PARK AND ce.me:te:ry 
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ture by Miss Mira Loyd Dock, of Harrisburg, Pa., en- 
titled “An Improvement Pilgrimage.” Miss Dock, 
who has recently been appointed a member of the 
Pennsylvania State Board of Forestry, described her 
l^ictures suggestively and forcibly and her selection 
of views covered a wide range of outdoor art, her 
2)oints being emphasized by some vivid contrasts. The 
meeting opened with an address of welcome by Dr. 
Matthew D. Mann, of the Buffalo Board of Park 
Commissioners, which was responded to by Hon. John 
L. Zimmerman, Springfield, O., president of the 
League. 
The more formal proceedings were inaugurated on 
Tuesday, August 13, and were opened at 10:30 a. m. 
by the president. The program called for reports of 
affiliated associations, and a most instructive and in- 
teresting morning session was the result. Reports 
were read from Keokuk, la., Elmira, N. Y., Galves- 
ton, Tex., Austin, Tex., Spokane, Wash., Marissa, 
111 ., Tarpon Springs, Fla., etc. Miss Dock spoke of 
the work in Harrisburg and its vicinity and gave some 
details of the working of the several associations. 
Mrs. Conde Hamlin, St. Paul, Minn., entertained the 
gathering by a very spirited account of the work of the 
St. Paul Civic Improvement League, of which she is 
evidently the moving spirit. The women of this as- 
sociation appear to be well versed in the devious ways 
of politics and their chief efforts were directed to- 
wards the city council. Under the leadership of Mrs. 
Hamlin the garbage nuisance has been regulated, and 
a law has been adopted empowering the park depart- 
ment to plant trees and cut grass throughout the city. 
Last year at a general election the league secured the 
passage of a new city charter, which while, according 
to Mrs. Hamlin, it is not perfect, is far in advance of 
the old one and indeed is based on altogether modern 
lines. It gives to the city of St. Paul absolute home 
rule. The league has secured the co-operation of the 
several departments of the city administration and 
great improvements have resulted in all directions 
thus far undertaken. Large powers have been vested 
in the Health Commissioners, and being an energetic 
and high-class official, the Ladies League have had a 
most efficient and public spirited partner. In describ- 
ing the methods employed to secure such good results 
Mrs. Hamlin’s remarks were eagerly listened to. Be- 
fore any campaign work is begun every item of in- 
formation possible to secure is obtained, collated and 
tabulated, so that with the arraignment of facts at 
hand no delay is permitted and the work is carried 
along until success is attained. In the fight on the 
bill-board nuisance a suggestion was made that they 
be made artistic productions where permissible at all. 
Mr. H. B. Beck, of Austin, Texas, followed and in- 
fused genuine humor into his historical description of 
the march of improvement in that vicinity. The work 
is comparatively in its infancy, but he assured his 
hearers that a progressive spirit was rapidly develop- 
ing, and there were many practical signs of its pres- 
ence. But the problems were difficult — climatic con- 
ditions as well as those pertaining to population com- 
pelled solutions differing from those successful else- 
where. 
A pathetic feature was the report of Mrs. H. A. 
Landes, president of the Women’s Health Protective 
Association of Galveston, Tex., in which suggestions 
were made concerning the appropriateness of me- 
morial work in connection with improvement in that 
recently stricken city. 
A vigorous address on the improvements carried 
out at Tarpon Springs, Fla., was made by Mrs. W. F. 
Meres, who has been the moving spirit in making the 
desert “blossom as the rose” in that semi-tropical lo- 
cality. She demonstrated that improvement and 
beauty were possible of accomplishment even where 
the population was of so different characteristics. It 
had taken years of effort, but the school house and 
the cemetery would contrast favorably with any in the 
country. 
The afternoon session was devoted to short papers 
and addresses. Mr. E. L. Shuey, Dayton, O., opened 
the session and spoke of the improvements of home 
grounds. He was followed by Mr. Starr Cadwallader, 
Cleveland, O., who, in the absence of Mr. W. H. 
Moulton, gave a very interesting account of the work 
of the Cleveland Home Gardening Association and 
the Goodrich Settlement. He detailed briefly the his- 
tory of the movement and gave details of the success 
attending the work in the public schools. Penny pack- 
ages of easily grown flowering annuals were sold to 
such pupils as desired to purchase them, the packages 
being made up by the promoters from wholesale pur- 
chases, and comprising some nice varieties. The 
teachers were also induced to give short talks just 
about planting time upon preparation of soil, effects 
of rain and sunshine and proper care and attention 
necessary. The scheme was an eminent success, 
48,866 packages having been sold to the children, and 
the sales covered all the expenses. Reports of the 
work of the children were secured and were very 
gratifying, moreover, and the good did not end with 
the children, but many institutions were supplied with 
flowers by the interested little home gardeners. The 
influence of the undertaking was such that on a sug- 
gestion being made that the park authorities might 
keep up the interest by planting certain squares with 
early blooming bulbs, these officials cheerfully ac- 
quiesced and the great work begun in 1900, is bear- 
ing more fruit this current year. In the course of the 
discussion which followed it was admitted that the dis- 
tribution of free seeds did not meet with results like 
the above, and that a small charge was exhilarating. 
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