The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-16

held at the Kittson house at o'clock
Saturday, Immediately following the
meeting OF the monument association,
called for 2:30 o'clock.
r. NJ. Newport was chairman of the
| meeting. Mr.. Wheelock was called upon
by Mr.. Newport to present the aims
of the movement. Mr.. Wheelock said
! the work of street Improvement was
divided into two classes. the original
work, which included the laying out
of the streets, and second, the work Of
maintenance and care. He believed
that women were peculiarly fitted to
supervise and look after the care and
preservation Of the streets, for the rea-
| son that by nature they were more
| painstaking. Men, he said, were either
| too busy or too INDECENT to take much
heed of the appearance Of the streets,
beyond the confines Of their own prop
erty. 1t was a rare thing, he said
when men band themselves together
for the purpose of providing for the
care and maintenance Of streets. Mr..
Wheelock pointed to the present clean
~ condition Of the streets of New York
to show the wonderful influence which
women can have. The women were
expected in this work to overcome the
inertia of the men.
Mr.. Wheelock said if the women
started out right, they could stimulate
the owners of property along the
streets and secure the cooperation OF
citizens for the adornment of the city
Speaking of the small cost involved
he said, the city hired men for $1.25
per day to care for houlevards, and il
was figured out that each man could
lock after $4,000 lineal feet of boule-
ward during the season. The cost
would be about $120 for the 10000 feet
during the season. If this was done
all over the city, there would not be
an unsightly spot left in a year. It
would transform the city. Mr. Wheel
ock also spoke Of the system Of plant
ing. trees adong the boulevards, and
| spoke of the cheapness with which
this line of improvements could be
! carried on. Although trees can almost
be had for the asking, the public was
slow to appreciate the opportunity
Mr.. Wheelock said there was already
organized in ST. Paul band of pa
triotic and enterprising women who
were committed to Just such lines of
work. AT present the ladies of the as
ISOLATION were interested in a move
ment for the erection of a soldiers
and sailors monument But Mr.
Wheelock said the association had
other aims in view, among them being
the permanent beautification of the
city.
George H. Watson, one of the organ
izers Of the Paramount Avenue Improve
| ment association, detailed the work
1pgs of that enterprising institution
1t was not more than two or three
years ago that this street was an or
binary and unattractive thOroughfare
The citizens determined to improve the
street and an association was formed
embracing the residents in the -four.
blocks just off from Dale street. After.
having the boulevard widened to nine
feet, each resident paid in a sum of
money to the general Improvement
fund. A competent man was engaged
who moved the boulevard strip every
ten days, cleaned the cross walks, cut
the weeds in unoccupied lots, and gem
orally maintained the street in an ex-
cellent condition. AS a result. thera
was no better kept street in the city
The improvements were purely the re-
suit Of private enterprise on the mart
OF the property owners.
Similar associations had transformed
Osceola, Lincoln, Laurel Goodrich and
other avenues into beautiful thorough
fares
Col. Newport said if the system was
carried all over the city, ST. Paul could
be made the most beautiful place in
the country. There were, he said,
many natural advantages in West ST.
Paul which the people had not as vet
taken advantage of.
Mrs. r. M. Newport, speaking of tn =
| work Of the wonnan's club, said the
| work Of paying for a monument was
| but portion of the programme out
lined by the ladies' The association at
| present numbered 1000 women, but she
| hoped in time to see the number in
creased to 1900 or 5000.
Speaking further of the improve
ments which could be made on the
| streets, Mr.. Wheelock said there were
many Of the streets in the city which
| had been reduced in width from forty
to thirty and twenty-eight feet, in or
| der to allow of the widening of the
| boulevard strip. This, he said. had
resulted in creating some very hand
some thoroughfares without iniuring
the utility of the street as a driveway,
He said that in many portions of the
city wooden curb was used in place Of
stone.
The meeting Of Saturday afternoon
will be devoted to the same ISSUE Mr..
Wheelock will preside, and it is ex-
pected some definite plan of action will
be suggested.