The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-05-03
Woman's Club Says Little
Italy's Playground Must
Be Named for Mrs.
Benson.
DUE TO HER UHTIRING EFFORT
Petition Signed With Enthus-
iasm Both By Men and
Women.


name the new park the MARY Benson
Park, in honor of Mrs. Mary Benson,
that by this means may be perpetu-
ated the name of the woman by whose
untirfng energy and perseverance the
park has been made possible; ana De
it further
Resolved, That the members of the
club circulate a petition throughout
the city asking that the park be so
named, and that they do all in their
power to induce the authorities to
This resolution, which was unanimously
adopted by the Woman's Club yesterday
afternoon. was the all-engrossing topic at
the meeting. 1t was a determined body
of women who gathered in Hasbrouck
Hall yesterday-women resolved that Jer-
sey City should show honor to Mrs. Mary
Benson, the little woman who, with no
thought of herself, with no expectation
of reward and no desire for anything but
the good of Little Italy, toiled through
the hot summer and the cold winter, the
wind, rain, snow and sun, until she sue
ceeded in getting a park and playground
established. Women who had worked be-
side her and women who had heard and
read of her brave efforts united their eff
forts to save their city from even an ap-
pearance of ingratitude and secure recog-
milton of Mrs Benson.
Before they entered the club yesterday
the club members were excited over the
rumor that the Little Italy park was to
be called City Park. At the door they
We're met by members who had in charge
the petition to the Street and Water
Board. The eager way in which the
pencil was grasped showed. the desire
every woman had to express her feeling.
The petition was:-
To the Honorable Board of Street and
Water Commissioners of Jersey City,
Gentlemen-This is to certify that it
is the heartfelt desire of the Jersey
City Womans Club and the public at
large to have the new park at Fifth
and Merseles streets called the Mary
Benson Park in honor of Mrs. Hud-
speth Benson, who was the promoter
and who has worked SO energetically
for the accomplishment of this great
project
one petition from Greenvil1e had sew
entv signers before it was brought to the
meeting Every woman present signed
yesterday and at least a thousand sigma
lures of men and women are now at
tached The idea is to get at least five
thousand names and send them to the
Street and Water Board.
Before the resolution was presented
Mrs. Benson was called to the platform
by Mrs Newbury, the president. Her
appearance was the signal for an out
burst of applause. She seemed very much
affected by her reception.
1--WE all know we have the park" said
she. ut is our park" (Glove-splitting
appiause) "And when you go down there
TO see those little children enjoy them
selves you will remember it was once
nothing but dirt and filth. Those chill
dren havev been brought up in a dung
hill. When you think of the art and
beauty of Italy and the talented ancestors
of these people of the Little Italy section
Won must see how necessary to them is
breathing place.
.sThey are a useful people these Ital-
dams. We use them for laborers and they
work from morning to night. I don't see
why something was not done for them
before. Now the park has materialized
A year ago none of US thought this could
he done. The park will be opened Mon
day. There will be speeches and music
They may talk about their Dewey Days
they may talk about any day they like
but to my mind there can be no da like
this in Jersey City, CNearly every woman
ruined her gloves.)
Gut continued the indefatigable
Mrs. Benson. there is something else tc
be done We want model tenements over
there in the Sixth and Seventh wards
What can be expected of the people who
breathe foul air and live in filth. Yor
NAV talk of your foreign missions, bul
what foreign mission can be compared tc
our own? Let the heather go in theil
nakedness. They are happy, and moth
ing is expected from them because oi
their ignorance, but save those in the
shadow of our churches. Make then
good men and women and keep them oul
of jail. If no one man or woman viii
do this why not form a syndicate
There are enough rich women in tht
city. Why not form syndicate and built
q model tenement Now, ladies, what ar,
you going to do about it?''
The scheme was so gigantic the ladie'
almost forgot to applaud, even though
they had slipped off their gloves for th
emergency.
..she'll get it, though, if she goes in TO
IT., whispered a woman on the from
seat. .I never saw anything like the VIZ,
that woman gets what she wants. .
However. the tenement was anothe
story, left over in the excitement whicl
followed the park movement. After fey
words from the President emphasizin:
the desire of the club that the park b
Mary Benson Park the resolution wa
read. 1t was suggested that in case tn
Board refused to name the park Mar
Benson Park it be petitioned to name a.
avenue of the park for her. That wa
promptly suppressed, for, as one membe
put it, there should be no compromise an
no alternative-the club wanted the par
and not an avenue named for Mrs. Ben
son.
Il don't believe said Mrs Spence
Neart "the park or single tree woul
thrive if it were named anything bu
Mary Benson Park. =
Then the motion was put and unani
nously carried with an enthusiasm here
tofore unknown in the Woman's Club.
a doubt, said Mrs S. G. Marvin, =
any Of you know the condition Of tina
park at present. The grass il not grow