The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-07-04
Random Thoughts
Of a
Busy Outsider

the Outsider. In Thursdays ISSUE
was reproduced that nice little articl,
from Golfers wherein Mrs Ella w
Peattie comments on 0skaloosaS
rest room The Outsider had inten |
ed That interesting selection for &
part of the Notes" but the man with
the nimble scissors got to it first.
But there are several points in the
clipping that are worth noting II
the first place now delightfully."- easy
it all is. Mrs Peattie tells all about
our rest room in simple language, vel
with what grace of style and finish
Of periods That is another proof OF
the advantage of the Federation Bi
ennial convention. How else would
such a number of women have been
able to hear the remarkable easy
beautiful and telling address given by
Mrs. Peattie. See the reverse side
how else would 0skaloosa's rest room
have ever won mention in Golfers
and in the pet phrase of the day-it
pays to advertise.
Again did you notice the sentence
with which Mrs. Peattie closed her
article? 1t is this: ANY town could
have its rest room-any town with
merchants who want the trade the
women bring There is the idea
which appeals to the business in
stincts of a community. But amy
town" does aot have a rest room, and
business" was not the object of the
projectors of the rest room. Here
is a bit of its history:
The spring Of the year of the rest
rooms establishment was a season OF
great activity in the Oskaloosa Com
mercial club. The men in charge
were not only contemplating factories
and bad debt collections but they
we're also leaning toward aesthetics
and were anxious for the city beauti-
full. IN this project of identifying
the town they wished to enlist the
Womans club and accordingly APP
preached the then president of the
club. This officer, with committee
from the club, met a committee from
the Commercial club and many pro-
jects were discussed. II was finally
agreed as a start to consider the
plan of offering prizes for best kept
lawns, gardens, etc, and a second
meeting was planned.
In the interval between the meet
ings the Civic president CHANGED on
an account of the Washington, Iowa,
rest room and resolved to present
the question at the second meeting.
Now, among other things which
troubled the lovers of beauty and
cleanliness n Oska1oosa was theI
problem now confronting the courts,
viz: the hitch racks. 1t was freely
diseusse' in the committee meeting.
The superstition that country people
might object was freely mentioned
and when the rest room question
came up it was a corollary. Substan.
TALLY this was said: Let us a.
range for the comfort and coaven
fence of our country friends in such
a way that when the hitch racks are
removed they will look at our carel
of the rest room and see that We are
miadful OF their comfort. The rest
room is a pledge of good feeling be-
tween town and country.
II so happened that the Southeast
ern Iowa Teachers association was
held at Washington that spring and
one member of the aforesaid o. W..
committee was teacher and was GO
Tag. she was accordingly asked to
bring back report on the rest room
of that place.
This report was eminently salts
factory. The joint committee APP
preached the board of supervisors
and they agreed to fit up the base
ment Of the court mouse as a rest
room That is. they put in the need.
ed plumbing, cement flooring and
painting. The Woman's club mem.
bers solicited aid ald secured funds
with which tney furnished the rooms
For the first year the members of
the o. w. c. took turns in caring for
the rest room and had the services
OF woman only for sweeping and
busting. in the morning. The ser
vice was not weaTisome on anyoneI
but the officers OIL the club, who found
II hard to keep each woman notified
as TO when her day came around, and
TO make changes in case of illness.
The second year the present plan of
a regular matron was adopted The
other civic movements of that year
were not of so lasting a character.
The plan of offering prizes had graft
flying success that season. Commit
tees from the o. w. c. judged the
lawns, gardens and flower beds and
prizes were awarded accordingly
The money for paying these premi-
INNS was collected by the Woman's
club president. part being given by
the woman's club itself, part by the
water company and part by the com
merelal club
The result Of the seasons effort at