The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-04
GIVEN VERY RICH TREAT.
BANQUETERS LISTENED TO
FINE ADDRESSES
Hunt Cook and Professor H. D.
Hemenway At the c. and c.
Dinner

Members or the Mankato Civic and
Commerce association certainly had
q treat in store for them at get
together meeting at the Lutheran
Mems club rooms last night follow
ing banquet served by the ladies of
Emmanuel Lutheran church. This was
In the form Of two spirited speeches
by Hunt Cook and Professor H. d.
Hemmenway Of the Better Homes
Institute. which is putting on num-
Der OF lectures in this city this week
under the auspices of the Mankato
Civic and Commerce association.
President W. A. Streater introduced
the speakers of the evening. Fol-
lowing the speaking at the Luther
an club rooms, everyone repaired to
the armory, where an illustrated
lecture by Professor H. D. Hemmen-
way on Community Building or the
City Beautiful" was listened to with
Professor Hemmenway was the
first speaker at the banquet. He
spoke briefly on the Importance Of
identifying the grounds around the
home both as means of harmonic
ing the surroundings and enhancing
the value of the property. He said
that aside from the aesthetic side of
the problem, the proper planting OF
shrubs and plants means dollars and
cents to the property, and health to
the family. BY just such a campaign
OF planting shrubs and plants, and
thus supplanting tin cans and rub
bish with life giving plants a town
down in Michigan had cut down the
death rate from seventeen to seven
per thousand. The speaker said that
il Is the community spirit that makes
a city worth while. The work OF
beautifying ones property is sure
to be copied by ones neighbor, and
thus q city becomes the best place
In which to bring up the boy and
girl. 1t Is better to grow good things
on the vacant lots, ETC., than to per-
NIT the accumulation OF garbage and
places of millions of flies. The house
fly each year claims over four mil
lion and a half lives, and the unsan-
itary handling of milk another enor-
nous toll. In planting plants and
shrubs about the house, it should al
ways be borne in mind that the
house is to be the central figure OF
the beautiful picture on the back
ground of the city beautiful. The
example of the man that keeps his
lawn and other grounds tidy, is sure
to set an example for his neighbor.
Here Professor Hemmenway gave
specific examples of where just such
identifying of grounds had enhanced
the value Of the property several
hundred dollars. For this reason the
speaker said that the problem is q
dollars and cents proposition as well
as an aesthetic one.
Hunt Cook Spoke Also.
Hunt Cook was the second speaker
at the banquet This gentleman has
a ranch to every word he says. and
the mental pictures he Is endeavor1ng
to paint. Mr.. Cook took for his
subject Putting Unity into Com
munity." By special request the
speaker took for the basis OF his talk
Armistice Day in Paris. The speak
er in the most vivid manner descrlo-
ed the enthusiasm of the French peo-
pie when the glad tidings came that
the cruel war was over. Paris sim :
ply went wild with. joy. Every shop
with the exception or the wine shops
were Immediately closed and the
people began to cheer and sing then.
In the face of all this rejoicing, the
speaker said that the fact that many
of the boys who had brought about
the victory are now sleeping in Flan-
ders Fields. They asked that the
living take up the torch and car
nv On" Let the dead on Flanders
Field know that the living appreci-
ate their sacrifice. There is no bet
ter way of showing appreciation than
the building Of an armory, such as
is contemplated in this city. he
urged that every citizen of Mankato
90 to next Monday evenings meeting
of the city council and boost for the
proposition. The speaker in closing
said that every undeveloped asset IN
a city becomes a liability: Nc. town
is fit for any one to live in unless 1t
is fit for every one to live in. L
The illustrated lecture at the ar
r,orv nv professor Hemmenway was
very instructive. and showed strong +.
" what can be done in the way OF
bettering city conditions by a general
scfleme of identifying private and
public grounds and streets and al
1evs ...