Mower County transcript., 1903-07-15

lySremarked that the masculine portion
of the popula tion was so engrossed il
making money that whatever was ac
complished in the direction Of render
ing life more plea asurable BY the bet
terment Of abiding places must Of ne
cessity 5deyolye upon the women
Seemingly almost stimuli ltaneously wo
men in all portions OF Miss Columbia's 4
domain have awakened to a realizaltion
Of this same cond1 1tion Of affairs, and and
SO there have been organized on every
hand associations of women the object
of which is to improve the conditions
of municipal welfare and at the same
time arouse the citizens to interest and
pride in the neatness and beauty Of
their individua | surro undings.
81 Not only are women the most potent
factors in the present era Of civic i'm
lproyement, but indeed it was woman
who first set on foot the movement
which has now grown to such splendid
proportions, says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat Miss Mary Gross Hopkins
was the pioneer, and it was just half a
century ago that she started the agi-
tation which ultimately resulted III
making her home town of Stock bridge,
Mass. one of the most famous "show
places Of the Berkshire hills. Miss
Hopkins organized the Laurel Hill as
sociation, which speedily succeeded in
greatly auknenting the natural beau
ties ola rocky, laurel wooded hill which
had been given to the town years be-
fore for use as pleasure ground.
Then followed more pretentious prof
ects, such as the grading and lighting
Of the streets and the introduction Of
annual competitions on the part Of the
householders for the most beautiful
lawns. the best kept gardens and the
nea test back yards. q, ..$
f. What has been accomplished by the
women Of this New England town may
be accepted as a fair criterion of
achievements along similar lines in
other communities. Unlike other
movements Of national scope, however,
the work of each local branch is char
acterized by a certain distinctive in
dividuality Of character. Seldom has
any band of women entering the field
sought to follow exactly in the foot
steps of any other like organization
but each has proceeded along lines of
its own, laid out in accordance with
the most urgent needs Of the com
munity which it has sought to serve,
and thus each group Of civic improve
|ment workers has had something II
lsexample and suggestion to Offer to
every other body of$toilers in the same
general field. d VI .s. .535 / .sl
"A particularly progressive plan has
been followed in the little city of Dix
on, H.. where the women only a few
months ago became thoroughly imbued
with the spirit Of civic pride and de-
sire for local adornment. The Dixon
council of women was organized at
meeting to which each society of WON
en- in Dixon had been invited to send
two delegates. Even church organiza-
tons and social clubs were included
in the invita- ton, and by this means
the interest Of hundreds Of women
was enlisted and ample financial sup
port secured without the council be-
coming unWieldy as to numbers. Of
fcers were elected and to aid them
in the practical work of the organiza-
ton vice president was elected for
each ward in the city, each vice presi-
dent being accorded the privilege of
choosing her own assistants.
It is the duty Of these field workers
to search out insanitary places and to
interest the women Of their respective
districts in making home surroundings
more attractive. More recently other
matters have been taken up, and
among the other objects attained has
been the removal Of unsightly bill
! boards. a.s. i
The great secret of success in any
improvement mqyement by women
seeking the general welfare consists
in arousing the interest Of the general
public: This has perhaps never been
done more eftectually than by the Vii
lage Improvement association of
lHonesdale Pa. This organiza ton came
into existence little more than q dec
ade ago, and vet it has already laid
out parks, beautiied unsi ightIY reads,
converted a garbage dump into an at
active riverside wal provided u an
imposing public. foun+a planted .flow-
Iers, shrubs and trees 4 great sprofu-.
sion, vastly improved tie 81, nj tary4con-
dit ldi itionsSofs ii E and cont b;,ted to
@the cleanli mess Of ttlls e ~ plac-
Ing in con venient oea for
THE lat recept ton of waste pager and otlier
refuse. N N
To 8 Attract e e 'ro MI It's. 5sS##7s;
The Denver FINES ii i recent iss,1e
urges that the state of Colorado cou ID
make no better iinyestm lent than & to
begin the construc ctions of system of
state roads through the mounta mons
regions OF the sta te. It calls attention
to the fact that fhe3 Sfnrrist @ q,