Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-06-18
W0MiNS WORK IN
URBAN IMPROVEMENT.

nHANY American landscapes and
| lVI cities and towns are character
lied by barren ugllness. Tour
lists come home from Europe and ex-
| claim at the unsghtliness Of our streets
and our roads, our lack Of parks, stat
ues, fountains, trees and flowers and Of
all that makes the outdoor view attrac-
tive.
Natures creations must be restored
ere there Will be anything to make our
country attractive to the aesthetic sense.
American men are as yet mostly too
busy with money getting to attend to
this e9utlfying Of city and village
Women have time, and It rests with
them to rebuild what the pioneers de-
stfoyed. While we ought perhaps 10
think moie than ever about heaven, we
ought TO prove we are thinking OF 1t
by trying TO realize 1t on earth, The
beautiful city? lNhat is II but the per-
feet ideal OF all the beauty we know
hero gardens and fountains and
streets shaded by trees OF paradise
sweet fields arrayed in living green?
AAlbHA NlhhNh VAiio VIII nANll w anu
fro amid those trees Of paradise, wa
believe, and the air will throb and thrill
with their songs OF celestial sweetness.
Why not here on earth2
1t is for womaN to help realize, On this
earth at least part OF the natural
beauty we are accustomed to associate
with the thought OF heaven. Women
teachers may DO their share of the work
by arousing In the children a dasire for
clean, beautiful streets and for planting
trees and flowers in public places. Club
women are beginning TO be power.
They can do more shan any others by
arousislg interest IN the identifying of
cities and towns. Newspapers will
gladly lend aid 10 any measure for pub
lie improvement. Club women through
committees may get subscriptions and
appropriations for the work; they may
provide free lectures with stsreopticon
Views Of the city Aeautiful and other
wise.
Among the first things to b- consider
ed are the streets and sidewalks, before
all In respect to good paving and clean
Illness After cows and pigs ceased to
be allowed at large In American streets
the yard fence gradually fell into dis
use, and the grass plots In front Of the
houses became continuous lawn,
greatly improving the aspect Of a
street But as yet tho streets, even In
places where there is plenty Of room for
trees, are insufiiclenty shaded, The
public squares Of American towns ought
TO be shaded, grass csrpeted. laid off In
walks and adorned each by a FLASHING
fountain bordered with flowers Such
a square should he the vista toward
which the street views converge or
statue, a handsome church. public
building that ia slightly archtecturslly
may be placed where II will meet tho
eye which looks toward the end of
street, These improvements take not
80 much money as labor and persistent
agitation and effort. and public spirited
women may aohievs them all.
A well known club woman, Mrs. |
Clarence Burns of New York. has taken
for one OF her tasks the providing OF |
pretty public Fairgrounds for children |
during summer vaca tons. She inter- |
ested the city authorities In her scheme |
and gained her point; she has walked |
UP organizations among her own sex |
TIL she now has $4,000 women behind |
her in her work. She has accomplished |
marked good In the congested, unbeau-
tiful districts of New York city Mrs |
Burns is certain that avery woman |
ought TO be interested IN municipal |
management. and abe seeL great things |
ahead for women In public work.
A few American cities are already |
alive TO the necessity OF civic adorn-
ment Buffalo and Cleveland In sum-
mer are very beautiful and may be
taken as illustrations Of what can be |
done and must be done II residents OF |
American towns are ever to become
proud Of the places they live In. II
there Is anything that is within the
sphere Of woman's activity It is work
ing for the realization Of the city beau
tlful on earth.
KATHERINE BLADES.