Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-05-21
GINGER CLUB" IDEA
An Improvement Scheme Started
by Business Men.

by Business Men.
ITS HELP TO A KANSAS TOWN
Hiawatha Prospecting In Face of Evil.
dent Disadvantages - How Public
Spirit and Consistent Civic Improve
ment Rescued 1t From Lethargy.
The merchants of Hiawatha, Kan,
have taken up the ginger club" idea
started by Kansas City business men.
Those in each block will form a club.
and each will try to Guido the other in
improvements. The clubs will work
with the Civic Improvement club to
beautify Hiawatha this summer. The
first club to organize is called the Five
Hundred Block Oregon Street Improve
ment club. The officers r
w. o. Noble, president; 81. D. Ad-
ans, treasurer, and P. NJ. Smith. secre-
tary.
The officers form the executive CON-
mittee, with full power to spend mon
ey for necessary improvements, This
club Is formed in the smallest bust
ness block in town. Every business
man and woman in the block is a mem
Der of the club. They have subscribed
$50 monthly for improvements, says
the Kansas City Star. Electric lights
have been placed every twenty-five feet
along the block, and the lights are kept
burning all night. The buildings in
the block will be painted a uniform
color. Lights will be placed in the
alleys and kept burning all night as a
protection to property.
The club has made a special sprin-
king contract for this summer, and
the streets are swept each day. AS
the streets are not paved the club has
induced the city council to put in a ce-
ment crossing in the middle of the
block, and property owners have
agreed to put cement walks in the al
leys. The clubs in the other business
blocks will work along similar lines.
A civic improvement club has been
in existence in Hiawatha for several
years. 1t has done much to beautify
the town. Work for this summer has
already commenced, and the residents
are taking hold with new vigor. The
members of the improvement club
have adopted the slogan, Make Hia-
watha a beautiful and spotless town.
The members of the club plant and
tend flower beds in the city park,
which faces the main business block.
The park will be strung with electric
lights this summer. The Improvement
club will turn a vacant lot near the
center of the town into a children's
flower garden.
Each year the club offers prizes for
the best kept yards, ~churchyards and
school yards. for the best garden plant
ed and tended by a child, for the best
garden planted and tended by a man
ove sixty years old, for the best look
ing yard kept in order by Il woman
and for the best flower gardens.
Those who are too poor to buy flower
seeds-and there are few of them-are
furnished with seeds by the club. In
the fall Il flower show is held, at which
the prizes are awarded. The business
men and others pay the expenses of
the club, and the officers give their
services. The city council and the
board of county commissioners appro-
pirate money toward the support of the
club.
The city administration is in hearty
sympathy with the town Improvement
movement. An ordinance has been
passed fixing a fine for any person
found guilty of splitting on any side
walk or crossing in the city. After
each rain the dirt streets are dragged
at the city's expense, and a movement
has been started to pave the streets in
the business section. City employees
cut the weeds along the street, and
when weeds are not cut in vacant lots
the city officials promise to see that
it is done at the expense of the prop
erty owner
Each Wednesday evening during this
summer concerts will be given in the
city park. The concerts have been
given each summer for nearly twenty
years. The band is paid by the bust
ness men and other residents. The city
council contributes each year to the
support of the band. In all the band
receives nearly $1,000 a year for ex-
penses. The members are not paid sal.
aries.
The money put into civic improve
ment has been well spent. There are
no big industries in Hiawatha to en-
ploy a large number of men; the town
is just dependent upon the surrounding
country. A few years ago Missouri
Pacific division headquarters were To-
Gated there, but were later moved to
Atchison. When the railroad families
left, many houses were left vacant,
rents went down, and the value Of real
estate decreased. The pessimistic said
the town would never recover. The
others kept quiet and worked for city
improvement. The work Of identifying
the town has brought results.