The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-10
NEW YORK TOWN
RUN BY WOMEN

You have found the only place in these
parts where politicians are an unknown
quantity, where not cent Is wasted in
salaries, where there is no need for a Jail,
where the sale of liquor is prohibited by
even the local druggist, for this town is
run by women. And now these women are
about to enlarge Their scope of work by
building roads.
once in while the woman rulers consult
the men, but that is all, as far as their
business relations go, despite the fact that
the men furnish the funds for all of the
local improvements that the women carry
out. But then what man could refuse
these East Hampton women? They have
brains and charming ways, and they use
poth Tor the benefit of the village.
East Hampton has a population in Win
ter of 1000 and in the summer of 3500-not
small place for women to look after. The
area of the village is four square miles. 1t
extends one way from the railroad station
to the ocean. Among the summer cottages
is that of the Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage.
There are 10 cottages occupied only in
summer, and their temporary residents aid,
in no small way, the women in the work
of operating the local government, for have
they not succeeded where men have failed?
They raised thousands of dollars when the
men could only raise less than a hundred.
1t was four years ago that the Ladies
Village Improvement society begun its
work. For nearly two centuries and a half
men had looked after the business, with lit
tie success. The beautiful elms on both
sides of the main road, that is 100 feet wide
and which runs to the ocean were being
destroyed by insects; dust in the streets
was a foot or two thick, whired up and
down and across by the slightest zephyr;
there We're no lights; there We're no cross
walks; there was no cycle path and above
all, from the women's standpoint. liquor
sold freely
But all that is changed now. The women
organized and within two weeks showed
the men what they could do.
They took up subscriptions and raised
500 in a few days. Then they held fair
that melted $500 more, and sociable
brought i'm another hundred dollars, max
ing an even thousand.
With this money the women purchased
lamps and wooden posts and had them
planted by contract. With more miney
subscribed by the men they bought oil
and hired man to look after the lamps.
That was a big step toward improve
ments. In fact, in two centuries 1t was
about all that had been done for the I'M
incorporated village.
After the lamps, came the cycle path
question. 1t was too dusty to ride in the
road; SO the women built a cycle path two
and one-half miles long from the village
to the beach on both sides of the main
road. They prohibited any one from rid
ing on the sidewalks under penalty of
the law"
What would have been done with pris-
oner is not known, as a precedent was
never established
With the introduction of the cycle path
the village took new life. More wheels
were purchased and the riding was doubled
and there was nothing put praise for the
Ladies Village Improvement society. The
men relinquished all claim to ANY part in
the affairs of the town. except to insist that
they should vote. The women don't mind
that. They don't want to vote. They just
wanted to run the town.
This year, with the election of Mrs Z. H.
Dayton as president, Mrs. Henry b. Hedges,
treasurer, and Mrs. B. II. Van Scoy, secre-
tary, the women have made greater strides
than ever in their work. Last summer they
paid $500 for two sp-inkling carts, made
contra ct for driver and team and another
for the water. They sprnkled the streets
so well that there was not a dusty day all
summer.
Following this innovation they built four
orosswalks at cost of 5000. cut the grass
for two miles either side of the road,
sprayed every elm tree, public and private,
in the village with insect destroyer, bought
town flag and pole for $50 and sowed
plants where they were needed to beautify
the appearance Of the place.
After doing all these things the society
closed the season with 500 in the treasury
1t was decided to go into road building,
beginning with the main street. Two weeks
ago the society voted not to touch any Of
the treasury money Ca woman's economy
for road building, but to raise a separate
fund for that branch of Improvement. A
thousand dollars they thought would be a
good starter.
So the most charming ladies were select
ed ito 10 the begging" They went at the
men with their most winning smiles. There
was no escape, for if Mrs. Drayton, Mrs
nd NJrc Wan bo1f
dozen others failed to make some of tle
single men disgorge, the sweetest and pref
test of the maidens were played as trumps
that never failed. The result was that in
two weeks the ladies have raised fund of
s5O7 This week they will hold a birthday
party, at which every visitor Is expected
to drop into bag one cent for every year
he or she has lived.
In speaking of the society, Mrs. Dayton
said:
1--WE go in for business We charge men,
bers fifty cents year. and we do not have
pink tea meetings. We are all business.
1--WE hope soon to show what we can do
In road building. We shall begin with Il
small piece of the road and experiment,
and expect to use gravel as bed. Asphalt
Is almost too expensive for us to think OF,
but we are determined to have good roads,
.'There is every reason to believe that
we will be successful. The men give us
great help-fnancially. In fact that Is
where we get all our money, though we did
donate as a society 5000 for the road-build-
ing scheme.
1--WE are proud of our society, for it has
done about everything that can be done
for while for the Improvement of the VIII
lage The summer visitors help us in every
way. Last season we raised $500 in one af-
ternoon at fair.
1--WE are constantly receiving inquiries
from women in other Long Island towns
and villages who are tired of seeing things
go to rot in their respective places of resi-
dence, and I shouldn't wonder If there were
soon an epidemic of wonen's Improvement
societies. We have had nothing but sue
cess"
And what do the men say? They smile,
look wise and murmur something to the eff
feet that it is their money that does the
business But the ladies don't mind that.
They give the brains.
So therei
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