32 
PARK AND CEMETERY, ’ 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 
CONDUCTED BY 
MRS. FRANCES COPLEY SEAVEY. 
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE, ST, LOUIS, 
The Civic Improvement League of St. Louis is one 
of the most active organizations of its character in 
the country. It is only a little more than a year old 
and its membership increased from 100 on March 3, 
1902, to 1,505 on Jan. 15, 1903, while the amount of 
accomplished work to its credit is really astonishing. 
It issues a monthly bulletin containing an account of 
the work in hand, lists of committees, helpful hints to 
members and others, and other matter bearing directlv 
on its interests and objects. It also publishes an an- 
nual booklet giving list of membership, and useful 
information, as well as occasional leaflets; and it last 
summer printed and distributed several thousand copies 
of a pamphlet entitled “Keep Our City Clean.” This 
publication was most timely, as it contains all of the 
ordinances relating to the sanitary condition of the 
city, together with suggestions to readers as to possible 
ways for individuals to aid in the work of making 
and keeping the streets and alleys clean and healthful. 
Within the last few weeks this pamphlet has been 
adopted as a text book by the St. Louis Board of Edu- 
cation and it is to be used in all of the public schools of 
the city in connection with a course of study planned 
especially to interest and instruct children in civic 
work and the meaning of good citizenship.. It is most 
encouraging to note that this course is in charge of 
Mr. W. J. Stevens, Principal of the Hodgen school. 
Most of our readers will recognize in Mr. Stevens an 
active member of the American Park and Outdoor Art 
Association, whose efficient and original ideas in im- 
provement work put into practice while a resident of 
the city of Carthage, Mo., made him widely known 
and appreciated. The Civic League of St. Louis is 
most fortunate in being able to command the assist- 
ance of such an energetic and efficient man — one who 
seems particularly happy in his methods of interesting 
and influencing children. 
The League has built and equipped three play- 
grounds with free baths in connection with them. These 
are in crowded parts of the city and have been an 
untold pleasure and comfort to hundreds of children. 
The total attendance for the forty-five days the grounds 
were open was 34,965, while the total number of baths 
during the thirty-five days the baths were open was 
14,665. This was during an unusually cool summer 
and the conditions generally were considered unfa- 
vorable. Those who are interested in the details of 
this branch of the work should write the secretary of 
the League for a copy of their Bulletin No. 4, Vol. 1. 
I cannot give the price of the bulletin, but the amount 
will be small and can be learned by addressing Mr. 
Earle Layman, Secretary Civic League, 605 Colonial 
I rust Building, St. Louis, Mo. The result of this 
work has been so much appreciated by the authorities 
that the city is to build five public baths, the monev 
for the purpose being already available. Other work 
has been done, including a successful effort to induce 
the street railway company to adopt a grooved V- 
shaped rail for all paved streets, and the placing of 
sample waste-paper baskets on prominent street cor- 
ners. These have proven a great success. A woman 
representative was sent to other cities to investigate the 
results of employing women as sanitary inspectors. 
Her report made such a favorable impression on the 
city authorities that the health commissioner appointed 
her on his own staff and made her a sanitary and tene- 
ment house inspector. The influence of the League 
has been further officially recognized by the appoint- 
ment of its president as chairman of the commission 
having in charge the important work of planning an 
extensive boulevard and park system for the city. 
To advertise itself and its work, members of the 
League are urged to wear this emblematic button : 
The button is white, blue and gold. A heavy gold 
rim encircles the blue enameled letters, C. L L., on a 
white enameled background : The white is symbolic of 
a clean city ; the blue stands for the “true blue” char- 
acter of the members ; the gold represents the neces- 
sary funds to carry on the work of the large and grow- 
ing organization. They are made in a screw back but- 
ton for gentlemen, and in a clasp pin for ladies, and 
cost 35 cents each Frances Copley Seavey. 
NOTES, 
This department is much pleased to acknowledge the 
receipt of a report from Mr. W. Vortriede, 1206 E. 
Park St., Stockton, Cal., relating to the Stockton Ar- 
bor Club. After waiting a year to fully mature its 
plans, this club chose Jan. 16, 1903, as its Arbor Day. 
The Arbor Club decided to take in hand three coun- 
try roads as its first work. The day was made a full 
holiday for the city schools and a half-holiday for all 
business houses, and the affair proved a tremendous 
success — it would scarcely be an exaggeration to call 
it an unexampled success. 'Two hundred and fifty 
European elms and 42 American elms were planted on 
one of the roads ; 250 fig trees on another, and 500 
Eucalypti on the third. The trees were set 50 feet 
apart and each one protected by three stakes each six 
feet in height. Nearly all of the work was finished 
on the day set apart and the little that remained un- 
finished was done the following day. Now that is cer- 
