Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-09-17
WOMEN'S GOOD WORK
FAIR SEX MAKING GREAT IMPROVE
MENTS m BURLINGTON, IA.
Handsome River Front Park Secured
and UnsiEhuy Spots Beautfhed.
Committees Working In Every LO-
cality of the Town.


Committees Working In Every Lo-
caIity of the Town.
burlington, Ia, is to blossom like the
rosc she Is to become verltable
'town beautiful" The women of the
Federation of Clubs have 70 decreed.
And burlington knows what the wOm-
en- say will come true, for II has
learned in late years that when Bur
lington club women speak they do SO
with the authority that arises out Of
previous success in undertaking.
burlington. like many other busy
river towns. Is inclined ut tim $ to be
little ncglectful of her appearance,
says the Chicago Chronicle. What Is
usually called her front yard" the
long stretch of river levee. is some
times allowed to get into II very dilapi-
dated state. Old warehouses tumble to
ruins; fish markets, sheds, house boats,
driftwood and like collection Of wa
ter and land tlotsam and Jctsam accu-
mulate to make the frontage of the
town dsrcputablc and to cause feel
ing of embarrassment to the citizens Of
aesthetic tendencies.
But now that the women of the town
have taken charge of the matter 1t Is
believed in fact. there already is suft1-
Client proof to warrant the positive as
sertion-thnt things will be permanent
" changed for the better. Last year
the federation took the matter Of
cleaner town seriously In hand. 1t
named for its special work during the
federation year l9O2-O3 civic I'M
provcment." Mrs. J. 7. Illick of Bur
Iington, now deceased, vice president
of the state federation and we'll known
in national club circles. was probably
the pioneer mover in the work She
Interested herself in the question OF
cleaner streets and improved back
yards.
Under her efforts and those of several
other kindred spirits among the wom-
en- the town federation took up the
work 1t was decided to begin the at
tack on the levec as the most vuln"ra-
bic and certainly the dirtiest place In
the town. \ civic Improvement COM
mittee was appointed to carry on the
work. composed of women, all promi-
ncnt in club work and In the social life
of the town. The women composing it
have proved energetic and resourcrful.
Mrs. FunCk, the chairman, at once be-
gan an active canvass of the subject of
civic Improvement. She corrcspondcd
with people in other cities who We're
authorities on the subject Of lawns
and parkings. At Winona, Mimi, she
found an ideal condition existing as to
the river front There the town had
set apart the levee as a park and had
SO beuutitied 1t that the place, once an
eyesore to the travelling public, Is now
one of the handsOmest river fronts
along the entire channel Of the Missis-
sippi.
Plans for this river park were pro-
cured, and, with an ability and energy
which the business men of burlington
might well take as an example, Mrs.
Funck and her fellow committee APP
peared before the Business Mems club
Mt special session and presented the
matter of river front park. The
men We're, of course, favorably I'M
pressed. They gave the weight OF
their approval to the project, and
committee of them Joined with the eff
forts of the women and presented the
matter to the town council. This body
with little hesitation appropriated $500
for the purpose of beginning river
front park. With this money retain
ing wall has been built from Valley
street to jefferson and the space filled.
The council further promised to SOW
grass seed and plant trees and shrubs.
The work will be carried on from
year to year until the entire strip OF
river front. almost from the pictur-
esque Prospect hill bluff to the over
hanging hcadland on the north, forms
Il beautiful sweep of lawn and shade
trees nearly half II mile In length.
Just south of the point where the
present park Improvement lies Is sit
uatcd the handsome clubhouse of the
Burlington Boating association. The
example of the club women has inspr-
ed them to action, and they, too. will
take up the work of front yard I'M
provement The ground about their
clubhouse will be leveled up, planted
in grass seed and shade trees and
flower beds. The lawn will be car
ried over to the river front park and
made continuous with it. The Bur
lingtOn Railroad company will do Its
share along the river frontage OF Its
switching yards, so that visitors to
the town by river will have pleasing
impression of the town ut first glance.
The work on the central portion Of
the levee improvement will be hurried
SO that the thousands of visitors to the
worlds fair at St. Louis who will make
river excursions to this point and above
Iere this summer and fall will have n
pleasant impression Of Burlington to
take away with them. This work OF
the women alone will be of incalcula-
BILE value to the city.
But it Is not all that is being done.
subcommittee have also been appoint
ed for the various sections of the town.
The duty of these committees Will be
TO look after the identifying of their
particular localities. The spirit with
which these women are entering into
this task indicates that the work I'M
der their supervision will go forward
rapidly and effectively.
In addition TO this personal work the
women have sought to instill into the
public mind higher ideals of civic re-