199 
PARK AND 
CEMETERY. 
Annual reports or extracts from them^ historical sketches^ 
descriptive circulars^ photographs of improz'cmcnts or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use in this department* 
The St. I.ouis Playground Association is endeavoring to 
secure more ground for its work as two of its playgrounds 
have recently been sold. The association conducted eleven 
playgrounds and two vacation schools last summer. 
* * * 
The Village Improvement Association, of West Haven, 
Conn., ha.g induced Mr. Andrew Carnegie to furnish a 
public library to that town on condition that the people 
furnish the site. A site has already been selected and the 
gift accepted. 
* * * 
The Salem Civic League, Salem, Mass., conducted during 
the past season a very successful home gardening movement. 
Seeds were distributed to nearly two thousand applicants to 
the number of fifteen thousand packages instead of two 
thousand as recently noted in this department. 
The Village Improvement Society, West Haven, Conn., has 
during the past year removed a large number of dead trees, 
repaired sidewalks, cleaned up vacant lots, established a new 
park, and has the plans for a new library well under way. 
A prize contest for lawn improvement was also conducted. 
* * * 
The Fairlawn Improvement Society, Pawtucket, R. I., is 
devoting considerable attention to the abatement of nuisances 
at present. One of the most offensive of these was a pig pen 
which had become an eye-sore to the noses of the residents. 
The matter has been' taken up by the board of health and is 
being energetically prosecuted. 
* * * 
The Intervale Improvement Society, Sandwich, Mass., has 
built a floating foot-bridge across the Saco river, which has 
been much used since its completion the middle of July. It 
is planned to build two bath houses and a diving pier for 
swimmers, to employ a man to take charge of them and to 
enforce proper bathing regulations. The Moat path is being 
put in order, and new paths contemplated. 
* * * 
The Village Improvement Society of Somerset, Mass., held 
interesting Arbor Day exercises in November and planted 
about thirty-five trees in various parts of the village. The 
society was given authority by the state to plant from ten 
to fifteen maple trees along the state highway, subject to 
the supervision of the highway commissioners, expenses to 
be borne by the society. The trees were placed thirty-five 
feet apart. 
* * 
Mr. Edward T. Hartman, secretary of the Massachusetts 
Civic League, has delivered twenty-six lectures in the state 
on town and village betterment. In many instances he has 
been able to make a preliminary study of the place in which 
he was to lecture, photographing good and bad features and 
suggesting improvements where desirable. It has been his 
aim to discover the chief need in each locality and so to pre- 
sent it that some concrete results might be obtained. 
Dick J. Crosby, of the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 
ington, D. C., is collecting photographs for a school garden 
exhibit at the Jamestown Exposition, and desires to secure 
unmounted prints showing striking features of school garden 
work with especial reference to before and after views. 
* * * 
The Billerica Improvement Association, Billerica, Mass., 
distributed circulars to the schools announcing its sale 
of fall bulbs. The association will offer two prizes for the 
best display of plants in pots, boxes or cans next spring. 
Only the plants and not the receptacles are to be considered. 
^ ^ 
The Pawcatuck Village Improvement Society, Westerly, 
R. I., has been busily engaged in improving the general ap- 
pearance of the city and recently turned its attention to bill 
boards. It caused the removal of a mammoth sign on Me- 
chanic street. Some of the supporting posts of the board on 
Mechanic street are on railroad property and with the assis- 
tance of the road the cleaning up is to be completed. 
^ ^ 
At a meeting of improvement associations and commercial 
bodies of St. Paul a permanent organization was formed to 
promote the movement for giving adequate approaches to the 
new State Capitol. A commission appointed by the city coun- 
cil is soon to make a report on a definite plan. The new 
Capitol stands on an eminence in a commanding position in 
the down-town district. The plan suggested by the architect, 
Cass Gilbert, is to acquire property for rounding out the 
south end of the plaza, and lay out a broad avenue on the 
central axis of the building extending from the south line of 
the plaza to Seven Corners. This avenue will be i 8 o feet 
wide and would open up the view from the Capitol to the 
west end of the high bridge and the wooded bluffs of the 
west bank of the river, two hundred and twenty-five feet 
above the water. Another feature of Mr. Gilbert’s plan is 
to open up the entire area between the new and the old Capi- 
tols and develop it as a park. It is estimated that the im- 
provements would cost about $2,000,000. 
* * * 
Americans traveling abroad are apt to go into raptures over 
the typical street fountains that one meets with in the old 
world cities. Quite a few of our American' cities — and smaller 
cities at that — are equally well provided though the most of 
us do not take or get opportunity to see these. In the public 
park at Fresno, Cal., there is a fountain of unique construc- 
tion as can be seen in the accompanying picture. The water 
flows from the toe of a bronze boot a rollicking boy holds in 
his hand. 
DRINKING FOUNTAIN, FRESNO, CAL. 
