PARK AND CEMETERY. 
163 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS. 
Conducted by 
Frances Copley Seavey. 
Leave the World a pleasanter place than you found tt. 
“But weeds, alas, how sad it seems 
To pass them coldly by.” — Old Song. 
Yet, it cannot be denied that we do so — not 
only “coldly,” but mediumly, warmly, wetly, dry- 
ly and worst of all, dustily. 
In all sorts of weather, at all times of the year, 
either alive and green, brown and sere, or as ghost- 
ly skeletons, weeds, like the poor, we have always 
with us. Those who “pass them by” on city side- 
walks go forward laden with moisture, or dust, or 
rank odors, or hay fever germs, or clinging burrs, 
according to the variety of season, weather or 
weed. In some instances they actually impede 
physical progress, and they are at all times an in- 
dication of impeded municipal progress. They are 
detrimental to health and not infrequently are also 
detrimental to morals — as witness the startling 
cropping up of a spooning couple sitting less than 
two yards from the sidewalk in the gathering twi- 
light, and surrounded by a dense growth of shrub- 
like weeds that covered an entire city block, the 
adjoining street, and crowding upon the walk left 
but a winding footpath through the entangling 
labyrinth. A more fitting loitering ground for 
rough characters than for the decent serving maids 
of the community and their more than doubtful 
“young men.” 
But, thanks largely to Improvement Club work, 
there are those who no longer pass the weeds 
“coldly by.” On the contrary, they are given 
careful attention, and by checking their career be- 
fore the season of seed time and harvest, a 
gradual control is being obtained that means their 
eventual extermination within restricted limits. 
One of the tenets of faith of numerous efficient Im- 
provement organizations is shown by the yearly 
onslaught on such undesirable vegetation. Only 
last month the gentlemen of the distinctly alive 
Improvement Club, of Morgan Park, 111 ., sallied 
forth on one of the hottest days of the hot “spell” 
to do battle with these enemies of civilization, 
thereby sadly blistering their unaccustomed hands 
and rousing the renewed admiration of the club 
ladies who forthwith rewarded their effort and 
example with applause and with refreshments al 
fresco, all of which was richly deserved. 
The city of St. Louis has an ordinance imposing 
a fine of $100.00 on property owners for each and 
lot where the weeds are not cut, and that the 
law may be successfully invoked to the same, end 
in small places, through village officials, is proven 
by the experience of the Improvement Society of 
San Mateo, Cal,, as recounted in California Mu- 
nicipalities. “The Society decided that ‘while it 
is questionable whether we can compel a lot owner 
to remove weeds from his sidewalk, nevertheless 
such cleaning of the sidewalks by the lot owners is 
a very convenient way to accomplish a great public 
good.’ They then proceeded to get an ordinance 
passed, but wisely endeavored to get around the 
most objectionable features of the procedure by 
having the demand for such an ordinance come 
from the people themselves through the Improve- 
ment club. By this means the ordinance was 
passed and beside it, printed on the back of the 
street superintendent’s notice, is printed a copy of 
the following resolution; ‘Resolved by the San 
Mateo Improvement Club: That the action of the 
board of trustees in adopting Ordinance No. 63, of 
the city of San Mateo, be approved; that weeds on 
sidewalks are a public nuisance, and the enforce- 
ment of said ordinance will be a public benefit; and 
that on behalf of the people of San Mateo we urge 
all property owners to obey same.’ The effect of 
this method of procedure has been eminently satis- 
factory. Men who would have growled at the 
board of trustees for arbitrarily exercising their 
authority, willingly yielded to public sentiment. 
Laws with such public opinion back of them do not 
need technical correctness in order to ensure the 
enforcement of their provisions.” F. C. S. 
* * * 
The principal clauses of the San Mateo ordinance above re- 
ferred to provide, That it shall be unlawful for the owner, 
lessee or anyone in possession of real property in San Mateo to 
permit weeds or other obnoxious growths to grow or remain on 
the sidewalk in front of such property. It is made the duty of 
such persons to remove and destroy such weeds on their side- 
walks. It provides for the issuing of permits to maintain a 
lawn or such portion of sidewalk as the board of trustees shall 
specify, and the same must be kept green and closely cut. The 
board has power to deny application for permit or to revoke 
same. It is the duty of superintendent of streets to make com- 
plaints in recorder’s court of the city against any person violat- 
ing any section of the ordinance, after giving ten days’ notice 
to comply. Violators shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor 
and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine not exceeding 
I too or imprisonment for 30 days in county jail, or both. 
Autumn. 
“Autumn is the barber of the year who shears 
the bushes, hedges and trees — ihe ragged prod- 
igal who consumes all and leaves himself no- 
thing; and this bald-pated Autumn is seen going 
up and down orchards and groves, fields, parks 
and pastures, shaking off fruit and beating leaves 
from the trees.” — Quotation in George H. Ell- 
wanger’s “The Garden’s Story.” 
