The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-12
CLEAN UP BACK YARDS;
keep THINGS! ING IN SHAPE
This Is Strongly Urged BY Civic
Improvement League.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Election of officers was held and
numerous plans for the coming years
work were discussed at the meeting
of the Civic Improvement league
last night. While there was a small
attendance, those who were there
were much interested and expect to
accomplish good deal of work this
summer. ~
Mrs. j. W. Andrews, who filled the
position of president so well last
year, was reelected, and Mrs. w. F.
Brooks was reelected vice president;
Miss Nellie Burt was reelected sec
rotary; Miss Minnie Bangerter was
reelected treasurer.
Mrs. Andrews said that from last
years work it was found that there
were some committees who had al.
most no work to do, and others who
had very much more than they
could handle, so a number of changes
will be made in the committees. She
named the chairmen for two com.
mittees, the junior work, and the
outdoor work. G. H. TraftOn was
named junior superintendent and G.
M. Palmer will have charge of the
out door work.
Clean Up Back Yards.
In the discussion of needed i'm.
provements Mr.. Palmer spoke of the
need of doing something to get
some of the property owners along
the Omaha and Northwestern rail
way tracks to clean up their back
yards. He said that an effort had
been made last year in this direction
but nothing had been done, and he
felt that committee of ladies
might perhaps accomplish more. Mr.
Palmer also suggested that it might
be possible to trim up the trees
along the river near the tracks and
possibly plant more. The president
said that a committee would be ap
pointed to have charge of that
work.
A number of vacant lots were
mentioned which needed attention
Some work in that line was done
last year, and the organization hopes
| to have a committee for that work
alone this year.
Work for Outdoor Committee.
In the work for the outdoor com
mittee, Mrs. Andrews spoke of a
hedge of elder berries for the road
which leads to West Mankato over
the slough. This would of course
make very pretty drive, and the
cost of such a hedge would not be
large.
In the junior work prizes will
again be given this year. but they
will be small prizes and no prize
will be given for castor beans. Last
year it was very hard to judge the
castor beans, number being very
nearly the same size, and it was
found necessary to have the city en-
gineer measure two or three of the
vines i'm order to satisfy their own.
ers.
New ran MS year.
A different plan for the distribu.
ton of garden seeds is being used
this year. Large envelopes were Sc.
cured with long list of garden
and flower seeds on one side and on
the other side are blanks for the
children's names and addresses, and
the schools and the children check
ed off the seeds which they wanted
and returned the envelopes with the
money to the teachers, who turned
them over to the league.
The fly and mosquito pest was
discussed and Professor G. Fl. Traf-
ton of the normal faculty showed
fly trap which has been found sue
cessful The trap is to be fastened
on the garbage cans and the plan
is to have them there early enough
to catch the early flies. The traps
sell for about 25 cents each.
More Drinking Fountains.
An effort will be made to nave
two more drinking fountains INSTALL
ed on Front street. There is one
now in front of the city hall and 1t
is largely used.
The heads of the other committees
will be announced later and work
for this year will be started imme'
diately.
No official financial report was
given, but the committees which had
charge of the entertainment which
was given in the Presbyterian church
short time ago, announced that
about $40 was cleared from that
entertainment. The league has about
SIS available funds besides that
money.