PARK AND CEMETERY 
112 
Annual reports or extracts from them, historical sketches, 
descriptive circulars, photographs of improvements or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use in this department. 
The Civic Improvement League of Omaha, Neb., has 
conducted a very successful contest for the improvement of 
yards and vacant lots. More than 500 boys and girls as- 
sembled at the distribution of prizes, and President W. W. 
Slabaugh said of the work : “Our best hopes have been more 
than realized in the first year of the work. Both the number 
of contestants for the prizes and the excellence of the work 
have delighted us. We are assured that next year no' less 
than 50,000 packages of seeds will be required for the chil- 
dren.” There were 35 prizes for yards awarded and six for 
vacant lots, besides a large number of contestants who re- 
ceived honorable mention. The prizes were donated by pub- 
lic-spirited citizens and firms. 
* * * 
The Arlington Heights Tree Protective, Association, Arling- 
ton, Mass., has been formed to rid that section of the town 
of the gypsy and browntail moths. It was organized through 
the efforts of some distinguished residents, including Mrs. 
Marion MacBride, Cyrus Dallin, the sculptor, Nixon Water- 
man, author and poet. Mr. Waterman has been appointed a 
committee to visit the state house and procure information 
necessary for practical work and report at the next meeting. 
The children are to be organized and instructed as to the paint- 
ing of the nests with croesote, and a spraying machine has 
been procured. It is the intention of the promoters to pe- 
tition aid from the town of Arlington, to agitate similar ac- 
tion in other towns throughout the state, and, if necessary, 
to obtain legislaion in favor of the work. 
^ 
The Morgan Park Improvement Society, Morgan Park, 
111 ., conducted its fifth annual celebration of “Morgan Park 
Day” on Labor Day, September 5. More than 5,000 visitors 
were attracted to the town to witness the elaborate exer- 
cises, including addresses by distinguished men. A floral 
parade, in which prizes were awarded for the most elaborate 
turnouts, was one of the features of the day. A mass meet- 
ing, band concert, choruses of children and athletic sports 
furnished the rest of the program. Through the efforts of the 
enthusiastic officers of the organization, public spirit has been 
aroused in the care of home grounds, streets, parks, etc., and 
numerous reforms have resulted which has made Morgan 
Park one of the most desirable suburban residence districts 
around Chicago. J. D. Kenfield is president of the society. 
* * * 
The Woman's Civic Improvement League of Kalamazoo, 
Mich., which has done notable work this summer, was formed 
of a union of the Ladies’ Library Association, the Twentieth 
Century Club and the Century City Club, other organizations 
afterward uniting. Its originator was the Rev. Caroline 
Bartlett Crane, well known among the women's clubs. The 
membership list of the league is now 400, and includes some 
of the strongest organizations in the city. Its leaders, believ- 
ing that every one should lend a hand toward beautifying the 
town, enlisted the school children in the work, making the 
schoolyards into gardens of beauty. Then the clubwomen set 
about the street cleaning, hiring men to dig, sweep and wash 
under their supervision. They placed at intervals along the 
streets metal boxes plainly marked as receptacles of waste 
paper. In order to encourage the use of these boxes, the 
clubwomen distribute small slips of paper on which is printed: 
“The Woman's Civic Improvement League has undertaken 
to keep Main street clean. We ask you to help us. Please do 
not throw anything — paper, fruit, skins or other litter — in the 
street. Put it in the waste basket in the corner. Now please 
don’t throw' this in the street.” As an evidence of the respect 
shown to the work of the clubwomen is the fact that many of 
the storekeepers have placed waste paper boxes and cuspidors 
opposite their stores. 
Another plan to enforce cleanliness not only in the streets 
but in the alleys and backyards, was to send to all parts of 
the city a photographer to make photographs of all the un- 
clean spots. 1 hese photographs are then sent to the owners 
of the unclean places, who generally clean up at once. If he 
prove stubborn, the photograph, with his name attached, is 
placed on public exhibition. 
Once a week the clubwomen see to it that the streets of the 
town are thoroughly flushed by the fire department. Trees 
are being planted, vines trained to cover unsightly buildings, 
parks are made out of vacant lots, and little spots of beauty 
out of old back yards. The mayor and aldermen and com- 
mon council are giving the clubwomen unbounded moral sup- 
port, but limited financial assistance. 
>!<>!«* 
The Laurel Hill Improvement Association, Stockbridge, 
Mass., the oldest society in the country, recently celebrated 
its fifty-first anniversary with appropriate public exercises held 
on Laurel Hill in the presence of a large gathering oC citizens. 
The program included addresses by Bishop William Mc- 
Vickar and Booker T. Washington. The following extracts 
from the secretary's report tell of some of the work accom- 
plished by the society : 
“During the fifty years that this association has been doing 
its quiet, persistent work it has planted over 2, coo trees, built 
sidewalks, laid out small parks and squares, had replaced 
through its influence a modern railroad station for the old 
building, and then assumed the care of the grounds around it, 
which the association beautified. The village cemetery has 
been given attention, the ancient burial place of the Stock- 
bridge Indians has been rescued. The association has also 
bought a street sprinkler and a snow plow; through its efforts 
lamps now twinkle along the highways. It is not too much 
to say that it is owing to the influence this association exerts 
for the general well-being of the village in countless ways 
that we have an abundant supply of fine running water, sup- 
planting the old-time wells, and the Waring system of sand 
filtration for sewage. It is also through the generous effort 
of one of our active members that our river has been re- 
deemed from being a village cesspool and general dump ; and 
we owe it to this association that the beautiful elms along the 
village streets have been sprayed by the town and saved to 
shade our streets for many years. The association has gone 
now into an even wider field of usefulness. It appeared at 
the last session of the state Legislature at the hearing in 
reference to the preservation of the native growths of our 
mountains and hills. The influence of the society has been 
used to secure favorable legislation in regard to the appoint- 
ment of a state forester and also better protection from the 
tramp nuisance. 
At the annual meeting of the association the report of the 
treasurer showed the receipts of the year to be $2,477, and 
the expenditures. $968. Rev. Dr. Arthur Lawrence was elected 
president. Miss Agnes W. Canning, secretary, and D. B. Fenn, 
treasurer. 
