Douglas Island news., 1913-05-14
WEDNESDAY. MAs 14, 1913
Making Happy Homes.

Cleanup day, the legitimate suc- cessor of the Tin Can Day of year ago, was observed last Thursday. We might have said celebrated, but every body is supposed to enjoy celebration, and on cleanup day some folks actually suffered. There are two kinds ofwomen, strong and timid minds. The strong minded ale also divided into two classes: first, those that are so much interested i'll their homes, and in keep ing them clean, that they can't bear the idea of dirty back yards, or even streets and vacant lots filtered with ali kinds of rubbish, from stale cream eau to spring mattress that has seen its best days. The other kind of strong mIuded women are those who are seaally ID different to the state of their kitchen sink, but ale continually champing the bit for a chance to vote. If Douglas has any of the latter class their names have not been made public. The mem, bers of the Civic Improvement Club all belong 10 the former class. They dis covered, something more than year ago, that our beloved town of Douglas has great possibilities as town, but the first necessity was cleanness. To accomplish this they realized that they could do more by building up public sentiment than by appealing to the strength of the law. They knew that law--uuless backed by public seneT ment--ls usually powerless. Then they planned Tlu Gan Day. When the fleet. composed of several million tin cans dun ped from he Douglas dock, sailed proudly up the channel aud anchored in flout of rhe Capital Glty,.N carried q reproach to tne people oa the acrth,. sane ano right ln many respects but erimiually careless when i1 comes to gal bage and death laden filth. Since then many Alaskan communities have taken the hiut, aud the testsr!og pile or garbage or the foul seweris nc@ locked upon as an unholY thiug--a repreach' in the sight of the Lord. AEear rolled arouud--as the years generally G'o--sua the women of the Civic Gla17ssl2SeS' that perfection had not 2se assa' ss taiueu aud that another ef0po os, sse-s' part Was uecess ary. CheS s9aisr2&se8 to the cause and clean-ap day vas s2~ nounced for the Sth of May, 9aeleseo2' of Tiu Can Day had it's efeot ,aa3 many did power of cleaning before eles,- -n2' day arrived. Sume who have neTs5 given their sanction to the work o8 5hs women, got out in their back yards and scraped and scratched just the same. They were not afraid of tde. la@.' onS of public sentiment. and that's exactly what the club women are tTyiug; to' &C., oomplish. From morning until night every dray in town wae busy hauling. hauling. In the afternoon ga1g of business men helped load the wagons, and thus great piles of trash. were moved quickly. Three prizes were given for the most impt oTemenf made in any residence property on cleanup day. The prlzes were awarded, Arst,r S7.50, to the Martini children; second, $500, the lille children; ;.third, $5o, the Thomas children. This competitions kept many ofthe children basg fixing: fences. sidewalks and making flower beds. When the hungry crowds gathered at the school house to enjoy the supper which the women had prepared, Douglas had been cleaned up. Not that sll or the dirty places have been cleaned cp, but those few that remain will he cleaned, for those responsible know that their neighbors despiss them for their filth, and will continue to point the finger of scorn until they have a clean up day of their own, or the stern hand of the law, claps down on theis guilty heads.