The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-26
NEWS IF THE DAY IN SOCIETY WORLD Magazine Writers on Birming-
 hams City Beautiful NOTES HERE AND THERE Mrs. Murdock's Bridge Luncheoh-Mrs. Lowe the Hostess at Informal At
 Home"-lnvitation to Mar
 rase of Interest.
NOTES HERE AND THERE
By MYRTLE MILES

The eyes of the country are on the city beautiful movement in this city, and there IS much for the householders to live lfp to. Almost every week there are pub- hcations from the different magazines of the country giving some interesting notice or the city of Birmingham and its city peautful campaign. The householders and the housekeepers are interested. too. and already sun hats are being donued. new rakes and hoes are being bought for work ing in the flower garden. hands are being soheu Dy digging in the dirt, and all over the city new paint is being put on the houses and the spirit of beautifyine is abroad in the land Excerpts from su- burDan Life give some idea of the way the outside world feels about the move ment. here:
 A City Beautiful in the Southland. By Lee McCrae.
 Birmingham, Ala, has been blessed for the past two years with live, conscien- uous young mayor who has stood un- equivocally for but one term of office. who haYso successfully enforced the new prohibition law that he has converted himself from high license. and who. not least, has awakened genuine enthusiasm for sanitation and civic beauty.
 Believing that the "city beautiful idea depends upon individual householders. is matter of attention to details, and that women are better fitted to supervise the work than men, Mayor Ward inaugurated the block improvement societies. He ap- pointed one woman in each block to be temporary chairman and authorized her to call together all ladies of her circle, or square, to speak literally, when they should organize themselves into a perma- nent band whose sole duty should be to look after that one block. With this note went dainty booklet entitled, 'Bir- mingham the City Beautiful" contain- ing bylaws and instructions Gin order to harmonize the worl). and ending with the suggestions under the caption Do it Now"
 To this plan there was instant and cheerful response from nearly every por- tion of the city, the social editors of the papers publishing the names of the of ficers chosen by the block societies as soon as organized Of course, some of these are accomplishing much more than others, the most noticeable Improvements being in the poorer districts. There has been such a general cleaning up that flies and mosquitoes have been conspicuously absent, and the city health unusually good. One undertaken declares that pro- hibition and the block societies are put ting him out of business, and he cites figures to show it.
 The social side of the matter is also worth considering. Neighbors have be- come acquainted, and newcomers in the city have found friends, through the in- formal gatherings, whi.e a generous ex- change of cuttings seeds and plants has begun.
 To stimulate interest, a prize of BIO was offered through the press for the best reason for the taking down of fences, and standing offer was made by the mu- nicipal authorities to take down any fence, free of charge to the owner who will consent to part with it.
 The first offer created some keen compe- tition. the newspapers urging on this lit- erdry coHteSl, ana the result or the sec ond was the quiet removal of numbers of dela pidated fences foolish relics of the walled-city age." which, in turn, necessi- tated the cleaning up of some long, neglected yards.
 Is it a wonder that such interest as this is working marvels in city already beau tiful for situation in its residence por- tions?
 So much had a small Birminghammer heard of late about back yards and pas sages that in all seriousness he repeated his verse in Sunday school:
 'Yea, though I walk through the alley of the shadow of death, will fear no evil"
 But shadows of disease are fleeing from the alleys also. trash piles are gone, fences are vanishing. Soon there will be only the golden rule to stretch between the homes on the Highlands of Br- mingham.
 In Compliment to Visitors.
 A beautiful affair of yesterday was the informal at home at which Mrs. Maud