WEST PtOXBURY PAPtK. 73 



plans (27) of all the lands embraced within the bonnds 

 of Seaver street, Bine Hill avenne, Canterbnry, Morton, 

 Scarborongh and Walnnt avenne, containing 366.80 

 acres; and these divers plans were made into one by 

 William A. Garbett, civil engineer, at my expense; it 

 is dated April 9th, 1874. This was the first plan made, 

 and it was then snbmittcd to some of onr well known 

 merchants, with a fnll description of the property, and 

 it met their warm and earnest approval. 



As soon as the park commissioners were appointed, 

 in 1875, the plan and the letter were both sent to them, 

 and became the germ of the park movement; the ont- 

 lines being adopted by the commissioners, as there 

 snggested and described, and the park project was 

 secured in earnest. This original plan has recently 

 been returned to me at my request, and it now hangs 

 on the walls of the Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester, 

 as a memorial of the West Roxbury Park. 



These 366.80 acres were assessed at that time on 

 about $1,200,000, but were afterwards gradually cut 

 down to $532,000, in order to accommodate the purse 

 of the city treasurer, certainly a very great reduction in 

 valuation, while the population and wealth of Boston 

 were yearly increasing; the increase in Ward 23 being 

 26 per cent., against only 6 per cent, in the city proper. 



In obtaining a luxurious park for the citizens of Bos- 

 ton, mau}^ private individuals have l)een sacrificed; one 

 whom I well know was reduced from comparative com- 

 fort to almost dependence. lie was an old, worthy 

 merchant, doing business here nearly forty years. 

 Was it right? 



I am sure your scientific landscape gardner, Mr. 



