly abuse their horses.