The San Francisco call., 1905-01-24

CLUBS DOING
GOOD WORK
BY Zoe Green Radcliffe.

OAKLAND JAN 23.-That it is much cas-
Ter for an improvement club to accomplish
things in small town than in big city was
demonstrated to-day by clever little woman
from Vallejo Mrs. Frank w. Gorham, who
addressed the Oakland Womens Civic Inn
provement Club. She is president of a sister
organization in Vallejo that in the short four
years of its existence has done wonders for
that town. The club includes 200 members
and to their energy and enterprise Is due a
long list of benefactions. Their first care. OF
course, to secure clean streets, for the
Vallejo superintendent of Streets differed not
a bit from officials in bigger towns and was
too busy doing everything else to attend to the
work he was elected to do. Clever little
weed letters, . sent wherever needed, called
attention to neglected gardens and lots, and
then when. also through the clubs efforts,
two garbage men had been added to the lone
scavenger hitherto deemed sufficient by the
city fathers, Vallejo began to assume an en-
couraging "spick and span" appearance and
the women branched out into greater things.
They saw to it that the streets were sprinkled,
they started school gardens they gave series
of open air band concerts during the summer,
they furnished the Juvenile room in the new
Carnegie library and now, TO encourage the
school spirit, they have established debating
society in the High School and offering
gold and silver medal for the successful con-
testants- So much for the town of Vallejo!
But the Civic Improvement Club of Oakland
has greater odds to combat than had the
women of Vallejo. In the first place the ef
forts of the Oakland women must necessarily
be scattered. which means wasted energy. II
the town could be divided into districts and
improvement club formed in each district
to cooperate with the main body II would
have tendency to concentrate and localiZe
effort and make It more effective. The spirit
of competition. which is always 1.-The life of
trade" would then start a friendly rivalry
that could not help being beneficial. As il is.
out of the 200 more women who sup
posed to be interested in the club, a mere
handful of tireless ones are struggling along
under the weight of political graft and the
leaden Indifference of the people generally.
However, with that indomitable woman. Mrs.
Sarah Borland, at its head, the Improvement
Club has started the ball rolling in the right
direction and when they have accomplished
the work they have begun Oakland may thank
its women for clean streets childIen's play
grounds shade trees. more parks and a general
beautifying of the city.
Mr.. and Mrs. w. II. weilbye gave whist
dinner Saturday evening that proved TO be a
very delightful affair. The dinner that pre-
consisting of eight courses The table was a
rosy dream made real with graceful knots
and streainers of pink satin ribbon and clus-
ters Of exquisite carnations.
The whist prizes by Mrs Henry
Bull and Asa Mendenhall.
Among the Weilbyes' guests Mr. and
Mrs. W. A. Schrock. Mr.. and Mrs. A. V Men
denhal Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Bull. Mr.. and
Mrs. l. A. Beretta. DR. and Mrs. Fred Morse
Mrs T. L. Barker entertained the Cosmos
The Hill Club enjoyed it's usual fine literary
and musical programme to-day at the home Of
Mrs. e. T. Henshaw.
T most important social events of the
week are the Crowell tea and Miss Marion
Smiths vaudeville dance Mrs. Crowell is the
bride of Court Commissioner Crowell and will
give a large reception next Thursday after
at her home Merrimac street
The Smith affair takes place Friday night
and Is complimentary to three brides elect
Miss Cordelia Bishop Miss Jane Crelin and
Miss Edith Gaskill
Mr. and Mrs. John Ramsey Hunter (nee
Barstow) have returned from their wedding
trip and are domiciled at 1856 Franklin street.
where Mrs. Hunter will receive every fourth
Monday.