PARK AND 
tions of sympathy were unanimously voted by the meeting. 
Mrs. M. F. Johnston, of Richmond, Ind., was called on 
to tell “The Richmond Story,” of the ten years’ experience 
of the Richmond Art Association in fostering a successful 
democratic art movement. The association gives an ex- 
hibition each year in a public school building. Last year 12 
rooms and two corridors were transformed into an art gal- 
lery with an exhibit of pictures valued at $100,000. The 
council has been induced to appropriate $100 toward the ex- 
penses, and the attendance numbered half the population, in- 
cluding visitors from forty surrounding towns. The associa- 
tion has a $500 fund each year to buy one of the pictures ex- 
hibited and offers a $50 prize for the best picture by an In- 
diana artist. One thousand five hundred catalogs were sold 
last year. These exhibitions have been especially valuable in 
giving an appreciation of beauty to children. 
Reports from branches of the League were next called for, 
and Mrs. A. J. Rogers spoke for the Milwaukee branch 
which has been especially active in establishing school gar- 
dens and playgrounds. A number of new school gardens were 
inaugurated during the year, and four thousand children were 
influenced to plant home gardens. Extracts from reports 
of other branches were read by Mrs. Wm. Howard Crosby, 
of Racine. 
The Los Angeles, Cal., branch conducted a prize school 
garden contest in which four schools entered. They have 
established a very systematic Arbor Day celebration and have 
placed a number of public fountains. Successful work was 
also done at Santa Monica. At Ashland, Wis., a vacant 
lot was improved and planted. A band stand was erected, 
concerts given, and 1,440 packages of seeds distributed. The 
Chicago branch conducted Arbor Day exercises and sold 
50,000 packages of seeds. Exercises were held in seven field 
houses in the South parks on Arbor Day and trees furnished 
by the South Park Commissioners were planted. Four hun- 
dred and fifty window boxes were sold to schools, settle- 
ments and individuals. At Waukegan, 111 ., the cemetery 
improvement was completed and a cleaning-up day held that 
lasted two weeks. Two small parks were improved and park 
commisisoners are to be elected. At Racine, Wis., an ex- 
perimental garden was conducted and prizes offered for home 
gardens. Trees and waste baskets were furnished to school 
grounds and the state laws on birds printed. Twenty-six 
members for the American Civic Association were secured 
by this branch. Mrs. Uhl, of Kenosha, told of the work 
for clean streets in that town and of the establishment of a 
cemetery organization. 
Rev. Frederick Edwards, of St. James Episcopal Church, 
Milwaukee, was called upon and spoke briefly about the im- 
portance of the churches taking an active part in this work 
of civic improvement. 
. The League voted to contribute $100 toward reducing the 
deficit in the association’s funds produced by the Niagara 
campaign. 
The Thursday evening meeting was devoted to a discus- 
sion of national problems. The public generally was in- 
vited and the meeting was held in Conservatory Hall to 
make room for a larger attendance. The hall was comfort- 
ably filled and much interest was manifested in President 
McFarland’s story of the Niagara campaign which was the 
chief feature of the evening. After an organ solo by Miss 
Rose Ernst, President McFarland was introduced and spoke 
in part as follows : 
The Niagara Campaign. 
Not fourteen months have passed since the first widespread 
publication was made, giving the facts as to the impending 
destruction of Niagara, coupled with a practical suggestion as 
to what might be done to check it. The interest of the people 
has been shown in every way by fioods of letters, by modest but 
CEMETERY. i17 
widespread contributions, and by the passage in many organ- 
izations of resolutions urging the preservation of the Falls. 
The remarkably sympathetic and interested attitude of the 
press has been one of the greatest agencies in bringing this 
work of national importance to its present state. 
It will be remembered that the first widespread call to ac- 
tion was through the publication in the Ladies’ Home Journal, 
in September, 1905, of a picture and a cartoon of Niagara Falls, 
heading a statement upon the text, “Shall We Make a Coal-Pile 
of Niagara?” Briefly giving the alarming facts, there was 
suggested a direct appeal by mall to President Roosevelt and 
to Earl Grey, the Governor General of Canada. This was, I 
believe, the first nationalization of the question: for up to this 
time the custody of the Falls in the United States was appar- 
ently in the state of New York, and many privileges for its 
development had been freely and even scandalously given away 
by the legislature of that state. 
At the Cleveland meeting of this association resolutions 
were suggested, urging the President to act in the way of 
diplomatic intervention for the preservation of Niagara- Falls. 
During the preceding discussion Mr. Volney Rogers recited 
what he believed to be the power of the United States by virtue 
of the Ordinance of 1787, which declared that the waters tribu- 
tary to the St. Lawrence River and "the carrying places be- 
tween” should be “forever free to all the people of the North- 
west Territory.” Based upon this legal view of national juris- 
diction, strong resolutions were drafted and telegraphed alike 
to President Roosevelt and to Earl Grey. That the former 
acted with his accustomed vigor was evidenced in his immedi- 
ate reference of these resolutions to Attorney-General Moody, 
who promptly replied to the President, on Oct. 14, 1905, as 
follows: 
“As to the ground for Federal intervention, so far as pro- 
posed, I think there can be no fair doubt. 
“The character of Niagara Falls as one of the greatest 
natural wonders, its situation in a boundary river on the 
frontier of a foreign country, its undoubted historical relation 
as a natural possession and common heritage — all these ele- 
ments in the case Would fully justify you in proposing through 
the ordinary diplomatic channels the consideration of this sub- 
ject by the two governments immediately concerned.” 
Thus the national campaign was launched. 
It became obvious that some deliverance from the Presi- 
dent himself was desirable. A visit, therefore, was made to 
Mr. Roosevelt on Nov. 10, by the three executive officers of 
the American Civic Association. It was characteristic of Mr. 
Roosevelt that, after introductions had been made, he should 
say immediately, “Well, gentlemen, turn on Niagara!” 
Taking the memorandum handed him, the President read 
it in the marvelously rapid fashion characteristic of him, dis- 
cussing briefly each of its suggestions. Two of them with 
incisive common sense he turned down, saying in regard to the 
next: 
“I will, however, act on your third suggestion and call 
attention to the importance of the preservation of Niagara in 
my message. You must remember, though, that all Congress- 
men are not interested in esthetic propositions, and that I 
cannot more than suggest in half a dozen lines that as Cali- 
fornia has given to the United States a splendid grove of big 
trees to be a national possession, so if New York cannot pre- 
serve and give the nation Niagara Falls, the nation should step 
in and preserve it for all the people.” 
It will be remembered that the President did mention 
Niagara in his message substantially as outlined to us. 
It was early realized that nothing could be accomplished 
with Congress unless that body was made to understand that 
the people wanted Niagara saved. Therefore, all the members 
of the American Civic Association were enlisted in the attempt 
to influence Congress. 
Obviously, all this agitation could not be effective unless 
it took form in actual legislation. Our next work, therefore, 
was to see that such legislation was introduced. Inquiry at 
Washington early in January showed that if there was to be 
action of this kind it should originate in connection with the 
House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, of which Hon. Theo. 
E. Burton, of Ohio, was chairman. 
It was a most fortunate happening which brought us at 
this time into connection with the Merchants’ Association of 
New York, an active and efficient organization of the great 
metropolis. Mr. F. B. DeBerard, its editor and statistician, 
had already, on behalf of that Association, labored at Albany 
in an endeavor to have submitted to the citizens of New York 
an amendment to the Constitution of the State prohibiting the 
diversion of Niagara water. 
