The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-05-18
IMPROVING A CITY.
Reforms Accomplished by Minneapolis
Women.

| DTONCu ulltlT Ndlu6 III 81 llldHY COlu-
munities that it is hardly necessary
to particularize the work of any soci-
eety, yet the Minneapolis Improve
ment League has been the means of
SO many excellent reforms in munich
pal government that special mention
is not out of place.
This league was organized in 1888,
and now has membership of 10
women. The constitution states that
this organization shall keep clear of
all political organizations, it's business
being to promote intelligent cooper
peoples officers in making Minneapo-
lis one of the most healthful and
beautiful cities in the world"
The subjects to which the attention
of committees was first turned were
the gssRage question, the smoke nui-
sance, the expectoration nuisance,
hitching horses on the public streets,
removal of gases, restriction of dogs
and unsightly vacant lots. They rea
soned thus: OF what avail is it to tell
the stranger within our gates that we
have the healthiest and one of the
most beautiful cities in the country,
with 1900 acres of beautiful parks, if
at that moment his eye catches
| glimpse of a vacant lot piled high
with rubbish?
One of the first steps taken was to
offer a prize for the best article on
THE Disposal OF Kitchen Refuse"
and many valuable suggestions were
! thus obtained. These were combined
| in list of Hints to Housekeepers,"
or "Housekeepers' Books which
were printed on cards with instruc-
tions to hang under the kitchen clock.
These cards were given to the school
children, and in this way one was sent
into nearly every home in the city.
They were in great demand and no
doubt accomplished much good.
! Members of the league have pre-
sented the work to the Woman's
council, the State Federation of Clubs
and other organizations on many
| occasions.
| In this way the work of education
has been carried on until the influ
ence of the league has been felt not
only throughout the state, but letters
| frequently come from other states
asking for information in regard to
the work, and similar societies have
afterward been formed.
Largely as the result of the work of
the league ordinances have been
passed to abate the smoke nuisance,
to forbid under heavy penalty the
deposit of refuse upon public ways or
grounds, to regulate the stabling of
horses on the principal business
streets, 10 forbid splitting on the floors
of street cars, notices to this effect be-
ing posted up in each car, and also to
| regulated the collection of kitchen
| refuse.
The league early realized that it's
work must be principally one of edu-
1 cation. The proverbial good nature
of the average American citizen toler-
ates these nuisances. He walks
through Uttered streets, slips on ba-
mana peels, sees his wife and daugh-
tiers drag their skirts through filth
voided from the mouths of tobacco
chewing pagans, inhale the smoke
and SCOT and poisonous gases from
huge chimneys and helps to add to
the general untidiness of his careless
ness and acquiesce in the petty in
Suries which others do him and his
fellow citizens Against this spirit
the most vigorous street cleaning
force must struggle in vain. Even
the gods cannot keep clean what pre-
fers to be dirty The Improvement
league believes that cleanliness means
health. 1t is beauty, and it is not only
next to godliness, but it is goodness.
AT present the league is engaged in
a warfare against the bill board ad-
vertising that is overrunning the city
like one of Pharaoh's plaques. Some
of these are exceedingly objectiona-
BILE. One in particular is that of a
little curly haired boy in dresses, with
a cigarette in his mouth, before which
crowds of children are often seen adj
mirably gazing.
The members of the league believe
that it is eminently proper for the
women of city to take an interest in
its housekeeping affairs. Chicago
has woman street commissioner
The catch basins are not ornamented
with bows or ribbon, nor the garbage
receptacles decorated with hand
painted blooms, as predicted. Her
work, instead or being a failure, as
| predicted, has been eminently sue
cessful.
| Fairgrounds for children are re-
ceiving the attention of the league.
The principals and teachers of the
| public schools have been from the
first most active workers and allies.
In some schools auxiliaries have been
formed. One school reported one
year 26 vacant lots in it's vicinity
cleared of rubbish, 40 dead cats,
chickens, ETC., buried, and an incred-
liable number of tin cans disposed of
Another school destroyed millions
of the Russian thistle, completely
eradicating the pest in that neigh
borhood, while Others have waged a
war on the tenacious sand bur.
Many have set out trees and planted
thousands of tree seeds.
Like the ship which the united
efforts of the men and women of the
town were unable to move and not
until the children were called to assist
did the great hulk slide off into the
water, the improvement league saw
that it must interest the children in
the work if it hoped to see it's efforts
crowned with success. Although not
all roses, the work of the league since
the children have been engaged in it
has taken on roster hue. When
some one suggested that the children
be encouraged to plant flowers, the
idea was siezed upon as being the one
that would solve many of it's diff
culties.