Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-21
WEST PHILADELPHIA
LIVE WIRES" CLEAN UP
COBB'S CREEK SECTION
Sherwood Improvement Associa-
tion Members, Neighborhood
Enthusiasts, Rout Mosquitoes
From Vicinity of Homes
BRIDGE BUILT BY MEN
Still Greater Things Planned for
Future-Success Fans Energy
of Workers
Photographs illustrating this story will be
found on the pictorial paEe Of this Issue.

found on the pictorial page Of this Issue.
A group of "live wires" in West Philadel-
phia, banded together in the Sherwood I'M
prOvement Association, have cleaned UP
their district until It shines like spotless
town.
They started with a simple Idea, and
the thing developed until they found them
selves doing engineering work. They began
to get rid of mosquitoes and ended by
building q bridge. Now they are resting
although as soon as they can catch their
second wind they are going ahead with more
Improvements.
Most of the members Of the Sherwood
Improvement Association are commercial
men, but they have learned that they are
pretty good labOrers too to say nothing OF
being engineers and money raisers. All
the expense of their campaign, so far as raw
material was concerned, was borne by the
members of the association and all the
actual work has been done by them, too
The idea came first to David 1. Moore,
treasurer Of the association. He lives at
1855 Willows avenue. He walked across
the street to his neighbor, w. j. Williams
who lives at bS55 Willows avenue, and
suggested to Mr. Williams that the Sher-
wood Improvement Association get rid of
mountaineering places. 1t seemed like
a good idea.
They called together about "a dozen of
the Sherwood enthusiasts and marched
uoWH lO IODDS creek. InaJ was III June
When they finished Cobbs Creek was swept
clean of all brush and places where mos
quitoes had their breeding places, from
Springfield avenue to Hoffman avenue, al
most a mile
1t took them some time to do It, but when
they finished their neghbors began to re-
mark that the mosquitoes weren't biting any
more The work was aborious; there was
cutting and hauling galore, some of 1t SO
difficult that Or. Cyrus w. Friday brought
his automobile down to the creek bank
and used 1t as an autotruck.
When that job was over the members
turned to the next Improvement. They de-
clded to build a bridge, between Whltby
avenue and Willows avenue. over the creek.
connecting the city with Mt. Moriah Gene
terry. Before that bridge was there one
had to make a wide detour to get across
the stream.
Mr.. Williams owns up to being almost as
much of an engineer as a salesman, which
latter vocation he follows on weekdays, and
he drew UP the plans for the bridge. They
got the best timbers by going down in their
pockets and subscribing for the lumber, and
then the men pitched together to do the
carpenter work. Mayor Smith, while he
doesn't lay any claim to being any sort OF
engineer. rode out there one day on horse
back to see this work of which he had heard
much, and he pronounced 1t to be first class.
When the work was first begun permission
had to be obtained from Chief Engineer
Vogdes of the Fairmount Park Commission.
He demurred, because he didn't think these
business men could do satisfactory Job.
Finally he gave his consent now he's glad
he did