Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-08-16
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
CHANGES 1T WROUGHT IN IMPRov-
ING A VILLAGE.

When the ladies seriously take hold
OF project, it is pretty safe to assume
that they will succeed. But it is as
village improvers that they have never
been known to fail when once they
started in. a case in point is the trans
formation of oxford, an old town in
the interior of New York.
Three parks were 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 promscuously in
one, while the lines of another were
broken down, and it became a. mud
hole.
One afternoon two women We're look
ing out on the plot called Lafayette
square. y little stream was stagnating
through its center. Drivers and pedes-
TRANS 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. y permanent organza ton
was formed and president, vice pres
ident, treasurer and secretary were
elected. y board of directors and an
executive committee were also appoint
ed. and a constitution and bylaws were
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
We're 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 bluestOne, handsome stone
walks were procured cheaply. As soon
as these were laid it 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 overrun them,
and they had become dumping
ground. Back doors and barns which
had never known coat of color were
painted, and the weather beaten tum-
bic down board fences We're replaced
by neat white pickets.
funds to restore the parks. People We're
asked to give anything from a cent up.
A New England supper was given. and
1t proved to be so pleasant and success
full that it has been repeated annually.
The society was able to swell the con-
tributions by the proceeds from a series
of entertainments, embracing concerts,
;ol, b,
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
to arrange for grading and curbing La
fayette square, the dimensions of which !
were $50 by &C feet. A handsome foun- |
tain was given as a memorial to 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. Graveled walks were wound
it, in place of aggressive weeds !
lawn grass seed was sown ground was
spaded up and cultivated plants set
out; mountain ash, weeping willow and
balsam trees We're placed here and
there, and wild clematis and ampelop-
sis were so planted that they would
IN time overrun the tops of these trees.
Hollyhock trees We're secured, and as
tiers, 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-
tiers of an acre surrounded by a fine
The three parks are cared for
at comparatively small expenditure.
In Ii forgotten cemetery on a side
street near the heart of the village the
few remaining slabs had been leveled
by the frosts of many years Wild APP
pie trees grew and bore fruit, which
was harvested only by the small BOYS.