The Leon reporter., 1902-10-23

Village Improvement In eur Neigh
boring Cities.
A papsr read BY krs. Ruby atos1swss
Ossmms,ss at the Rsc;pres;ty ~,scttss q ths
Leon Womon's Clubs, Oct. 10, 1so7.
Concluded from last ssssk
Now to pass to some of the other cities. /
have gained information from several by
correspondence. The remainder has been
chairman OF the Village Improvements Com
nittsc of the Iowa Federaliou OF Wonan's
tlubs. wish might give oil this report bat
roA ~. she says: "In learning the sx.ent
OF village Improvement in low.; she ootn-
niftes hnds that much has been doAe through
out the state 70 improve aud benutify It's
towns. IL IL evident the movsmens 10 On the
increase. Letters of inquiry como to us
az 70 way. AID means
In many towns improving the plat o n
ground At the railway station was the start
IL was an organized effort to redeem some
neglected cemetery, and In beautifyinE the
homes OF the dead An impetus was given to
i'm prove the surroundings S OF the livinE-t
thus 1mpro, em-nL associations were formed
hat have led To results far beyond tho e1pee
tations OF those who started them. A. in AIS
new movements SO in this, some towns max ell
a sooo beginning, sowed the seed-bus for
cause not stated the harvest failed. She
says speaking OF Charlton. Its name has
been watehWord stimulating others to go
and do likewise, ~
Rcd Oak through the Improvement depart
ment Of the Monday Ciub has been success
ful in all 1t has undertaken. The town hRA
been made clean and much done TO beauty
II. The ground around the railroad station
Improved and made into u beautifying lawn.
by the help Of 4 = landscape gardner and 1n
outlay OF $1,000 College Park has bson re-
deemed from It's neglected condition and
clock piHsed on the towsr OF the new esurt
house has proved OF more general satislac-
tion than anything else undertaken oy this
energetic department Though All'of Its work
has had The reasonable support OF ths city
council. ~
what IL has accomplished. In It's efors TO
mako clean ana beautiful city, It has
learned that it's best work can be done IN
| co operation with the city coanell-Whsa the
city iurn,shss the men and money. anA the
ladies give personal supervision. tAs work 10
done Win an economy and thoroas shueo
Anosner method OF work was the issuinS
of 500 postal cards urging property holders 70
pat their premises III The best Dt,aalble order
before . certain date. Tnls mss with cor.
dial response.
In 1897 ten clubs of Boone formed fedora
Ito. for Ihs purpose OF village Improvement 4
| Its Arst move WAS to cut the weeds. clean the
streets aud alleys and attend TO the sanitary
condition OF the town. From the nrst It
sought the cooperation of the city council.
the support Of the press and the aid Of IhS
children OF the public echoolE. The WORK OF
the federation is carried ON by ward oom
mittees, appointed by the president. The
last Friday of each month ls . general 0lean-
ing day. made SO by proclamation, Of the
mayor. Prizes are awarded the cleAnest
| wards of the city.
| The pretty town OF Nevada is an attractive
YORKER In village improvements; sabjsct.
bearing upon the work are brought forward
and discussed at it's meetings, and the best
| methods are adopted the renults plainly
show. Nevada can give suggestions 70 Towns
| Nha j,,for
Boxes placed on the principal street. coraefs.
~ fountain fund started. ihe cutting of weeds
on s.rs.ts .nd vacant lots, ,ogethsr with
oi he many things accomplished by the
Givios DIVISION OF The Woinan's Grub. With
tialf 6lse q rest room mas been maintainGd fur
fsttanssrs and working girls.
Judging from the work undertaken and
'accomplished, Des Moines, with her four or
Sah1zod Improvement societies, has ro.suu
to congratulate herself upon the eaInesinesA
OF her workers.
Baskerville. has shown much Interest in
improvement oflts town by laying ont two
1 parks with gravsed WALKS bordered with
tross and piAclng in The center Of each pai k
Mrs 1lDbs asks. Have you been doing
| much along this line iii Leon?" Whom you
| have lsisass shall be glad TO have y report
OF Icons work. Will you be kind enough 70
lot me hsar from you again?
| FROM Ottumwa We hear from Mrs. Alice
Spellman: The city Improvement association
did considerable work Ter four or ave year,.
Quite > number Of the citizens were honor
airy msAbsrs. each paying Sl.oO. A little
park OH three sides OF which are, the posts
ONCE, cOurt house and library WAS bewuE1 1od,
.sverel Of the clubs putting In flower beds.
They did much towal dis creating y eminent
III favor Of keeping streets and preLnfsss
olsaa. The sentiment in favor Of parks has
grown until now n larger one is being Inn
proved. just now our minds are fun ofuur
beautiful new library, gift OF Andrew Car
Corydon has public park. The public
square was graded up and sewer systeui
srsa,ly lmproyea. ,Yn, The city owns sl5
E, Vs.
Mrs. Bell writing from Creston saya: 81 am
sorry cannot Iel you Of the great Ihinus
done III the way or village Improvement IN
Creston by her club women. / think that
village Improvement, but 1t never had u
meellng, gave report or other sign OF life,
aud was afterwards never heard Of. There
are some promises OF thought OH the subject
this year and perhaps OF action, but nothing
definite has been planned. We hope when
we hear jacob Rils, who is Oh our lecture
up to try to help remove some Of the plague
spots on the beauty Of our town and try 10
bring about something better The Parlor
: Circle, . social club have done mucl, in the
way OF heautifytng south park. This was
simply fenced in bit OF unoccupied laud
With some trees in II called park. They
removed the fence. had The grass trimmed
AID rolled, set out beds OF flowers, seats in
sheltered places, and had a fountain costing
Soulo @1,UVU put In. Inc clty furnishes the
water for certain hours per day, during cer.
tain months. The people living adjacent to
.his;park have been at mole pains and 4 sep
lawns and walks in good condition, and il
has helped TO make IT attractive. One other
} social club has built ~ plank walk 10 the
Cemetery which was much nesded These
! twO CT abs do not belong to the City Fedora
tion aud worked on their own responsibility.
trust you will have a pleasant and profit
able time and sometime can help 10 arouse
in US = thought along this line.
: AT Corning two years ago writes Mrs
Towner, our society put in fire bell, a
. bronze drinking fountain. planted flowers
and Otherwise beautificd the grounds around
the railroad station. Another inportan,
movement was the cleaning up Of alleys
and the getting rid in as sanitary man
nsr as possible of garbage.
Cedar Rapids. IOWA CiIy and Murray have
: been interested in village Improvement be.
sides numerous other towns, 20 1t is evident
that village Improvement work is not loos.
ing ground In Iowa.
Perhaps II does not come within the prov
tnce Uf my paper to Yell what might and
ought 10 be done in Leon. There arc many
things which could be done TO bsautify oua
: iown. am sure we do not want to be be-
hind our neighbors In the matter OF beauty