The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-08
Mrs. Condo Hamlin Points the Way
to Make Mankato Prettier.
Gives the Citizens Some Excellent
Advice on Local Problems.
The Park System Of Streets With Wide
Boulevards Favored
Beauty in City Is a Commercial As
set, Attracting People.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
Mrs. Condo Hamlin of ST. Paul enter
at the opera house last evening with her
lecture on ''The City Beautiful" She was
well received. Mrs. Hamlin is the wife
of the former managing editor of The
Pioneer Press, and is a prominent club
woman. She has made a study of the
methods of identifying cities, and in the
pursuit of these studies has visited all
of the large cities of the United States
and many in Europe. Illustrating her
address, she exhibited large number OF
stereopticon views taken from different
cities, the most of them from st. Paul
and several from Mortified, Winona,
Anoka and other Minnesota cities, show
ing what has been done toward beautify
ing those cities.
Mrs. Hamlin was introduced by DIR.
J. w. Andrews, in brief address. Il
am sure that [ voice the sentiment of the
citizens of Mankato," said he, ''when |
saw that the work of the Civic Improve
ment League will be appreciated. The
efforts already put forward are appre
ciated. 1t is young, but has already
shown an enterprising spirit. One rea-
son that the league will be success is
because the members and officers are
largely composed of ladies. The gentle
men cannot take to themselves credit for
the work that this league will do. For
one thing, it has provided this evenings
entertainment without cost. 1t is a
pleasure to introduce one who has done
more than anyone else to beautify St.
! Paul. and lady who has national rep
utation, Mrs. Condo Hamlin."
Mrs. Hamlin said that men must
everywhere be the backbone of this move
! ment, furnishing moral and financial sup
port. The women can take the initia-
tive. 1t is propitious thing that the
people are beginning to consider their
/ city or village as common home with
purposes social and aesthetic in nature
as well as being roof and furnishing
bread The cities all over the country
are beginning to awaken to this thought.
| As indicating this fact, civic improvement
leagues are springing up everywhere
and magazine articles along this line
are appearing, and model city is to
be erected at the st. Louis exposition.
This latter has twice been done abroad
but never before in America. 1t is
amazing to see what little towns In this
state have done in the way of munich
pal improvement, and Minnesota ought
to make a good exhibit there.
1t is the dreamer, the man with the
imagination, who does things, and one of
these men succeeded in having Boston
beautifed according to his ideas.
/ The water supply of a city should not
alone be for the purpose of supplying
pure drinking water and fire protection,
but it should have aesthetic purposes as
well. Fountains and public baths should
be supplied.
The sewage question is an important
one. Berlin sells its sewage to large mu-
nicipal farms. At Walla Walla, Wash,
fruit company pipes the sew
age out to a large orchard. 1t should not
be deposited near water supply, as it
has been demonstrated that water does
not purify itself in as short distance as
has been supposed.
| Wires belong under ground, and wires
and poles should not be allowed to dis
figure the streets. The under street is
essential. 1t is absurd the way Ameri-
can cities pave the streets without re-
gard to the water and gas mains, sewers,
wires, ETC., being not yet in. The pave
ment later has to be torn up and these
put down. The waste in dealing with