The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-15
SUMTER CIVIC LEAGUE.

ans Club CT Sumter, S. c., May,
1897.
Madam President and Ladies of the
Federation:
Since our last meeting at Rock Hill,
the Woman's Club OF Sumter, locally
known as the Civic League, has had
the most successful year in its history.
our membership has largely increas-
ed being now about 100. and the in
.terest Of the members has increased
much more largely. Let US briefly
review our work in detail.
work at the City Schools:
Upon the grounds Of the public
schools we have added to the number
of flower beds, have had a nice stone
coping placed around al Of them and
have arranged to have them filed with
rich earth. We have planted hedge
of privet in front of an unsightly
hoard fence, which bounds one side
af the grounds. The lawn grass
mixtures sown last~year having died
out, we replaced tae1n with Bermuda
grass. the greatest Of all southern
grasses and the only lawn grass that
VIII withstand the heat and drought
of our climate. Twelve cast iron seats
1,-are nIsced upon the school house
green. The monument to the Coh-
feaerate dead on the grounds has ieen
Deauuaed by beds Of pansies, and
sower seeds were bought and planted
IN the yard Of ore OF cur members IN
or3er 10 have a constant supply for
renewing the beds as needed. Finally
gardner has been hired by the sea-
=son to take care OF the plants.
2-work at the Eailroad Station:
Our club planted out flower beds in
the railroad station yard, but the
flowers were eaten up by the COWS
The bookcase which We placed in the
awaiting room of the Atlantic Coast
Line station is kept supplied with
magazines for the use Of the tcayel.ns
public. We have secured the. co-ope-
ration of the station agent in this
y 3rk and hope soon to have it better
systematized.
s-work in the City Streets and
Country Highways:
The streets OF our city are excel
lently cared for by an Efficient super
tendent; most of them are well paved
and all of them are kept clean. Our
president has been asked by the street
.s,,nerintenoent to aid him in selecting
suitable trees for new streets and we
have furnished him literature on the
care ana beaut.fying OF the streets
and co-operated with him in MS de-
terai1ea effort 10 make our public
+horoughfares smooth, clean and
beaus,saI. We hope soon to have Wis
terra planted and trained upon the
trees of our principal streets.
On the public roads outside of the
city. we have done little SO far. we
nave gotten a promise from the
county supervisor to have watering
troughs placed upon the roadside at
some of the artesian wells adjacent
thereto, Of which wells our county
has a large and increasing number.
We have begun campaign Of educa-
ton on the subject OF planting trees
on the public highways and hope
soon to be able to report tangible re-
suits. In this work we would ike %
see every civic league of the State en-
gagged, as such trees improve the
road bed and increase the value O.
land adjacent to such roads.
4-work at the Jail:
In its report to the judge at the last
faI term Of court, the grand jury
said: The jail IS kept in q loose and
careless manner. The Jail is not kept
clean. as is required by law, but needs
thorough securing. walls need
patching and wl1itewashing and prls-
oners are not supplied with sufficient
beds and bedding"
The jail was. IN fact, in such con
dieion that lawyers refused 70 Visit
clients in ta9ir cells, and even doctors
fosnd i alr2ost inlpossible 70 examine
patient 70 determine the question OF
lunacy, and said tnat at any time ty-
Dhus fever was likely to break out