Bismarck daily tribune., 1902-06-12
WHAT WOMAN GIN Do.
Lisbon Woman's Club Turned Into
Association for Improvement OF
Village. &.
Interesting Papers Showing What Has
Been Done by Women in Other
4 Cities.

Been Done by Women in Other
Cities.
The Lisbon Woman's Club has
discovered new field of effort, and ait
an open meeting held a few days ago,
the club was resolved into a village
Improvement association. Some prac-
tical and helpful papers We're pre-
sented an how the club might assist in
,beautifying and improving the city,
and Mrs. R. S. Adams presented a
paper on village Improvement that is
worthy the attention of similar clubs
over the state. She said:
With the first STRINGS of spring
comes the inspiration for improvement
work, not only in our own homes, but
in cities, villages and the country. It
has been said by the president Of one
of the park boards of st. Paul, that
women are peculiarly fitted for this
work, for it is only housekeeping on
large scale-municipa housekeeping
and women are housekeepers by right
of law and sex. It is their province
to- make and keep our, homes neat,
clean, well ordered and beautiful in
doors and outdoors, and it is a per-
fectly natural and logical expansion
of that province that the queens of the
household should extend their sway
into the street which fronts their
premises and into the immediate
neighborhood.''
In the year 1858, in Stockbridge,
Mass, the first village improvement
association was organized. 1t is said
that this came about from a remark
made by a summer visitor as to the
unhygenic condition of the city; and
this society was founded by woman.
In the more than forty-five years of
its existence the members Of this or
ganization have held to the high pur-
pose of making their town beautiful
and healthful, and have kept alive all
the historic associations of the place.
This society had all the ordinary evils
common to village to combat-muddy
and uneven streets, an absence of good
walks, shabbily and i'll kept fences,
weeds and many other things with
which we are all familiar. Municipal
pride being aroused, rapid progress was
made. Gradually, as means were af-
forded, these things were changed, the
| avowed object of the association being
to improve and ornament the streets
and public grounds of Stockbridge by
planting and cultivating trees, clean
| ing and repairing sidewalks, and doing
such other acts as shall tend to i'm
| prove and beautify the village. The
citizens feel today that this association
has been the best investment of a
small amount of money village has
ever made, as it has been the means
| of bringing many there to make their
homes. % ..s.
| OF course every town is not able to
do as much, possibly, as this town in
4 Massachusetts, has done, yet there, is
not town in our land but can mend
it's streets and walks, keep down the
weeds and plant trees and flowers. 1t
is in the extreme western and eastern
parts of the United States that the vii
lage Improvement idea most f1ourishes
but we are glad to note that this work
has become contagious and the middle
states are arousing themselves on this
subject and much work is being done.
The start toward village improvement
must be determined by the individual
needs of the town. One city in Iowa
made its first start by restraining the
cow from its wanderings about the
town. Another city cut its weeds and
cleaned it's alleys. From small begin
nings we find that great things have
been accomplished. In many towns
improving the plot of ground at the
railway station was the starting point,
while in others it was an organized
attempt to reclaim ssome old cemetery.
In beautifying the homes of the dead
an impulse was given to improve the
surroundings Of the living. Many
towns have found that the best work
can be done through cooperation with
the city council, the city furnishing the
men and the money and the ladies CIV
ing it their personal supervision.
Other cities carry on their work by
means Of ward committees, appointed
by the chairman of the federation. In
the fall prizes are awarded to the
cleanest ward in the city, the money
serving to beautify the interior OF the
school building.
In Keokuk boxes for rubbish have
been placed upon the principal streets,
fountain fund has been started, weeds
have been cut on the streets and va
cant lots and trees have been set out.
a rest room has been established for