269 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 
CONDUCTED BY 
FRANCES COPLEY SEAVEY, 
AMONG THE ASSOCIATIONS. 
A detailed account of the work of certain persons 
actively interested in civic improvement would fill 
a volume. That of Mr. Charles M. Loring of Min- 
neapolis, Minn., is so inspiring that it must prove 
helpful to all who interest themselves in similar 
lines of effort. 
Mr. Loring devotes much of his time to giving 
practical talks on improvement topics, enriching 
them by carefully-chosen stereopticon views that 
aptly illustrate the points he wishes to emphasize. 
He goes all over his state in prosecuting this ex- 
tremely attractive missionary work, wherever his 
services are asked, without money or price, and is 
doing more to build up and firmly establish an 
effective system of public improvement than the 
entire population of most states. 
This is a beautiful, free gift to mankind from a 
charming character and nothing that comes to mind 
so fitly applies to Mr. Loring and his grand endeav- 
ors as Whittier’s delightful tribute : 
“Who sows a field or trains a flower 
Or plants a tree is more than all. 
For he who blesses most is blessed ; 
And God and man may own his worth 
Who toils to leave, as his bequest. 
An added beauty to the earth.” 
It is doubtful if any one person in this country is 
doing more in that direction than the subject of 
these remarks. 
One gets ideas from the reports made at the an- 
nual meetings of improvement associations that 
have been held throughout the country during the 
past ninety days. The publication of annual reports 
is coming to be a feature among some of the leading 
societies and is an excellent plan, for a record of 
what has been accomplished by an organization is 
not only an incentive to others, but also to further 
efforts by those who have done the work. 
sk * 
The city of Newburyport, Mass., has recently 
issued and distributed a circular outlining its ob- 
jects and a partial list of its achievements since its 
organization in 1890. Through this channel we 
learn that it has equipped and presented a public 
bath house at a cost of $1,600; has prepared leaflets 
containing valuable information relating to local 
history and antiquities, and a directory of local ob- 
jects and places of interest, historical and other- 
wise ; has placed suitable tablets to mark and com- 
memorate historic spots and events; has estab- 
lished and for six years maintained ornamental 
planting on Brown square and done other planting 
of a permanent character; has “removed disfiguring 
advertisements from Goodwin’s boulder,” (that 
sounds especially satisfactory) ; has contributed to 
the fund for a soldiers’ and sailors’ monument; has 
presented some forty pictures to the public schools ; 
and has given numerous free lectures on civic em- 
bellishment and improvement. Its list of proposed 
PAEONIES AND “SMOKE” PLUMES-INTER lOR DECORATION. 
work for the present year is equally impressive. The 
officers of this vigorous association are Robert G. 
Dodge, president; John J. Currier, vice-president; 
Geo. P. Tilton, secretary; Henry B. Little, treas- 
urer. 
The Andover (Mass.) Village Improvement So- 
ciety held its annual meeting in February and the 
new officers elected are : President, Mr. Geo. T. 
Eaton; vice-presidents, Rev. F. A. Wilson, Wm. G. 
Goldsmith and Mrs. Ida M. McCurdy; secretary, 
Miss Emma J. Lincoln; treasurer, Mrs. Frances W. 
Abbott. 
The treasurer’s report reveals a prosperous finan- 
cial condition with cash on hand, after paying ex- 
penses amounting to $287.07, of $152.48. The money 
is shown to have been derived from life and annual 
