The Leon reporter., 1902-10-16
Village Improvement In our Neigh
boring Cities.

A paper read by Mrs. Ruby Steadmen
Cumn,ins at the Reciprocity NEE ting Of The
Leon Women's Clubs, Oct. 10, 1902.
In collecting material for this paper l
have found and been supplied with so
much of interest that hope you will par
don and bear with me if give you little
more than cold facts, l find there are so
many interesting thiDes connected with
village improvement.
Women are always the leaders. With
their knowledge of cleanliness, their de-
sire for order, their love of the beautiful
and artistic, they show patriotism by
furthering on this work, sometimes with
the city council, sometimes alone. In
some cities the ladies have only 70 plan
and supervise and the city stands ready to
meet the expense. Some cities are voting
special tax for this work.
will endeavor to tell you in rs brief q
manner as possible what some Of our
neizhbors have done and are doing to inn
prove the beauty nf their cities aud to add
to the comforts OF its visitors and citizens
as we'll.
find that Charlton was one Of the pio-
neers in village improvement and will
now tell some of the things that have
beea done. cleaned some information
while there this summer, then l shall give
yos the benefit of q few thoughts from .
papar written by one of her ladies aud the
b.,
Mrs. Jessie Mallory 1hayer.
Though Charlton did some Of the first
work III Village Improvement, many
other towns who had cemetery associa-
lions years ago, developed them into Viii
lage improvement clubs, notable of which
is Osceoa, of which l will read report
later.
Mrs. Thayer says, Gas a rule it is not
the lack of Civic Laws, but that they are
OOt in operation, which produces tho
slovenly, ill-kept town. In our case We
find upon investigating that we had ordi-
.nances galore; laws piled upos laws and
Ame of then regular blue laws, bat many
and people. Why, said his Honor the
Mayor, "lf was to demand strict obedl-
ence to every law that is on our books,
nearly all our best citizens would be in
jail" Hence we should frst know that
we have reasonable, sensible laws and
fullest extent" She suggests that anyone
who Is able to rent Or own home ought
to haYe pride enough to keep the grass
cut and TO plant flowers. Also, that
though not 30 agreeable but quite ss I'M
portant is the consideration OF the back
yards Of town. In our own Town, l am
sure if you will drive or walk in the alleys
instead of always upon the main streets,
you will find the back yards far from
what they should be in most cases. And
though some may say it is no ones bnsi.
ness how his premises are kept, yet let
that not discourage you.i 1t is someone
else's business if that same back yard
breds illness and fevers to your family 1t
is generally the families of others that pay
the penalty for the neighbours neglect and
cRrelessuess.
Noting further from Mrs. Thayer's
"Pleas for Village improvements" Let
us address ourselves to the rear end Of this
l<rr, OH =
care for and burn her own rubbish; have
the tin cans buried in the alley, covering
them with cinders and ashes, and thereby
make good road instead of the mudhole
which is SO often the chronic condition of
the alley. "Don't throw things away.
Where is the away to which we consign
things? 1t does not exist. 1t is amusing to
note the satisfaction with which many q
notable housekeeper says, I have my gar
bage taken away twice weekn She
does not realize that there is no away, ,
and that the garbage is only transferred
from her premises to some place where it
will breed malaria for other peoples chill
dren instead of her own. And the load OF
old tins which she delights to be rid of is
deposited in conspicuous spot by some
pleasant country road-a blot on the
landscape greeting the eyes of all who
pass. What she says of teaching the
children to help is very true. They can
W oeo6Ao CLao oy oo1h6 oOluC OuluSS Dy
not dong others they can tender great aid
to their town. Teach them not to throw
their school papers into the street, not tc
throw down the envelope and paper
wrappers as they come out of the post
Office; not to throw down fruit parings
for some one else to pick up, or to lie anc
decav, breeding evil germs. Teach then
that there is as much patriotism in picking
up the remains of Fourth of July pleas.
ures as there is in scattering them broad
cast over the town. In their effort to care
for the waste paper they placed boxes or
the streets for the reception of the same
noticed boxes of this kind in the park.
in Chicogo, but particularly in the street.
of @ ,lumbus, Ohio, which is noted for it.
beauty and cleanliness. There, men are
KEEP. upon the streets continually, sweep
ing and cleaning the pavement and cart
ing away refuse.
You have noticed men inthe.large park.
you have visited, going around with {
long, sharp iron, picking up the scraps
and depositing them in a sack slung ovel
his shoulder, and didn't it make you fee
rather sneakiDg if you were guilty o
throwing paper, fruit peel, etc. for him to
nick no?