The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-08-14
FINE COLLEGE TOWN.
SOME EFFECTIVE IMPROVE
MENT ADOPTED.
Three Village Improvement socie-
ties Are Always Working to Beau

tify the Town.
Nature and man have Joined effort to
make Wellesley, Mass, one Of the
most beautiful suburban towns in the
United States. Abrupt hills, flowing
brooks. placid ponds and charming
lake. with many q noble tree and q
wealth of the green things of earth,
are the contributions Of nature which
man has nodded and directed to make
Of all a harmonious whole in which
the modern house Of wood or the vine
clad stone looks at home.
It is an important item in the daily
concerns Of the Wellesley inhabitant.
this thought Of the beauty of his
town. There is no intention on his
part to wake up some day and find
that unsightly buildings have replaced
the elms and pines that now adorn the
wide streets and cover the hill slopes
where pretty homes nestle. There is
passion for the good things of nature
among the dwellers in this college
town, and they let slip no opportunity
to get another chance at the open air
| of heaven or to direct the energies OF
those who would build "real prac-
tical store or Office" where nature
has hitherto had her way .unhampered.
There are three village improvement
societies in Wellesley. with its 6.1S6 In
| habitants. of whom 1000 are college
Students These societies have not eI-
pected to make the town perfect oil Mt
once along all lines or any lines. They
are patient, but always wide awake
and pushing some new Improvement.
says the Boston Herald. The latest
step has been the campaign OF the
Falls aad Hills Village Improvement
society to secure the purchase OF the
Elm Park hotel property, so that the
square at Wellesley Hills may be
made Of beauty that will accord
with the rest OF the town.
The activities of these societies are
| quite diversified They have secured
| the adoption Of an attractive street
sign. of which many have already been
set up. and have planted and secured
the planting Of hundreds Of street trees.
They provided free Of charge plans
for a new telephone building at Wei
lesley Hills square Many small Inn
| proyements have been secured by them
In the lighting and care Of railroad
| stations and grounds and the handling
Of carriages at the stations. They nave
issued q pamphlet on the planting and
care of trees. The tree warden OF
Wellesley is a man Of means, who does
the work for love Of 1t. These militant
societies preach in general and In par
tIcular in the local paper. They have
started a system Of removing ashes
and rubbish.
Wellesley's real estate and personal
property have taxed value Of S1S,352,-
OsO.22 which sum includes exempted
property to the amount of $3,455,-
1902. of which the larger part is the
college property.
OF the improvements in the town Is
Hunnewell park, Of eleven acres. On
the top of the hill in this park Is the
beautiful stone building for town han
and library. This park and the build
ing were the gift of II. n. Hunnewell,
who also gave the books for the libra
r. and $4,000 for library fund and
also a playground Of eighteen acres.
This playground is over the stons
fence lust off Washington street, Wei
lesley's principal artery Of commerce
| II Is laid out in ball fields. tennis courts
and gridirons. the whole being str1k-
ing example Of good caretaklng.
The town itself has taken many
acres of land along Fuller brook. be-
tween Wellesley Hills and Wellesley,
which in course Of time will be devel-
oped into parkway. This parkway
will extend from Wellesley HIS
square TO the Charles river, at the
southwesterly part of the town, DIS
tance Of three miles. 1t borders on the
Hunnewell playground and when COM
pleted will be a very beautiful feature
Of the town.
The four railroad stations in Welles-
lev from the plans Of the late 81. f.
Richardson are tastefully laid out and
PLANTED with trees and shrubs. They
form a fitting Introduction to the Wis
tor who IS TO see the greater beauties
beyond. Recently there has been CO.
operation between the railroad ana
the town in the leasing. through the
suggestion Of the Village Improvement
society, to the town by the road for
long tenn Of years Of piece or It's
unused land in the vicinity Of the
Wellesley station. This piece Is being
developed by planting bushes and
shrubs OF decorative value.
The three Wellesley Improvement so
cIetics are distributed through the VII
lagos Of the town. The Wellesley VII
lage society Is at the Wellesley end
in the village known as Wellesley, the
Hills and Fells society at the Hills and
the eastern part Of the town and the
Fells society at the Fells in the south
westerly part Of the town. The Welles-
ley club, organized Ito consider and
discuss questions relating to the well
fare Of Wellesley" was organized IN
1880 and meets seven times during the
wear at some hotel in Boston. 1t has
membership Of 10, with long wait
Ing list. At its meetings it usually
discusses some live question intimately
related to the municipal and social life
| of rho town