The Glenwood post., 1915-05-22
WOMEN ADVOCATE
cvc cAIpAel,
Continued from fins pas,l

We turned our attention to the gar
ba2e question, and with the greatest
satisfaction imaginable we decided that
We must ask our city council to pass
an ordinance prohibiting the use of an
open garbage can. Believe me-it took
our committee of seven women one hour
on the outside of the court house to de-
eide who should make that plea to the
council. We finally decided, because
one of our number had studied elocu-
ton in our state normal school. that
she should make the plea-needless to
say, that honorable city council passed
that ordinance without a single dis
senting vote-but it does not take an
eloeutionist NOW to approach our city
council, nor our county court, nor our
school board, our commercial club nor
any other intelligent body of men in
kirksville-the humblest woman can
interest them in her cause, and they
grant her request. We all work t.
Ii.
This is the introduction to our first
bulletin FOR A CLEANER AND
MORE BEAUTIFUL KIRKSVILLE. -
1.-The Civic League stands for the bet
terment of the town, and all they ask
is that you help them by taking a
sympathetic Gnstead of criticaD il
terest in what they are doing or trying
to do. Put your shoulder to the wheel
oceasionally-even if it does get your
coat muddy-you II get the satisfaction
of being = real citizen
Securing Funds
| On Decoration Day our ladies sit at
the gate of the cemeteries and hand
bills to each person that goes in, and
the money thus collected is spent on
coat of paint on the iron fence.
About five years ago Kirksville had
her first paved streets-perhaps Two
miles of them at that time. There were
no funds in the city treasury created
to clean and sprinkle them; the dust
was four of five inches deep-you could
not tell whether an automobile WAS
coming or going. People moved off ot
the paved street on account of the
dust. Finally one of the men said, '1f
those paved streets are ever cleaned,
the women will have to start it, The
| first year we asked the merchants 20
give us the same amount per month
they had previously paid for sprinklipg
the streets-we solicited nearly $1,000
in checks made payable quarterly. We
bought second hand sweeper for $l75;
secondhand sprinkler for 800; six
| hand cleaners for $l9 each, 26 galvan
lied refuse cans at $3.50 each, and kert
all the street cleaners. We tried several
times to turn the work over to the
commercial club, but they insisted upon
collecting the money and putting it to
credit, we to continue to superintend
the work. Now We have nearly twelve
miles of paved streest, and this year .he
$50 men in the commercial club are
"live' bunch of progressive, willing,
ambitious men, and they have assumed
the responsibility of this work.
Make Waste Pay
While we had charge of this work
We let nothing go to waste. The sale
Of dirt OF the paved streets each year
J;r%
not sold was hauled to the cemetery,
where low ground was filed in, and
afterwards graded and sold for lots, for
merly unstable; 1Ox20 feet sold for
$50, and this money used to beautify
the cemetery.
In three weeks nearly $500 was raised
by "Chain Parties," and a fountain
for horses and dogs, with $50 watt
electric light on top was installed. The
| county court paid for the electric cur
rent used and the city council furnished
the water gratis-and today every horse
in town leads its driver over to that
fountain IS soon as they reach the
square. Every year a plumbing COM
pany paints it up nicely for us.
For . number Of years the Civic
League had been considering q "Clean
Up" campaign, and this year, since We
realize that each year it proved to be
"Paint Up" week also, We have
launched "Clean Up and Paint Up"
campaign.
Educating tie Childrsa
The children are our best asset, orr
future citizens, and so We began this
movement in the school, gave every
child card saying