Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-03-14
PLAN TO MAKE SALEM
THE CITY BEAUTIFUL
Mrs. ". P. Lord Makes VaIu-
able Suggestions at Meet
ing Of Floral Society

Salem win be known as the city
beautiful within a few years if the
plans of the Salem Floral Society are
followed out and also if the enthusiasm
developed at the meeting last evening
holds out.
Mrs w. r. Lord believes that Salem
has the opportunity of making itself
one of the most artistic cities in the
country, and in her address before the
society last evening not only told what
could be done to improve the appear
ance of our streams, but gave practical
suggestions as to what plants would
thrive on the banks of the streams
q came here 36 years ago from the
east, =" said Mrs Lord, "and noted the
beauties of Mill creek and the posi-
bilities for making it beauty spot, but
| regret to say that it is in the same
condition now as when first saw it, \
The fact that Mill creek seemed to be
a general dumping ground for glass
and tin cans was noted by Mrs. Lord. !
"There are great possibilities for
Mill creek and many eastern cities
would give million dollars for such
a stream running through the residence
district. 1t has many beautiful trees
and along its banks would grow the
Japanese cherry tree, syringias, white
show berry, dogwood and many shrubs
that grow in our woods.
If the beautifying Of our streams had
been taken up years ago and many of
the japanese ideas followed, Mrs Lord
believes that Salem would have been /
city twice its present size, and al
though the citizens have been negli
gent, it is not too late to begin.
Mrs. Lord also noted the fact that
about 20 years ago the women of the !
city made an attempt to organize a
society to work for the good of the /
city and to beautify the streams, but
at that time, it was not customary for
women to take an active part in civic .
life, and the men came in and pro
ceeded to run the society until it died
a year or so later With the changed .
ideas of women's activities, Mrs. Lord .
hoped that the women of the Floral
Society would 60 forward in their
work and make Salem within a few
years what it should be, the city beau
tiful of the northwest.
To Interest the Children.
An endeavor to interest the children
in flower planting and in the city
beautiful idea. will be made. The
supervisors of the society We're in
structed to work for classes or associa-
tions Of children in their ward, and to
bring the matter into a definite form
for the work Of the children, it was
decided to hold mass meeting Satur-
day afternoon at . o'clock at the |
High school for the children of the
city
Mrs Edyth Tozier Wetherred sug +
gested that it would be a good idea .
for the supervisors of each ward to
oversee the work of the children and /
to organize them Later, to follow the
plan of Portland, that of meeting all .
trains with flowers, and to supply the
hotels, and in every way to impress |
visitors or those passing through that
Salem was flower city. She also .
suggested that it should be regarded as /
a misdemeanOr for any one to permit p.
moss to remain on their houses especi- |
ally those seen from the railroads,
With the address of Mrs. Lord and |
her practical suggestions, and the or
ganization plans presented, the meeting
of last night was of more than usual
interest. Twenty-Five new names were |
added to the membership and it was
apparent from the plans laid out at
the meeting, the Salem Floral Society |
intends to do its share towards making |
Salem what it should be- the city
beautiful of the northwest