Source: North Manchester Journal, March 20, 1912

THAT RIVER BANK NEEDS CLEANING
A Task Set for the River Residents for the First Warm Days

Now that the annual cleaning season is not far away, the Journal will respectfully call attention to one spot that needs cleaning probably worse than any other place in town. That is the river bank back of the stores on Main Street. There is an accumulation of many years there that should all be swept away. There are staggering buildings there that have outlived their usefulness. There is trash and old boxes there that have molded and rotted for years, and that looks worse as it gets older. There are trees along there that have never been trimmed, and that instead of being a support to the bank as was the original intention have become a menace by danger of being blown over by high winds, taking with them the bank they were originally intended to support. anyway, the river bank would look a great deal better and there would be less danger of disease if there was a thorough cleaning. The Journal spoke of this condition last fall, just as a reminder. It was not possible to do effective work at clearing the bank then, but it can be done now, and a few hours work behind each store with a small amount of grass seed would work wonders. The Journal suggests that the business people along the river bank make the effort this year and that a place of disrespect be turned into a locality that you won't have to dodge every time you are showing visitors over the town.