Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-01-14
HOW WOMEN PROVIDED AN ILLINOIS
TOWN WITH ONE.
WntsekR MatrOns Will Beauty 1t.
Association to Hold and Operate
Burying Ground Formed by Wide
Awake Club Members

In an Illinois town of 5000 popula-
ton, where civic interest is not so ag-
greSsive as in larger communities, it
has devolved upon the women to pro
vide suitable place for the burial of
the dead, says the Chicago Tribune.
This task, novel one when it is con
sidered that housewives are the sole
movers in the enterprise, was under
taken a short time ago by the Woman's
club of Watseka, the county seat of
Iroquois county. Having secured the
donation of twenty-four acres of land
lying outside the town, they have be-
come the owners Of a cemetery now
well along in the first stages Of devel.
Opment With funds secured by sub
scription they have cleared away acres
of underbrush and tanglewood and
have begun the laying out Of roads and
the installation Of water plant.
Watseka is an old town, considered
by Illinois standards. BUT it has been Of
slow growth because Of the lack of any
manufacturing enterprise to give EN-
ployment to it's Inhabitants. 1t is in an
agricultural district on northern edge
of the corn country, and its wealth
lest citizens are retired farmers who
moved into town" after they had
saved enough money to carry them well
to the end of their days.
Nearly all of them derive their in
come from farm lands in the neighbor-
hood and none is called wealthy except
because of his property of this nature.
The younger generation, such as re-
main at home, are engaged for the most
part in purely local activities and have
but slight opportunity of amassing
riches. Under such conditions civic in
terest lags. The retired farmer has his
home and is satisfied. The descendants
of other farmers, the few who remain
at home and do odd jobs, are financial
ly restricted.
1t remains for local pride to show
itself in the fair sex, all OF them with
! homes and families to care for but
willing to make an effort to prevent
the town from lapsing into decadence
A library was needed and they housed
a few books in rented hall and laid
the foundation for structure that
now stands Il close second to the court
house for excellence. They We're band
ed together to reach this end and from
/ their association grew a woman's club
a natural sequence. Prosperous and
! active. it now numbers more than q
hundred members. True. it includes
the bridge whist club. subject OF
much gossip, and the spinster who does
! not believe in the Sunday newspapers
but there Is no friction, for its aim is
the 'betterment of the community"
Another Improvement, accomplished
after the men folks" had failed re-
| peatedly in the same plan. was the
| transformation of an unsightly dump
| ing ground and hitching stand near the
center of the town into a little park
This was attempted only after the clut
! had successfully maintained summer
schools. one of manual training for the
boys and one of domestic science fol
the girls.
About this time it became apparen,
that one of the greatest needs of the
community was a first class cemetery
The old ''burying ground had beer
filed, and new tract, owned by
Frank r. Martin and w. A. Coney, haC
been opened in small lots. 1t was
entirely unimproved. All of the ground
unoccuped by graves, something Ovel
twenty acres, was a tangle of under
growth There were no roads through
1t, and all efforts to secure water haC
| failed.
With this piece of worrisome prop
erty on their hands the owners hat
not the time to devote to it's care, ant
| Mr.. Martin jestingly remarked one day
that if the organization would take i
off his hands they were welcome to ii
He thought no more of it, and a dea
almost had been completed whereof,
one-half of the tract was to be SOLE
when committee of the club inter
posed with an objection that they wer
considering the acceptance of Mr.. Mar
tins offer He declared that his prom
Use was still good. but Mr. Coney de
clared that he saw no reason for Civ
ing away some $1,000 without any re
turns.
a mysterious pressure was brough
to bear upon him. the sale was re
scinded, the Woman's Club Cemeter.
association was Incorporated. and tn
property was placed in its name. TIL
labor OF loosening the purse strings o
the leading citizens was a hard one
but the total Of $4,000 was reached 4
two weeks.
The organization of the cemetery as
ISOLATION Is based upon committe
work. there being committee for eac
branch of the cemetery development
Its officers are as follows: Presiden
Miss Ora \. Chamberlain: vice pres
dent. Mrs Fred g. Vennum; secretary
Mrs. Mcclellan Kay; treasurer, Mr.
NJ. IL. Evans: directors, Mrs. Free
Morris. Mrs. F.. L. Hooper, Miss Fran
ces Cissna, Mrs. Elmer Martin, Mr.
Frank p. Martin and Mrs. Clara n
Hilsher.
! Z. - tl.., ont q