The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-02-06

mere beautiful and attractive on
smaller towns and villages. The large
cities with their parks, and park commits
sioners usually take care of themselve.
and yet, there is room even in them 70
much improvement. In the smaller town
where these organizations exist they hav
the usual officers belonging to organiza
lions, .e. president, vice president, sec
rotary and treasurer. but the work i
done by standing committees e. g. Their
will be a standing committee on sana
tary and street vigilance, committee OF
shade and yard trees, committee OF
lawn, committee on flowers, commit
tee on entertainments, etc. Funds ar,
raised by small membership fee, annua
dues and voluntary contributions. Ii
many places so useful and Influential
have the leagues become that they have
secured appropriations from the village
councils for public improvements along
the line of the leagues work. The work
of the league in small town, which ]
need not here mention, will illustrate the
work the leagues are now doing in otne1
places. \ small river runs through this
town. Before the league began its work
the river banks were lined with MANURE
piles, old cans, old boots and shoes, and
indeed, dead cats and rats. The league
was successful through the village and
health department in having all this rub
bish cleared away, and the committees
on flowers, lawns, and shade trees with
the cooperation of the citizens have con-
yerted the river banks into beautiful lit
tie, lawns and flower beds, made more
beautiful by systematized tree planting,
and winding paths. Some of the flower
beds are planted with red geraniums
bordered with stones painted white, and
these on the green sward acting as a
background present beautiful effect of
supplementary colors. There was another
place in the village which had for years
been frog pond and dumping ground
for rubbish. The civic league made this
into little park in the form of a star,
and large bed of foliage plants adorns
the center. Cans painted with green and
lettered are placed along the streets for
the reception of rubbish, old papers and
the like.
Is there-a man or woman here who
would not rather live in town thus
made so beautiful, and would he or she
not pay more for property in such a
town?
One of the most salutary effects of the
work of the civic improvement leagues
is that our people are getting to remain
more in the villages and small towns,
and go less to the cities to reside.
A few years ago w. d. Willard of this
club read most eScfllent and interest
ing paper ON 'SThe Trend of the Ameri-
can People to the Cities" Some of his
statistics were simply alarming, and led
one to feel that it would not be many
years hence when all our population
would be massed in the cities, and the
country abandoned, as is today almost
true of Vermont. Social economists have
voiced the opinion that the end of the
twentieth century would find all of our
people living in the cities. But the civic
leagues have arisen, and will solve the
remedy for that which would be a great
calamity.
Mankato's Needs and Opportunities.
Mankato is becoming gray with age,
having passed the semi centennial mile
post. She is most beautifully located at
the confluence of the Blue Earth and
Minnesota rivers, and nestles between the
wooded hills on either side. Both rivers
are fringed with pretty trees, some of
them being the majestic elm, which rears
his form high in the air, and spreads his
leafy branches well to the breeze. The
soil is largely black loan and hence well
fitted for the luxuriant growth of flower,
tree, and grass. The Minnesota river
winds in graceful curves from the park
to the stone quarries.
With these environments and condi-
tions the opportunity to make Mankato
one of the prettiest little cities in the
state is without equal. This, however,
never can be done with dirty, muddy,
uneven streets. Thanks to city coun-
ell with backbone, the semi-centennial
celebration of Mankato witnessed the
paving of one street with asphalt, and
who, if he could, would have the asphalt
removed, the boulevard destroyed and
the street restored to its original mud.
Let us express the hope that in 1903 as
much or more poving will be done in the
city of Mankato. Let us also express the
hope that the city will be again lighted
with electricity, as every modern city,
should be, and the old gasoline lamps
relegated to the dead past where they be-
long. Mankato can well congratulate
herself in having many miles of good sub
stantial sidewalks.
Four things are essential in the growth
and beauty of Mankato, and the appre-
citation of homes: First, well paved
streets; second, well lighted streets; third,
good sidewalks; fourth, a good system OF
water and sewerage. As to the first, a
good beginning has been made; as to the
second, we have had the streets well