Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-04-30
WHAT THE SHERMAN
 WOMEN HAVE DONE
Ladies, of Civic League Have Brought About Many Improvements
 S2,745 Last Year.
liDallas NeWs.l

| N@AAeo @NS"o'(
 Considerable interest has bee
 shown in various quarters of tn
 country in the civic improvement ii
 sherman, Texas, and improvement
 that the men of Sherman credi
 wholly to the ladies'
 Their Civic League was started on,
 year ago, and now has a membershil
 Of 500. Mrs. Judson Wood being pres
 ident and Mrs William Lankford sec. retary.
 The league was organized for gen.
 cral civic betterment, and soon Sc.
 lected the court house square as the 1 proper beginning point.
 The square in those days was the i rendezvous tof farmers and of horse traders. It partook of the nature ot an 'open :aarket, livery stable and a general dumping ground for refuse, and all about 1t the horses and teams of visitors were hitched from morn ing to night and their wagons filled it from side to side and from end to end.
 For years efforts has been made to cause the country to so regulate this square as to make it an attractive civic feature of Sherman, but nothing was done until the ladies took hold.
 A regular campaign of education was inaugurated and the ladies of the league lay great stress upon the value of educational movements along these lines, stating that nothing could have been done had not public sentiment been educated to demand it. The campaign lasted through the sumer.
 Considerable opposition was met with. The farmers objected on prin- ciple to being moved from their chosen place. The merchants were afraid of losing trade. One old man told the ladies flatly that his father hitched in front of the court house thirty years before and he proposed to hitch for thirty years more.
 Pressure was brought to bear on the Commissioners and that body ask. ed that the exact terms for impro- ing the square be named.
 The upshot was that the league gave entertainments and secured pub lie subscriptions sufficient to buy a lot on an adjoining block as, a wag- on yard and hitching place, and as an extra inducement, establish a rest room for the wives and children of the farmers.
 This rest room idea was that advo- vated by The News in it's article on Social Relations of Rural and Urban People, published Feb, 12 of this year, and later issued generally in pamphlet form.
 One member of the league gave a | thnee-room cottage and it was moved to the site and remodeled. Lounges, rocking chairs, stove and dressing case and other conveniences were installed and an ample supply of books and magazines furnished
 Electric lights and telephones were put in and a lavatory complete with inside plumbing of all descriptions installed.
 And as it now stands the city coun- 'il pays matron $25 per month to ook after the welfare of the rest com visitors, the square is cleared if teams and rubbish and no longer lsed for hitching, and the court house las been surrounded by a permanent urbing at county expense, filled with arth in which young trees have been ! 'lanted, also work of the county, nd in which flowers are now being ct out. Ornamental light posts have 'een ordered for park lights and ben hes will be installed.
 In addition the league has plans for he establishment of a city park we'll nder way. is repeating it's successful , rusade against mosquitoes begun ast year. and has strong hopes of ecuring a public library for the city. Ountains for the court house square re also league plan. The league took in from entertain ', rents and public subscriptions $2,S57 nd disbursed $2,745 for the better , lent of the city. and it's use is plainly hoWn,