Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-12-09
IMPRON EMENT CLUBS
EASILY ORGANIZED AND A POWER IN
TOWN RETIREMENT.

TOWN BE 7 ERMENT.
Americn's First Associntion Of This
Kind and Whnt Ii Has AccompIish-
ed - The Socicty's Work Incrcnze.
NnIue of Property
Every town should and could have a
vlllag" Improvement society. When
properly handled, they are productive
of excellent results The good that Il
wide awake and thoroughly in earnest
village Improvement society can ac-
complish can only be appre, lated where
Ii exists.
1t is an exceedingly simple matter to
organize one of these societies The Of
ticcrS usually consist of Il president,
Wee pre- 'idcnt, secretary. treasurer and
executive committee. The meetings
are usually held monthly. with an an
nnal meeting held in the spring Spe-
cial meetings may be called ut any
time by the president. and the annual
dues vary from 81 to 81.
The first Incorporated village i'm
provcnent society in the United States
is said to he the Laurel Hill association
of Stockhridge, Mass. 1t was organ
lied by Stockbridgc woman. and her
untlrinE efforts to rouse the people re
suited In Il public meeting where the
subject was discussed and society
was organized AS n result the Stock
bridge of today stands out in marked
contrast with the Stockbridge of the
past. The main street, irrcgulnrly laid
out and unovenly 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 1888
Today streets are graded and lined
with shade trees. At the first annual
meeting the treasurer reported that the
amount paid in in labor or cash was
Sl.396. The number OF trees planted
the first year was 423 At this meeting
Cyrus w. Field and +. w. Pomeroy to-
gcther gave 500 to be used for prizes
Fifty cents was given for every thrifty
tree planted of kinds specified: $40 or
silver cup Of equal value to the plant
er of the best fifteen trees: to the sec
ond best, Sc; to the third best, 81. All
the trees We're 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 laadc the greatest improve
ment In the grounds around his dwell
Ing anywhere in the town. reward
Of $40 was offered for evidence which
should lead to the conviction of any one
injuring the trees and footbridges un-
der the care of the association.
When $1,000 was given for n free
town library by II single benefactor
this amount was nearly doubled by in
| dividual contributions. The library
building, a fine stone editice. with read
ing room and lecture hall. costing $50
900, was the gift Of the late j. H. Good
rich. Mr. Cyrus w. Field gave $4,000
for park, and David Dudley Field In
the last year of his life gave to Stock
bridge fifty-eight acres of land, includ-
ing the romantic Ice Glen, for a noun
tain park. together with 5000 for its
Improvement.
The Laurel Hill association, with m
offer to pay One-half the expense, In
duced the railroad company to add an
acre and n half to the grounds about
Its station and to erect an elegant
building This association has beauti-
fully adorned these grounds.