The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-05
THE OAKLAND CLUB.
The April r1eeting Held on Tuesday
Night in the Club Rooms.
an INTERESTING PAPER BY TIRE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE
President Percy Proctor in Attendance,
Who Presided-New Members Admit
ted Committee A Appointed to Secure
Better Mail Facilities.

Tuesday night OF this week the reg
ular monthly meeting of the Oak
land Club was held in the rooms of
the organization. President Percy
Proctor was in attendance and presid-
ed. The membership of the Club was
well represented at the meeting and
considerable interest was manifested
in the proceedings.
The new members admitted were
Meesrs. Simon Myers, j. NJ. Stanton
and Ernest c. Colardeau.
DR.. E. j. M. Button was appointed
as chairman of the committee on in
stitutions to fill vacancy.
The attention of the Club was cal
led to the poor mail facilities afforded
the citizens of Oakland in the matter
of an early morning mail eastward
and to correct this committee con-
sisting of Messrs. j. NJ. Litzinger,
King Delawder and Fred. A Thayer
was appointed to confer with the
proper authorities to have mail dis
patched east on train No. . which
leaves this point at 7 o'clock a. III.
AS the matter now is letter mailed
at the post office after 7. 30 p. IN. lies
there until the following afternoon at
42S before it is sent east
Col. A. G. Sturgiss, chairman of the
committee on Permanent Improve
ments, submitted report Of his COM
mittee. The paper contains so many
excellent suggestions looking toward
the advancement of the interests of
Oakland that we give it in its entire
ty in this issue of THE REPUBLICAN,
as follows:
Your committee appointed on per-
manent improvements Of streets, side
walks, water supply, sewerage, cleo
trio lighting, etc, for the town of
Oakland, beg to submit the following
suggestions.
Streets should be kept clean and
free from litter such as paper, boxes,
straw, ashes, tin cans, etc. Would
suggest that each house should have a
barrel or box to put waste of all kinds
in, and when full have same hauled
out of corporation and burned. We
would suggest that the corporation
authorities employ man and cart to
remove the barrels, boxes and filth,
and after emptying same return them
to proper parties for use again. Also
if the same party was employed to
remove the dirt from the bricked
streets we feel sure that the parties
whose property abuts on those streets
would be glad to sweep same into
piles so that it could be readily re-
moved with very little cost to the
corporation, and would add greatly
to the appearance of the streets.
The system of street improvements
inaugurated last season, on account
of cost, and in view of the financial
condition OF our town, perhaps can
not be continued this season, but
there might be great improvement
made by having loose stones, etc,
removed and uneven places filled with
broken rock and dirt.
A great many of the alleys of our
town are in filthy condition-ashes,
tin cans, bottles, etc, which we would
suggest should be cleaned up before
warm weather.
Your committee would discourage
anything like tearing up our streets
as was done last summer. If anything
like the improvements made last sea-
son is contemplated it ought not to
be done between June 18th and Sep
tember 18th, as at that time our sum
mer guests are with us and work of
that kind ought TO be done early in
the spring or late in the fall.
The sidewalks in many places are
in bad and unsafe condition. This
is a matter that the corporation au.
thorities ought to use every endeavor
to have remedied at an early date by
new walks and prompt repairs made.
Nothing so far as we know reflects
discredit on a town so much as dirty
streets and broken, unsafe side walks.
They should be kept free from boxes,
barrels, farming implements, in fact
everything that might obstruct or be
dangerous to pedestrians who may be
called to pass along our streets at
night. They do not add to the beau
ty of our walks.
We would further suggest that
owners Of property abutting on the
principal streets might add greatly
to the appearance of same if they
would set out shade trees. We feel
sure that the corporation authorities
would pass law protecting same.
In order TO stimulate and encour-
age neatness in yards and alleys, we
would suggest that system OF prizes
be offered by this Club for the best
and most attractively kept yard, alley
or walks. Would further suggest a
free application OF white wash to old
buildings, fences, walls, etc. Fresh
applications of paint add greatly to
appearance where same can be APP
Piled but in many cases white wash
answers equally as we'll and has the
advantage Of cheapness and does not
require an artist to apply.
The question Of great Importance
to us as a community at present is a
system of water supply and sewerage.
1t would seem that there could be
gotten a sufficient supply of pure
water from some of our mountain
streams near town at a moderate cost