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Show REAL'GOUNTRY CLUB Unique Organization Whsre Dues Are Only $5 a Year. From Clay Hills and Unsanitary Ravines Ra-vines Came Golf Links Carpeted With the "Forgiveness cf Nature" Na-ture" and a Beauty Spot. Trenton, Mo. When a stranger, who incidentally finds out that Trenton, Mo., is a town of some 0,000 inhabitants, inhabi-tants, and just a railroad division town and agricultural trading point at that, hears that there is a country club with golf links there, he invariably shows some astonishment. There is a general gen-eral impression that golf, like appendicitis, appendi-citis, is an exclusive affair, the natural natu-ral privilege of a prosperous if not pampered class. There is also some ' general idea of the cost of membership In golf clubs, and the dues alone aro usually prohibitive to people of moderate moder-ate income. This feature alone is keeping the enthusiasm of the sport from takiug root with the masses. w- Now, golf is not an expensive game in itself. It merely hnst extravagant associations. It is easily within the reach of people of limited means, if they will do their own organizing. And the Trenton organization is a splendid example of this, as well as of civic improvement. im-provement. The dues are $6 a year not $G per capita, but 56 for each family. fam-ily. It's a family affair, and as such most uniquely enjoyable. From meager material the Trenton-ites Trenton-ites made their country club. It was a mat of buck brush, briars and thistles. The clay hills boasted little grass. The view was broken, the ravines unsanitary, unsani-tary, having been used in times past as a dump ground, and there was lit tie about the place to prove inviting, It is different now. You may travel thousands of miles to find such a beauty spot. The trees have been trimmed, the ravines cleaned, the blue grass, responding quickly to the cara of mower and rake, has carpeted the little park like velvet, and one can sit on the steps of the cozy rustic clubhouse club-house at the end of a winding drive and gaze on four bends of the river Trenton Country Club's Home. threading its way through some 2C miles of green country. The nominal dues and an initiation fee of $10 a family with many contributions -of labor la-bor or material made the change. Many things the members made witb their own hands. The Riverside Country club attracts more attention from strangers than everything ev-erything else in Trenton. There is no other like it. It contains by constitutional constitu-tional limit 100 families. Its clubhouse club-house is built of slabs or mill ends of native lumber so put on a wood frame that they resemble logs. Th'jismts the entire house cost but $28. Inside is a small dancing floor, lockers con- taining cooking utensils and golf clubs and some rough furniture. A huge stone fireplace lends cheer on autumn evenings. Outside are tennis courts, croquet grounds and other means of amusement. Here dally crowds of people find fresh air, recreation for mind and body, communion with nature na-ture and wholesome intercourse. They come as families, bringing their suppers sup-pers with them or cooking over the open fire. Those who have them come -In autos, but the majority drive or walk, for the distance is short. The golf course is not the longest or fastest fast-est in the state, but It will compare-fnvorably compare-fnvorably wllh many that are maintained main-tained in cities of many times the size, by clubs whose dues and fees are beyond be-yond the reach of the average tradesman trades-man or mechanic. That the spirit that prompted the organization was not wholly one of frivolity may be judged from the introductory intro-ductory page of the handsome 111 tie year book published by the club. It says: The heart nf civilized man by Intuition turns back to Nalun Tired by the mill nf cornm'Tce. resl ra i ned by 1 1 1 r- Indium of labor, unstrung by the a uxiel ics nml tremiositics of a life of affairs, his mind, his body and his soul se--k Hie relief jLf-fordi jLf-fordi d by I be fresh air. the open skv. Um KH-t-n Hl'iSS. the (fees II II1 tile (.,wera. This human tendency to ieave the prison -if trrtflic and. on occasion, seek the p-.t. and freedom of God's Kioat onl-of-doorx. Is the key to the spirit that founded tin Riverside Country Club. |