The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1906-09-01
TOWN ADORNMENf
EFFECT OF CIVIC IMPROVEMENT
SEEN IN MISSOURI


While the townA eautifll Is not alo
4 Missouri institution, the mo'eeA'
has perhaps advanced further IN
state than in any other, says the
Louis Post Dispatch There are I
causes for this. One IL the club
men of the state, the other the school S
children. Cooperating effectively WIN
these are mayors and sometimes eitJ
councils OF the towns and civic I'M.
Drovement societies.
Last. but not least are the people.
The people, as whole, have responded
readily to the campaign OF education
carried on b. the women and children.
They have not been laeRing In the "
sire to beauty their surroundings. 1t
was only a question Of how 80
when the club women resolved them {
selves into committee on Ways ana
means and devised practicable meth
DDS whereby streets. alleys, hnek yards
and lawns could be made artlatiealy
and regularly beautiful lie people have
responded.
There are in Missouri i2o womenls
clubs affiliated with IT, National nd
Grafton, with memb,E'ship Vf 1000.
In addition to these are many clubs of
local or state vide chi racter. Ali of
these clubs, whether they are federated
or not, whether their purpose Is liter
airy, musical or general Improvement
are interested In the t6Nn beautiful
movement. Many clubs are orgai1 ized
for that purpose alone
Prominent among the clubs that Lave
taken an active interest NJ uie Civic
Identification movement Is one at
Trenton, town of 1000 population In
the northern part of the state, Which
has recently petitioned the mayor TO
Issue proclamation setting side IN
official cleaning up day lhe ma&or
was to ask the citizens to devote I law
hours to the cleaning Of tHar yauis.
alleys and streets and 10 destroying
or having removed all the rubbish Id
paper that might thus be uncovered
In addition to this appeal to "a
pride the Trenton ladies have a series
of cash prizes which they offer to cAl-
dren In the wards of the town FOR TIE
best gardens and most beautfr yards
and lawns. Seeds are furnisheekte Al
children who enter these contests a IA
system employed which arouses TIL ir
pride and competitive spirit.
decided impulse was given dhe
town beautiful movement year ago
IL, Of al fnx n N
although it.eriginated from what might
be termed selfish motive. thszsGSl3H
has been beneficial to the tow Il
volyed. Two new normal schosa 3
tricts had been established. On as
in the southeastern part of the tie,
the other In the norss --estern pfrt.
There already were asz>sh /dis-
tricts, with schools es
The new schools were ~ ~ 1t at
the town Offering two pm af in
ducements-hr substahtf3l cash
and land bonus; second. tlIe most
healthful and attractive location and
conditions. At once struggle began
between half dozen or more towns In
each of the proposed districts Tho
Weather ones had the advantage SO
far as the bonus was concerned, but
the competition for beauty and clean
Illness admitted an open field with few
fayors A legislative committee was
to visit all competing towns and de
eide which one merited the new school
Weeks before the visit of the com
mittee the towns began TO put OF
airs" Rumors of cleaning up move
ments spread from one town to an
other, and the spirit Of all was in
creased. When the week for the visii
Of the committee came cleanliness had
become not next to goodness, but mex
to a mania.
In the southeast Springfield, Webb
City, Lebanon. Arcadia and number
Of smaller towns were In the contest
In the northwest Maryville, StaNperKE
Savannah, Tarkio, Rock Port and ofHer
places waged the war against firt
Further than that, the towns which, al
ready had normal schools, knowing
that the locating committee might visit
them for inspiration concerning the sse-
lection OF the two sites for the r6ew
schools, began to clean up, and eken
Columbia. the State university town,
put on Its dust cap and grabbed
broom. Many OF these towns. la nd-
ditlon to moving their lawns CAREFUL.
ly, trimming their trees and cleaning
up their alleys and back yards, acti1al-
ly swept the streets with brooms.
Only one OF these clearly and virtt1-
GUS towns in each district could be re-
warded by being selected However.
like the boy In the schoolbool who
stopped swearing one day for the love
Of dollar and the rest OF his life for
higher purpose the start was benef-
cial. Many Of the towns which be-
came so industrious then saw the good
effect of the campaign against dirt and
have kept 1t up Systematically.
ST. Louis. st. Joseph and Kansas City
have done something toward civic
beauty, but the greatest credit belongs
TO the smaller towns. II Is more pos
sible with them, for they have not, as
a rule, the dishguring and generally
discouraglng conditions that SURROUND
the city campalgners to contend with.
In Macon women's club has practI.
cal charge Of the cleaning and sanitary
arrangements Of the town. II collects
money for street cleaning and similar
purposes regularly and sees that the
work is done, and In addition has many
effective plans for Identification aud
general Improvement. Arbor day is
generally observed by schools through.
out the state, although the observance
is due almost wholly to the various in
divldual teachers rather than being a
part Of the educational propaganda Of
the teachers Of the state as a whole.
The Railroads and the Law.
The executive officials and attorneva
Ia fsutl a4s..a h,