Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-03-04


precepts were becoming known to
the general public
We have bought more and larger
cans since then, and l want to as
sure you that these cans are filled
quite frequently. We printed por-
lions of the city ordinances, which
were habitually violated We paid
for them, too, much as we cherished
our small bank account.
We had small handbills printed,
citing the law as to river banks, in a
sufficient quantity to supply the resi-
dents of all the river banks. We
bought and begged chairs to use in
the library basement where we held
our meetings. We had benches made
for use in the city and Normal parks,
and we have had pretty conclusive
evidence that they have been found
useful We waged a dandelion war
fare, as best we could, and gave a
Maud Muller party in the parks. We
assisted the retail clerks on a petit
ton for early closing, signed by $50
women of the city. In recognition
OF this help, these clerks presented
$50 to the league. We had DR..
Engstad of Grand Forks deliver a
lecture, using the stereopticon;
through his generosity and that of
Prof. Ripley, who donated his SER
vices as stereoscopist. We added to
our funds. The mayor of the city,
in response to a request from the
league, proclaimed our first annual
cltanup day. In spite of the fact
that the day was rainy and cold,
there were many loads of refuse
hauled out of town. The N. P. rail-
way cleaned the floor Of their bag
gage room for the first time in many
years, and while the right of way
might easily be improved upon, it
looks better than it did two years
ago. When winter came again, with
an unusual amount of snow, we in
sisted on having the ordinance re-
lating to cleaning the walks of snow
ENLARGED. We made some enemies,
to be sure, but the snow was off the
walks and we felt satisfied. We
furnished tent for a rest room at
the county fair, with rugs, cots,
chairs and towels; Mr. Westergaard
helping us very materially. It was
well patfonized. This past year our
good women Of the VIC. T.sU. took
this work off our hands, When sew
eral injured men were brought to our
county house from a railroad wreck,
We tried to help in the emergency
by seeing that the men were made
as comfortable as possible, in spite
OF serious drawbacks. A trained
nurse was finally sent out to one poor
young man, who died, and was given
a Catholic burial. Mrs. White,
through personal effort, located the
mother in a Pennsylvania town,
otherwise she might never have
known the particulars of his untime-
ly death. We sold a book-...The
Cottonwoods' Story''-and made a
fair profit, $24.30, believe. Mr..
Will of Bismarck, a friend of Mrs.
White, generously donated a large
bag of grass seed and some fine
young trees.
1t has been our earnest desire to
commence parking along the n. P
right of way; but after waiting as
long as we dared to hear from the
N. P. officials we turned the trees
over to Mr.. Moultrie to plant in the
cemetery. If the trees lived it would
be surprising. We have certainly
led the N. P. officials to believe that
Valley City has an improvement
league, and roadmaster, division sup
erintendent, as well as President Ell
lott have been favored(?) with ten
der CD missives from the league.
We have cleaned vacant lots and
streets and alleys. We had two men
in boat, cut the reeds and dredge
portion of the river, out of curios-
ity, perhaps. We found everything
but money; yet although the articles
lay exposed at the south end of the
Normal bridge for some time, none
of the articles were ever claimed.
In October, 1906, we became affil-
lated with the American Civic As
sociation, and the league sent Mrs.
White to their annual meeting at
Milwaukee. An evening meeting,
with an interesting program and a
| parliamentary drill was held, to
which men were invited. When Mrs.
White and your secretary returned
from Milwaukee we were full of en-
/ thusiasm, not SO much, perhaps, as
to methods of street cleaning, as to
avoiding, in our new towns and vii
lagos, the mistakes that are SO hard
to overcome in the later years.
!. The basement entrance question is
one that should be considered seri-
ously. Oh, friends! I beg of you
look to this important phase of city