The Tupelo journal., 1902-12-12
DOING GOOD WORK.
Bill Arp Tells of What a Local.
Woman's Club Has Done.
Built n Park and Founded n Library
- Philosopher Explains why
President shot No Bear on
His Southern Trip.
copyrighted by Atlanta Constitution and
Reprinted Ivy Permission.)

copyrighted by Atlanta Constitution and
Reprinted Ivy Permission.)
I've been watching these women
did not like the name, but l am
reconciled. l never visited a mans
club but once. 1t was a gathering of
very nice, well-behaved social gentle
men with eatables and drinkaples in
the background, but nobody par
took to excess while / was there.
II excess came afterwards, if it
came at all. But a woman's club
has neither eatables nor drinkables
nor cigars. OF course it is a very
social gathering, but they mean bust
ness and they 10 it. only a few
years ago a lew ladies of this town
determined to do something for the
town and they formed Inc Chero-
kee Club" and soon had more mem
bers and went to work. All the
members had passed their teens and
the married ones had laid by their
crop. They secured a charter and
then got a lease from the city and
the state for so years control of the
ground between the hotel block and
the RAILROAD and adorned it with
grass and gravel walks and inclosed
it with a chain fence and placed
handsome iron seats by the shade
trees and planted a beautiful foun-
tain in the center and peopled it
with gold fish. This beautiful park
is the f~rolicking ground for the chill
dren and a cheerful resting place for
their tired mothers and a trysting
place for young men and maidens.
Near by the trains are passing at
all hours, and our new beautiful
passenger depot is near at hand,
where our people congregate to re-
ceive their friends or bid them good
by. And the club did it all, for the
old depot would still be there if the
women had not stirred up the men
to demand another. Then these
women began to plant flowers and
s~hrubbery in the schoolhouse
grounds, and next they started a
small library in a small room, and
circulated good books among our
people, and they kept on and on I'M
til they got a larger room and more
books. and kept it open two days in
a week, and the demand for books
soon widened to the country, and
every week they sent out four boxes
of 90 volumes each along the mail
routes, and so have established Il
rural circulating library that has
proven a blessing to our country
boys and girls, and the books al
ways come back unhurt and are sent
out en- another mission. Next these
good ONE started a sewing society
among the poorer classes in our com
munity and are taking turns in
teaching the girls how to cut gar
ments and make them, and where
they are very poor they give them
aid and comfort. 1t is all charity.
But last of all and best of all they
have actually laid the foundation of
a club library building that will hold
thousands of books and where all the
peSD uldSdZllGS Oh t1c Country Will
be taken. The city fathers gave them
a beautiful lot, and if the weather
permits the building will be finished
and paid for and occupied in three
months. 1t will not only be a library
for books, but a place for rest for
the travelling man as well as for our
country friends and their wives and
daughters when they come to town.
Besides these uses it is intended to
have literary and musical entertain
ments there that will be far more
~elevating and refining than the aver
& shows that perform in our opera
house. These same women organized
a lycenm course for two winters and
succeeded fairly we'll, but to send
afar Off for lecturers costs too much
for a town of this size, and so they
are going to secure home talent and
talent from Atlanta and Rome and
Dalton and have entertainments at
popular prices, say at ten cents adj
mission, as Prof. Proctor, the great
astronomer, did up north. He told
me he never charged more in a man
ufacturing town and always gave the
working people the preference of
seats and always had a crowded
house. 1t was a cheap and delightful
lSschool to them. What these club
women will do next l do not know,
but they mean business. They mean
to elevate their own sex first, and
if the men and boys come in they
will find a welcome. I suppose that
this library building will be the first
that any club has erected in the
| state, and what / wish to remark and
emphasize is that there is not a re-
spectacle town or village in the state
but can do something on this same
line.
Now / hear you ask, where did you
get the money to do all this?
"Heaven helps those who help them
selves" Our women began with very
little. The railroad gave them $50 to