Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-23

and what New York has lost the dis
trict of Winter Haven has gained
There are 5000 wide-awake women
enlisted in the civic league work OF
Florida and one like DR.. Jewett lead
ing the way it will not require more
than a decade to entirely revolu-
tionize conditions here. She told me
something to-day of what the local
league has accomplished and 1t may
he an inspiration to the good women
of the Harrisburg Civic Club to know
a little of what has been accomplish
ed under great difficulties in this at
tractive corner of Florida.
She didn't know that the work here
differed in any essential particular
from the civic clubs in the North
though perhaps it is true that in the
newer communities of the South the
conditions being more primitiNe-tho
need of reform in matters of SANTA
tion was more urgent and the men,
being so busily engaged in the neces-
sary development work in newer
region, the initiative in matters that
have to do with moral and physical
health and with the cleanliness, or
der and Identification of the home
surroundings must be taken to a
and attractive station in the town
men.
How They Succeeded
DIR. Jewett remarked that the Wo-
mans Civic League of Winter Ha-
ven and vicinity is little more than
two years old. but she was sure that
any observing person who walked
through the streets of the little town
at the time of the organization of the
league and returned to-day could hard
ly believe himself to be in the same
place. She said that the organiza-
tion had been instrumental in bring
ing about a large part of the change,
mentioning how they had cleaned the
streets, compelled sanitary treatment
of the markets and fruit stores and
how in effective ways the women had
secured the cooperation of the council
of the town. Writing to the owner OF
a meat market, for instance, the lea
que officer said:
The members of our league dislike
to buy meat and other food stuffS in
such an unsanitary and unsightly place
as your present market. our town
must have a clean and sanitary mar
ket. Are you going to give it to us?
If you do not, somebody must be
found who will"
This communication brought inn
portant results and good markets
Clean stores and clean streets are now
the rule in Winter Haven. The lea
que was also successful in inducing
the railroad company to build a new
more settled communities by the wo-
and the ladies are now raising a fund
through weekly rummage sales.for the
erection Of a fountain in the main
park Of the village. They have also
purchased a fine site upon the edge
of a beautiful lake for Il clubhouse
which will also be a public library.
The league has employed a man to
work in the streets and sidewalks
through the middle of the town. clear
ing away the litter which reminds me
of the good work done several years
ago in this direction by the Civic Club
of Harrisburg. There also has been
purchased, through the activities Of
the club, a well-framed picture for
each of the sixteen class rooms of the
new school building.
In short, the league of Winter Ha-
ven is doing what the progressive wo-
men can do and are doing in many
other communities throughout the
country, but they are doing IT here
under more of a handicap than in
most other places owing to the un-
usual conditions and the greater re-
sponsibilities resting upon the mu-
nicipal authorities. DR.. Jewett eX-
pressed so well her thought regard
ing work of this character that | have
set it down here for the benefit of
the members of the Harrisburg Civic
Club and all others interested in pub
lie improvements. She said:
Civic Improvement Bug
"CiviC work is the most inspiring but
at the same time the most eNacting,
and / might almost say the most dis
couraging, work in all this workaday
-.
inevitableness. If you once get the
fever you are done for. There is no es-
cape. You always see the might be,
and YOU never can rest till you bring II
to pass. Perhaps that isn't the worst
of it: perhaps the worst OF it is that
YOU can never let anybody else rest. If
you want to lead comfortable life and
a peaceful one, and if YOU want your
families to lead comfortable and peace
lul lives, get yourselves inoculated so
that the bug of civic Improvement
cannot work if perchance you should
become infected with ii. Not every
body is vulnerable so perhaps you are
not i'm danger. If you never get it, you
will probably be much more comfort
able person to live with; you WILL per-
haps, live longer. no doubt you will
sleep better but you will miss a tre-
mendous stimulus and a tremendous or.
portunitN. You must pay big price
for all the fun you get out of it. but
then isn't that true of anything really
worth while that YOU ever do get?'
transformation of Harrisburg during
recent years will realize how truthful
is this view of civic work everywhere
| was also impressed with remark OF
DR.. Jewett's regarding the benefit of
expert advice in the making of pub
lie improvements. She said:
Need of Experts
IF We could only afford. or per-
suade our citizens that they might
we'll afford, to employ some able eX-
pert to come here before it is too late
to give us some good advice as to how
to make the best use of our great
natural assets in park lands, in lake
front lands, in possible boulevards.
But ! suppose in our stage of de-
velopment we can hardly expect to at
tain such foresight We shall have
to wait until we are older and wiser
but when that day comes. as come
it will, the only work that will fit the
case, with reference to many things
that might be possible to-day, will be
those saddest ones of tongue or pen
IT might have been for enterprise
which might he undertaken now will
have become impossible then" And
how true Of all communities. But lit.
tie old Harrisburg saw the light in
time
After talking with such a woman
one must be impressed with the worth
while character of the activities OF
such organizations whether in Har-
risburg, Winter Haven or any other
section of the country. DIR. Jewett Is
q type OF thousands Of clear eaded
forceful and devoted women who are
giving of their energy and experience
v=fgf = Il