Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-07-25
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
CHANGES 1T WROUGHT IN IMPROV-
ING \ VILLAGE.


Rubbish Heaps.
When the ladies seriously take hold
of a project, ii is pretty safe to assume
that they will succeed. But it is as
village i.nprovers That they have never
been known to fail when once they
started IN. \ case in point is the trans
formation .;S oxford. an old town in
the interior Of New York.
Three parks We're set apart by the
pioneers originally, but after 100 years
they were little regarded by the people
then living within sight of them. They
were Overrun with weeds and brush.
Trees began to grow promisCuously in
one, while the lines of another were
broken down, and it became a mud
hole
One afternoon two women were look
ing out on the plot called Lafayette
square. \ little stream was stagnating
through its center. Drivers and pedes-
trians had no consideration for the
struggling grass.
The two talked with other women,
and meeting of women was called TO
devise ways and means of improving
the village. \ permanent organization
was formed. and president, vice pres
ident, treasurer and secretary We're
elected. \ board of directors and an
executive committee were also appoint
ed. and u constitution and bylaws We're
adopted
Organization was perfected in Sep
tember the objects of the society were
made known throughout the commu-
nifty, and the work of improving the
village began at the home Of each of
the 20 members. The majority Of the
people said you can never accomplish
anything" But the women entered en-
Enthusiastically upon their enterprise.
They wrought changes in their own
dooryards. They exchanged slips Of
hardy plants, purchased the roots of in
expensive but pretty shrubs. BY order
ing together and purchasing at whole
sale they were able to save much. All
orders were shipped to the president
of the society, and the expreSsage on
individual packages was saved for the
purchase of more shrubs.
1t was an aggressive campaign. The
rubbish which had accumulated in the
corners of the fences was cleared
away. Old fences were replaced by
new ones or repaired or removed en-
tirely. The women made beautiful
lawns about their homes and planted
vines to spread over walls and fences.
Ornamental shrubbery was set out;
pretty evergreen or deciduous trees
were procured from the forest near by
and set in rows where the crumbling
fences once stood New sidewalks were
laid. As the village was noted for its
deposit of bluCstonc. handsome stone
walks were procured chcaply. As soon
as these were laiI ii was seen to be
essential that wide cutters should be
made. and with the cutters came grad
ing the streets and removing weeds and
stones Attention was given to back
door yards that faced the railroad.
Weeds and brush had oyerrun them,
and they had become dumping
ground. Back doors and barns which
had never known a coat Of color were
painted, and the weather beaten. tum-
BILE down board fences We're replaced
by neat white pickets.
A subscription was finally started for
funds to restore the parks. People were
asked to give anything from a cent up.
A New England supper was given, and
II proved to be 50 pleasant and success
fnl that II has hnnr1 par,aDral lIH-
The society was able to swell the con
tributionS by the proceeds from a series
of entertainments, embracing concerts,
theatricals and lectures, which found
ready favor. These also were found so
profitable in every sense that they have
been continued.
The money having finally been raised,
a committee of three was appointed
10 arrange for grading and curbing La
fayette square, the dimensions of which
were $50 by 81 feet A handsome foun-
tain was given as a memorial to a for
mer resident by his sons at a cost Of
$1,000 and was formally dedicated to
the village The expense of the grad
ing, curbing, setting the fountain and
the village.
Washington park was next made de
lightful. Gravcled walks were wound
through ii, in place Of aggressive weeds
lawn grass seed was sowu. ground was
spaded up and cultivated plants set
out; mountain ash, weeping willow and
balsam trees were placed here and
there and wild clematis and ampelOp-
sis were so planted that they would
ia time Oyerrun the tops of these trees.
HOllyhock trees We're secured, and as
ters, hydrangeas and wild roses were
arranged in pretty vistas. Finally fall
en- and decayed timber, stumps, weeds
and rubbish were taken from Fort Hill
park, which was covered over with
rich soil and seeded down and is now
an attractive green plot Of three-quar-
ters Of an acre surrounded by fine
curbing. The three parks are cared for
at comparatively small expenditure.
In n forgotten cemetery on n side
street near the heart of the village the
few remaining slabs lad been 3.yclud
by the f+gets OF l-.rv years. N..d mp.
pie trees grew auI ba.n fruit which
was harvested oa.E by !, small boys
Old rosebuShcs r@G wild and mingled
with briers, hCu.ocks. 2 lEwced and
gOIdenrod. MAJ" old cans and pals
had been thrown into the inclosure
The grass was never cut, and the
grounds were fast becoming impcue-
trable. The women got to work clear
ed the old cemetery Of debris and reset
the ancient shafts, removing the ashes
of some Of the forefathers of the ham
let to the new and handsome burial
grounds on the hill across the river
The grass is now moved regularly, the
wild brambles are subdued, ard tAs
place Is houo7cd as IL should be
SOapsuds Dessert.
The tribes on the coast of British Co
Iumbia hold a festival in the autumn.
the crowning item of which is the par
taking Of few spoonfuls Of bowl Of
GpapSudg