House and Garden 
the owner of the building to prepare a 
lunch and the customary drinkables, 
especially the drinkables for all hands 
engaged on the building. Of course, 
it generally wound up in a mild kind of a 
spree, but it was the custom, and no one 
who amounted to anything ever refused 
to give a ‘topping out. ’ 1 he best kind 
of punches were often provided for ‘top¬ 
ping out,’ though in later years it ran 
down to beer. In the days when ale was 
the drink I have known of a barrel of ale 
being used at a ‘topping out,’ besides a 
barrel of sandwiches. The day Dr. 
Hall ‘topped out’ his house on C Street, 
near Four-and-one-half Street, which, 
by the way, was the first brownstone 
front ever put up in this city, he not only 
furnished all the ale and porter necessary 
but used up three baskets of fried chick¬ 
ens, cakes and other things. It was 
the talk of the town for years, 
among mechanics. There were also a 
number of other famous ‘topping outs.’ 
Mayor Berret ‘topped out’ his house on 
H Street, between Fourteenth and Fif¬ 
teenth Streets, with fine champagne, as 
did also Mr. Galt, the jeweller, who 
built a house next to him. Many of the 
hod-carriers were given bucketfuls of 
cakes, cookies and sandwiches at the 
close of the ‘topping out. ’ But those 
days have passed, and when anything is 
said to the owners of houses being built 
these days they express ignorance of the 
custom, and decline to observe it when 
it is explained to them .”—Washington 
Star. 
CLIMBING FOR WATER 
TN the far southwest of America it is 
a current saying that “the natives 
climb for water and dig for wood,” 
which being interpreted, means that 
water for drinking-purposes is kept in 
an earthen jar or olla upon the top of 
the house, where, by means of the more 
rapid evaporation, the contents of the 
jar are kept continually cool. The dig¬ 
ging for wood is explained by the fact 
that the only timber through much of 
that region is the mesquit, a low-growing 
shrub rather than a tree, the roots of 
which are very hard and make excellent 
fuel. The mesquit groves are a striking 
feature, of the wide level expanses of 
these regions. From a distance they 
look like peach orchards. Besides pro¬ 
ducing fuel the mesquit tree bears a bean 
which is used as an important article 
{Continued on page 8 .) 
The American Civic Association 
gave life, force and direction to the popular demand for the preservation of Niagara 
Falls. It is now fully recognized as the guardian of the people’s interest in the great 
cataract, maintaining a constant watch on the power situation. 
It originated and is the moving force in the nation-wide effort to restrict the ex¬ 
tension of ugliness by having billboards legally taxed, as is other productive property. 
It has advanced the children’s garden movement, and was instrumental in 
securing a Congressional appropriation for school gardens in the District of Columbia. 
It has secured the enactment of a model street-tree law in Pennsylvania, and is 
teaching the intelligent care of trees the country over. 
It is giving guidance and effective direction to the widespread and rapidly growing 
movement for the abatement of the smoke nuisance. 
It helps in progressive city-making, and is continually arousing and fostering 
sentiment for civic beauty, for clean streets and home surroundings, for convenient 
and serviceable parks, for playgrounds—in short, for every form of civic betterment. 
Growing Demand for Help 
If Niagara is to be permanently preserved, there 
must be an international agreement. Legislative 
campaigns must be made in every state to secure 
laws restricting and taxing billboards. Public 
sentiment must be further aroused in favor of forest 
reservations. From every section of the country 
there come calls for concrete assistance. 
More Members are Needed 
The American Civic Association is a voluntary 
organization of persons working to make America 
the most beautiful country in the world. The fine 
work it has done was accomplished solely with the 
dues and contributions of members and interested 
friends. The demands upon it require for it greater 
resources in membership and more liberal support. 
The careful coordination and economical execution of its working plans enable the 
American Civic Association to render invaluable service at small cost, for it is free 
from cumbersome machinery of organization and in position to do things — to do 
them speedily, quickly and thoroughly. This is a direct appeal for YOU to become a 
member. Use the coupon below or a copy of it in remitting. 
AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
J. Horace McFarland, President 
Clinton Rogers Woodruff, Vice-Pres. and Acting Secretary 
William B. Howland, Treasurer 
Robert C. Ogden, Cliairnian Advisory Com. 
Recent and Forthcoming Literature 
The Americ.Tn Civic Association has made many important additions to the authoritative literature 
of civic endeavor. Other documents of notable value will be published in the early future. Members re¬ 
ceive the literature as currently published, without charge. The material they thus obtain in the course of a 
year in itself is worth a great deal more than the membership fee. Some specimen subjects are as follows: 
1 
AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION, Philadelphia, Pa. 
/ enclose S- 
and wish to be enrolled as 
a_ 
member of the American Civic 
Association. 
NAME_ 
Life Membership, $50 or more 
Sustaining “ $10 a 
Club " $5 a 
Councillors’ “ $5 a 
Annual “ $3 a 
year 
year 
year 
year 
ADDRESS 
Billboards and Their Regulations. 
A Symposium. 
Good Roads and Civic Improvement. 
By D. VVard King. 
Improvement of Home Grounds. 
By Warren H. Manning. 
Mosquitos and How to Abate Them. 
By F. L. Olmsted and H.C.Weeks. 
Play and Playgrounds. 
By Joseph Lee. 
Public Comfort Stations. 
By F rederick L. Ford. 
Railroad Improvements. 
By Mrs. A. E. McCrea. 
Recreation Centers. 
By Graham Romeyn Taylor. 
Removal of Overhead Wires. 
By Frederick L. Ford. 
School Gardens. By W. A. Baldwin. 
Trees in Cities. 
By ]. Horace McFarland. 
The Smoke Nuisance. ASymposium. 
BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 
Lost in the Forbidden Land River and Jungle 
The Hunt of the White Elephant 
by Edward S. Ellis 
These new books by the most popular boys’ author, comprises the “Foreign Adventure 
Series,” and are sold at $i.oo each, or $3.00 for the set, neatly boxed. 
A Heroine of the Wilderness By Love’s Sweet Rule 
by Hezekiah Butterworth by Gabrielle Emilie Jackson 
The story of Lincoln’s mother. Price $1.00 • A touching and sympathetic story 
for girls. Price $0.75 
THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Philadelphia 
PUBLISHERS OF “ INTERNATIONAL ” BIBLES 
In loriting to advertisers please mention House and Garden'. 
5 
