177 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
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When such an unpromising field as 
a coal yard can be transformed into 
a "bower of beauty,” there certainly 
seems little excuse for civic ugliness 
in any business building or factory. 
And this is the appellation given by 
the News of Salem, Mass., to the 
coal yard of Colbert Bros., in that 
city. The News continues its descrip- 
tion of the premises as follows: “At 
the left of the scales near the en- 
trance is a handsome lawn, closely 
cropped and splendidly kept. Two in- 
teresting features in regard to this 
lawn are that the soil is street sweep- 
ings and the grass came from hay 
seed thrown out of the stable loft. 
Around the sides of the fence enclos- 
ing a part of the property are dahlias, 
marigolds and zinnias, while against 
the barn, almost covering it, is a mass 
of morning glories. The office is sur- 
rounded by another lawn, extending 
clear to the wood pile. The fences 
and the office are lined with sweet 
pea vines in full bloom, covering the 
unsightly woodwork, while other flow- 
ers form a bed effect in front of the 
peas. It looks like an oasis in the 
desert to strike into a coal yard and 
find such fragrance and beauty there.” 
* * * 
For some time past there has been 
a purpose to work the destruction of 
what is known as the “Armstrong 
Grove” of 800 acres of giant red- 
woods, in Sonoma county. Cal., near 
Guerneyville, on the Russian river, 
and not far from the famous Bohem- 
ian Grove. Recently an immense 
public mass meeting was held at 
Guerneyville. Addresses were made 
by many prominent speakers, and ini- 
tiatory steps were taken toward pre- 
serving this magnificent tract of vir- 
gin redwood to the public. “Arm- 
strong Grove” contains some of the 
finest and largest timber in Califor- 
nia. For years it has been a great 
attraction to tourists from all parts 
of the country, and is one of the fea- 
tures of the Russian river region. 
:(c * * 
The Board of Eduation of St. Louis 
is planning, to use' one of the vacant 
lots owned by it as a' nursery to 
propagate trees and plants for beau- 
tifying the school yards.- The build- 
ing department of the board already 
propagates plants in the conserva- 
tories at Central and McKinley High 
Schools and employs two gardeners. 
Wm. B. Ittner, commissioner of 
school buildings, estimates that the 
nursery can be established for $500, 
and that trees and plants can be ob- 
tained much cheaper than by buying 
them. ,(! 
The city beautiful department has 
grown to be a regular feature of 
many newspapers, and articles by ex- 
perts on topics pertaining to civic 
improvements are frequent. The 
Knoxville, Tenn., Tribune has a week- 
ly column for the furtherance of 
beauty, cleanliness and civic pride 
that is edited by the Park Associa- 
tion. The Nashville, Tenn., Ameri- 
can also has a’ weekly department con- 
taining from one to three columns of 
interesting matter that is edited by 
Ada Scott Rice. 
* * 
In the annual spring flower distribu- 
tion by the Civic Improvement 
League of Richmond, Va., over nine 
thousand children received a packet of 
seeds, together with a printed card of 
instructions for the planting and care 
of flowers. Every child receiving a 
package of the league flower seeds 
pledges as follows: 
1. I promise to plant these seeds 
myself, and take care of their pro- 
duct. 
2. I promise to help keep my back 
yard clean. 
3. I promise not to throw any pa- 
per or trash in the streets of our city. 
4. I promise (for boys) not to spit 
on the sidewalk. 
5. I promise to do all in my power 
to make my city more beautiful and 
attractive. 
* * * 
The West End Business Men’s As- 
sociation of St. Louis, offered a prize 
of $25 for the best answer to the ques- 
tion: “If you owned St. Louis, what 
would you do to improve it and bet- 
ter the condition of its people?” Some 
of the suggestions made by the prize 
winner follow: 
“Have the Government appropriate 
sufficient money to improve the river 
for a deep-waterway from the Lakes 
to the Gulf. 
“Lower rents for business houses, 
dwellings and , flats. 
“Build more small parks in the 
crowded districts and more play- 
grounds for the children. 
“Place public drinking fountains all 
over the city for both men and beasts. 
“Place public toilets for women and 
men throughout the city-, as in New 
York City. 
“Put red electric lights at night 
over each fire-alarm box. 
“Let ail property owners keep 
weeds cut on vacant lots; also where 
there are flats and tenements, owner 
or agent to engage janitor or house- 
keeper to see that tenants clean the 
yards in turns. 
“Improve the river front with re- 
spectable buildings. Tear down all 
old buildings and replace them with 
modern business buildings and fac- 
tories. 
“Build public baths all over the city 
for both sexes. 
“Open a park on Market street 
facing Union Station.” 
* * * 
When a stranger moves into a 
town there are certain problems 
which at once confront him, such as 
what to do with his ashes and gar- 
bage; what public school his children 
should attend; what taxes he should 
pay, and when and where, says The 
Municipal Journal and Engineer. There 
are certain ordinances also which he 
should observe, such as that requir- 
ing cleaning the snow from his side- 
walk within a certain time after each 
storm, not using a lawn sprinkler dur- 
ing certain hours, etc. Too often the 
citizen is informed of such an ordi- 
nance only when its penalty is en- 
forced against him. We do not know 
of any way in which a greater general 
benefit could be conferred by a citi- 
zens’ society than by the compiling, 
publishing and general distribution of 
a pamphlet, giving in the briefest pos- 
sible form the information suggested 
above, in connection with which it 
would be desirable to give the names 
and office addresses of the various city 
officials, and a statement as to what 
particular function of the city govern- 
ment and maintenance appertains to 
each. We would also suggest that a 
certain member of the Society, or 
possibly one for each ward or other 
subdivision of the city, be named as a 
committee on complaints, to whom 
any citizen may report what he con- 
siders a dereliction of any official or 
city employee, or, if it would seem too 
great a burden to impose upon one 
citizen to make him the mouthpiece 
for universal complaint, he could act 
as an information bureau, and instruct 
citizens concerning what department 
or individual of the city government 
complaints should be made to. 
