PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 265 



care of more than 800 people, so you can see that we have been making 

 some progress in recent years in conservation of the native forests of 

 the state. 



The park is the outgrowth of the demand of the people in congested 

 centers of population for a place to rest in the sunlight and fresh air. 

 In the older cities where land values are high, parks were little more than 

 squares with statuary, fountains, a few trees and flowers, but the larger 

 idea of a park includes trees, shrubs with meadows and flowers and 

 vistas flecked with sunlight and shadows, and all the embellishments 

 that landscape art can supply to make it beautiful and restful to those 

 weary in body and mind. In the east this larger idea of the park was 

 accepted about 1850 and sentiment in favor of it has been steadily grow- 

 ing throughout the country ever since. It did not receive much attention 

 in this state until 1880, then cities in the eastern part began to purchase 

 land for park purposes and many are now well supplied with them. Sen- 

 timent now is growing rapidly in favor of state and national parks. Peo- 

 ple are naturally gregarious and must get together occasionally for a 

 picnic and since the land is now nearly all held by private owne'rs they 

 must get permission of the owner or commit trespass. This desire for 

 public grounds has developed rapidly on account of the automobile to 

 provide a place where the weary traveler may stop by the wayside for 

 a few hours rest or pitch a tent and stay a week or two in some shady 

 nook or near placid waters to restore shattered nerves and rest a weary 

 body from the daily grind of an exacting business world. This asso- 

 ciation has had much to do in creating sentiment in favor of public 

 parks in this state. 



Conservation was almost a negligible factor with the pioneer, except 

 the protection of his family and property. The destruction of the native 

 flora has gone on rapidly, some are almost extinct. Of the fauna not much 

 remains, except the cotton-tail, it and the rat seem to thrive remarkably 

 well in the environments of a city. In the early seventies farmers pro- 

 tested against a hoard of nimrods swarming into harvest fields when the 

 grain was in shocks, shooting at chickens without regard to the rights 

 of the owner, oft-times setting fire to stubbles and wounding the cattle. 

 A commission was appointed and out of that effort grew our present 

 regulations for taking fish and game in the state. It does seem a little 

 incongruous to charge for the privilege of carrying a gun and not pro- 

 vide a place to shoot, except into the air or waters of the state. 



The removal of trees from the steep hills has caused erosion and, de- 

 stroyed much of their value for agriculture and filled the channels of 

 the streams with sediment resulting in overflows during heavy rains and 

 much damage to adjacent property. But the most deplorable phase of 

 the situation is the practice of befouling the water with the sewage from 

 cities until self-respecting fishes cannot live therein and the life and 

 health of both man and beast are endangered when they come in contact 

 with it. Water is a good conveyor of dross from the home, but it should 

 not be returned to the river again until it is as pure as when taken from 

 the main that supplied it. Here is real work for the medical profession, 

 the sanitary engineers and chemists to remove this source of pollution 



