Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-05-14
HOUSEHOLD.
GOOD WORK OF WOMEN.

What would Enosburg Falls, VT,
the business center of the town OF
Enosburg, be were it not for the La
dies improvements society? This is the
question the members are continually
ast ing, and before any one has an OPP
portunity to answer the interrogation
is quickly followed by an answer from
the member that the village would be
numbered among the dead.
If there is any village in the Green
Mountain State where the mothers
and sisters dictate the affairs of gov
eminent it Is Enosburg Falls. The
women have the only organization
that has been instituted for the pur-
pose of making the town better and
buster municipality. That accounts
FOR the independence of women in
this village, and they all declare that
the male portion of the town lacks
backbone. Some years ago a board
of trade was organized for the purpose
of encouraging industries in the town
and because of poor management and
inability to accomplish anything
which might benefit the business in
terests the organization died natural
death.
1t was then that the women took
the matter up, and Sept. 1896, some
twenty three of the gentler sex organ
lied the village Improvement society.
meeting was held at the home OF
Mrs. Minnie Marsh, and Mrs. j. M.
Jefford, who is now president, was
| elected chairman. A constitution was
submitted. accepted and signed by all
present and an organization was per-
fected. From that time on the society
and it's members have been potent
! factors in the affairs of Enosburg
! Falls. The organization day has
: membership of more than threescore,
and every member is hustler.
During the past ten years, or since
> the society was organized, some S12,
.. 600 has been expended by the execu-
. tive board in improvements. Among
5 the first and most important accom-
$ plishments of the society were the
l. purchase and Improvement OF
: beautiful piece of land in the center
e of the village, which is known az
Lincoln Park. The land was formerly
owned by the First Baptist society
r and was. low, swampy piece O.
| I, Of al acre
D. which was menace to the health o
q the community. Attempts had beer
n, made by the citizens to purchase thu
S, swamp and fill it in with gravel, bu
u those who were directly interested il
, the purchase were unable to collec
sufficient money to buy it, so they
abandoned the proposition. Som
weeks later the women took thu
D. matter up at their regular meeting
and a committee that waited upol
~ the trustees was Informed that
10 private Individual wanted to buy tn
a land, but that they would give tn
Improvement society twenty: fou
a hours to pay the full amount, eom
Is; $1,000. A sp; cial meeting of tn
sss members was called that night, an
90 the next day, before the time ha
-. elapsed, the executive committe
~ met with the trustees and paid ov'
zen the money in full as soon as the deet
were transferred. The society the
a conceived an idea to fill in the swan
and grade it, and gave "workil
party" at which every man in TOW
az dropped everything else and spent
day working on the new park. The
ncb were 500 men and. boys, some wi
pie teams, and all helping to fill in. Al
grade the lot with material, gray
80 and loan from pit less than m
lel; away. This il. only one of the accol
'lq plishments, and since its organizati
n.n the society has done remarkat
| work.
,ch- In the town to-day there are t
ms, parks, and, besides spending &C
80 siderable money each year on thu
grounds, the society pays out seve
% hundred dollars for keeping the er
- plots between the streets and slt
4 ho walks trimmed down and beautifyi
the trees along the highway.
ncy, these improvements each member
art; assessed, and subscriptions from
male portion of the town are solicit
pro During the year the society no
80. parties and occasionally other emit
NO 'o.non''
uar- Inc proceeds are ah oo"otou w
God. purpose. and that is identifying
Zoe; town. The women personally sup
aec; wise the work, and as a result of tn
lnds active interest the little town