Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-08-12
BEAUTY IN A DESERT,CLEAd WATER FRONTS
Their Value to Towns and How
to Secure Them.
MoNTaNa's FINE PARK CITY. NOTED EXAMPLE IN WISCONSIN

MoVe begun ny women 10 6sdueiTy
Waterways In Observation-Disclosures
Congress to Cooperate In Plan to
Adorn. Rivers and Harbors.
Clean, tidy water fronts along the
rivers and lakes or seashorc add great
ly to the appearance of towns situated
by than. The same kind of work that
has been done in q Wisconsin city can
circumstances, as the following article
shows:
Many prominent clubwolnen having
Il keen interest in public affairs, as
shown by their activity in the women's
national rivers and harbors congress
for the promotion of improved water
ways, have been enlisted recently in
the movement for the identification of
American waterways.
In response to an invitation to CO.
operate With the American Civic asso-
eiation with a view 10 beautifying the
waterways the Women's national riv-
ers and harborS congress enlisted With
enthusiasm in the wcrh. This organ
iZAtion has Il representative executive
board, its members being drawn from
many states. and 1t promises to he one
Of the most Important factors in the
plan to have American waterways
adorned in IL way pleasing to the eye
as well as effective in Il utilitarian
sense.
Mrs. Iioylc ToinlSies of Shreveport,
La. is president of the congress-, and
in u recent letter TO j. Horace McFar-
land, president Of the American Civic
association, Mrs. Tomkies wrote that
particular attention would be given by
the congress to the aesthetic phases Of
waterway projects. In connection With
the uiili1arian feature of the rivers and
harbors Improvement the who
include prominent members of the
General Federation of Women's Clubs,
nave boen ii great faGtor.
\ notable example II the application
of '!le beautiful Ia a commercial water
way WAS afforded by the city OF Mil
waukee during the Year 1898. That
city has three |navieable rivers, and be
cause of their depth it is one of the
principal ports of the great lakes.
Til" Milwaukee river passes through
an importaul j0bbing district, and e
one of it's bridges connecting opposite
sides Of its principal retail streets pass
thousands OF persons each day. Dur
ing the summer months many eXcur-
sion steamers go up and down the Mil
waukee river, and it had been a sub
iect of common talk that the water
front as revealed to the passerby. both
on land and water, was anything but
p~leasing-in fact, was a discredit to q
city so beautiful as Milwaukee.
At the suggestion of the Women's
| Outdoor Art association q movement
was begun to rehabilitate the water
front along the Milwaukee river. The
cooperation of one OF the leading bust
ness organizations of the city was OBJ
tanned and Il landscape artist invited
to visit Milwaukee to make a tour Of
investigation of the river, the report Of
which he presented at q mass meet
ing. when he offered suggestions for
immediate work. The first great thing
to do was to remove from the dock
line great Accommodations of ashes, de-
bris, broken boxes and disabled sign
boards, and in that undertaking the
mayor of the city gave promise of his
active and Immediate cooperation.
y general committee was formed,
composed Of representatives of vari-
Gus business associations. 4 canvass
OF the property owner along the
streets fronting the river was made
for moral and financial support. 4. com.
mittee was appointed to take charge
of the special work of replacing the
bare spots. cleared OF their debris, with
green grass, shrubs and Towering
plants. Window boxes We're placed i'll
some Of the buildings, and ratings
were newly painted. y few. too few
offensive hillboards were taken down
and a general atmosphere of cleanli
ness and beauty pervaded the entire
territory, which before that had beef
one OF carelessness anG positive ugli
ness.
That worE, Sc we'll inaugurated las
year, is TO be continued this year. TIL,
commercial activities of the bushes
men along the river We're in no wa,
interfered with, the attractiveness O
! the city through one Of it's entrance
was heightened, and the spread o
civic pride was alone we'll worth tn
effort and expense connected with il
9 What Milwaukee did with its rive
r fronts can be accomplished by score
Of other cities and towns in all part
d of the United States.
. Public and Private Lawns.