Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1905-12-22
IMPROVEMENT CLUBS
aAslLV ORGANIZED AND a POWER W
TOWN BErrERMsNv.


Amsrfca's First Assoeiasion of Thas
Kind and what II Has Accomplish
cd : The socfetv's work Increases
vsiue of Property.
Every town should and could have o
village Improvement society. When
properly handled. they are productive
of excelleit results. The good that a
wide awake and thoroughly In earnest
village improvement society can &C.
eomplish can oaly be appreciated where
Il exists.
1t Is an exceedingly simple matter to
organize one Of these societies. The Of
fcers usually consist Of a president.
vice president, secretary. treasurer and
executive committee. The meetings
are usually held monthly. with an an
uual meeting held In the spring. spe-
cial meetings may be called at any
time by the president. and the annual
dues vary from 81 to 50.
The first Incorporated village i'm
provement society in the United States
ls said to be the Laurel Hill associat ton
OF Stockbridge, Mass, II was organ
lied by a Stockbridge woman, and her
untiring efforts to rouse the people re-
suited in a public meeting where the
subject was discussed and society
was organized. As a result the Stock
bridge OF today stands out In marked
contrast with the Stockbrldge Of the
past. The main street, irregularly laid
out and unevenly graded, with deep
pools of standing water, with few trees
and fewer sidewalks, the green" with
out trees or any semblance OF orna-
ment, loaded wagons making deep ruts
almost to the church door, the cemetery
with broken down wooden fences and
full Of brambles and weeds - these
were the conditions In 1853.
Today streets are grad-d and lined
with shade trees. At the first annual
meeting the treasurer reported that the
amount paid In In labor or cash was
$1,396. The number OF trees planted
the first year was 423. At this meeting
Cyrus w. Field and q. w. Pomeroy to
gether gave $3.50 20 be used for prizes
Fifty cents was given for every thrifty
tree planted of kinds specified; $40 or
a silver cup of equal value to the plant
or of the best fifteen trees; to the Sec
ond best, SO: to the third best, $4 All
the trees were to be planted within
certain specified limits
Another prize OF $40 was offered for
the largest number and the best trees
planted along any public roads Of the
town. A prize of $40 was given to the
person who made the longest and best
sidewalk and another $40 to the per.
son who made the greatest improve
ment In the grounds around bis dwell
Ing anywhere In the town. A reward
of $40 was offered for evidence which
should lead to the conviction OF any one
injuring the trees and footbridges uD
der the care of the association.
When $1,000 was given for a free
town library by single benefactor
dividual contributions. The library
building. fine stone edifice. with reaG-
ing room and lecture hall. costing $685.
000 was the gift of the late ]. z. Good
rich. Mr.. Cyrus W. Field gave $4,000
for a park. and David Dudley Field in
the last year of his lite gave to Stock
bridge fifty-eight acres of land. lnclud-
ing the romantic Ice Glen. for noun
tain park. together with $1,000 for ifs
Improvement.
The Laurel Hill association. with an
offer to pay one-half the expense. in.
duced the railroad company to add all
acre and a half to the grounds about
its station and to erect an elegant
building This association has beauti-
fttlIv adornod thoaa r--o,,nda