The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1901-07-14
WORK OF A woMAN,s CLUB.
IL Established and Conducted the
Pingree Gardens of Denver.

~ established and Conducted the
Pingree Gardens of Denver.
When the late Mayor Pingree Of De-
troit instituted his famous vacant lot
gardens for the poor, other cities Of the
Union followed the example, and all
the world wondered why nobody had
thought of the thing before In Den
yer the Woman's club first established
Pingree gardens in 1894 and has con-
Quoted them with shining results ever
since. The club has 1000 members,
being perhaps the largest woman's club
In the world. In Denver 1000 mem
bers of a woman's club means 1000
votes in the next election, so when the
ladies of the organization called on
the city and county authorities for aid
In the Pingree garden scheme they
were treated with the utmost Difference
and respect. OfficehOlders were swift
to do the ladies' bidding. This it is to
be voter.
The county commissioners plOwed
the ground and furnished a superin-
tending gardener to instruct the char
ity vegetable ralsers. The city board
gave free for irrigation purposes all
the water needed in the gardens. own
ers of vacant lots donated the use of
them for vegetable raising to the ex-
tent OF nearly so acres, the charity or
ganization furnished the seed with alac-
rity, seeing the bright prospect of pau
pers helping themselves and relieving
more or less both the public and pri-
vate burden of Denver. Even the street
railways donated the car fare of gar
.deners unable to pay. The ladies, as
Is the wont of women, had little money
they were master hands at wooing 1t
from the pockets Of men for charity.
The club, however, furnished the tools
for the workers.
On an April day In 1894, in accord
aRce with a public notice, the would be
vegetable and small fruit gardeners
met the ladies. They were as motley
a host as ever gathered from the four
corners of the earth into a prosperous
western city. mostly foreigners, but
among them some broken American
natives down on their luck
There were men out of work, men
and women too old to work, men who
habitually never did any work, but
wanted novelty, and children Of all
ages. They went to the gardens and
were put to the task of growing food
for themselves. A hundred families
asked the privilege-that. too, although
Denver has a smaller pauper popula-
ton than almost any other city In the
Union. Thrifty Italian mothers took
with them their numerous progeny and
worked the garden while their hus-
bands worked at day labor somewhere
else. Often this woman and child la
Dor was supplemented by the moon
light toll of the husband himself after
his ten hours task was ended. Every
day through the entire season some
members OF that splendid club were
present to watch their proteges, to note
the absentees and give the word of
commendation or warning as either
was needed.
The. results of this faithful fostering
for seven years show what women can
do when they turn from foOIishness
and triviality and do phIlanthropic
work along scientific lines. With this
woman's club work was not all talkee-
talkee.
The hundred families applying for
the privilege Of free gardening were re-
duced to an average Of &C. Many of
them through the encouragement given