94 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 209. 



and abrupt than it is likely to be without this modifying effect, 

 and such a postponement of the coming change is in every 

 way desirable. If the farmers and land-owners of the shore 

 towns can adapt themselves to the new conditions of life and 

 make a good living out of their land, they would better hold 

 on to it and stay where they arp . But the army of summer 

 incursionists will win in time, and will ultimately "occupy the 

 land," as few American farmers have foresight enough to hold 

 out against the offer of " a good price." 



10. For any considerable improvement or development of the 

 resources of these towns two things are indispensable — first, 

 a readier acceptance of the necessity of downright hard work ; 

 and, second, a greater flexibility of mind and disposition on 

 the part of many of the native inhabitants, enabling them to 

 recognize the changing conditions of the time, and to take 

 advantage of the opportunities which these changes present. 



11. Although this movement and incursion of a new popu- 

 lation is going on all around them, many of the native inhab- 

 itants are not aware of it. They know that two or three farms 

 near them have been sold and have heard that a land com- 

 pany has bought a stretch of shore in the next town, but they 

 do not put these things together or see their connection 

 with a general movement. They have not observed that there 

 is any movement or tendency in any direction, except that 

 " times have been getting worse for some years now." They 

 " rail at fortune in good set terms," and would rather rail than 

 work. They lament the decay of the old good times, when 

 their town had a fleet of several hundred sail and every man 

 on Cape Cod was the captain of a ship, and they have no per- 

 ception of the chances which the present time offers to reso- 

 lute and capable men, and they thus sometimes neglect and 

 reject opportunities of great value. 



12. Some of the native people have a feeling of impatience 

 regarding the changed conditions around them. They are 

 depressed and snappish, and so make unfavorable impres- 

 sions on strangers who are looking for land, or studying the 

 country with a view to a choice of regions for investment. 

 They do not think of the possible effect of civility or its oppo- 

 site upon their own interests and affairs. One man, who found 

 that he had been rude at the wrong time, remarked, in his 

 astonishment, " I didn't suppose he was lookin' for land. I 

 could a' sold him just the piece he wanted." 



13. A wholesome competition in hotel-keeping would be a 

 great benefit to some of the towns. There are some excellent 

 houses which attract summer visitors, and give to all strangers 

 favorable impressions of the country. Others reminded me 

 of the mining-camp lodging-houses in the Rocky IVTountain 

 and Coast-range regions, and these hotels exert a potent in- 

 fluence in keeping people away from their neighborhood. I 

 saw a New York man treated very uncivilly by the clerk and 

 the company of hangers-on in the office of one of these 

 houses. As we walked to the railway station next morning 

 he remarked : " Some men are naturally civil ; they are born 

 that way ; and a man with any sense learns to be civil because 

 business requires it; but some infernal fools won't be civil 

 even when they could make money by it." In another place 

 I was talking with a town officer by the road-side, early in the 

 morning, when some Boston people came along. They had 

 passed the night at the hotel, and, finding it intolerable, had 

 started out tO- try to find breakfast somewhere else. The ladies 

 of the party were homesick, and wished they could take a 

 train for Boston at once without waiting for anything to eat. 

 The men joked the resident about his town and the hotel. He 

 laughed, but made a gesture of vexation as he replied : " Yes, 

 it's an old story. Everybody complains. Those who go there 

 never want to see the place again. It would pay the town to 

 buy the house and shut it up." 



14. All the pleasant and comfortable sites along the sea- 

 shore of Massachusetts are likely to be taken up, either by 

 summer dwellers or permanent residents, before any general 

 attention is given to the interests involved. The movement 

 toward the shore has only fairly begun, and it is certain to in- 

 crease with the density of the population of our country and 

 the growth of wealth. Even now along vast reaches of the 

 coast there is no area outside of the narrow highway to which 

 the public has a right to resort to enjoy the sight or air of the 

 sea. These conditions will be intensified, and the people of 

 the state will be excluded from all interesting and attractive 

 portions of the shore. These are abnormal and undesirable 

 conditions, unfavorable to civilization, and all possible wisdom 

 and foresight should be employed in the effort to secure ade- 

 quate open spaces for public resort at different places along 

 the coast. 



15. Two questions constantly present themselves to one ob- 

 serving present conditions and tendencies in the shore towns. 



a. Should there not be a broad public road or highway, or 

 strip of public land, along the whole length of the sea-shore of 

 the state ? It need not always follow the water's edge, per- 

 haps, but could be carried inland above the worst marshes. 



b. Would it not be well to consider the question of limiting 

 the length of the shore-line or ocean front of private holdings ? 

 The extent of the shore-line of the state is impassably limited, 

 while the population of the country is certain to increase to an 

 extent which is now almost unimaginable. Is it consistent with 

 the public welfare that a few persons should have absolute 

 possession and control of unlimited areas of the shore ? What 

 are the actual benefits which a man derives from the exclusive 

 ownership and occupancy of four or five miles of sea-shore ? 

 What are the reasons which justify such a monopoly ? The 

 problem of title to the shore, and of the use and enjoyment of 

 it by the people of the state, will in time be a vital and im- 

 portant public question here. 



16. The subject of adequate playgrounds is forcing itself 

 upon public attention in some of the shore towns, where the 

 right of peaceable assembly out-of-doors is denied to boys, and 

 they have no right to meet anywhere in the open air for athletic 

 exercises, amusement or self-improvement. Every village and 

 neighborhood should have out-of-door places of resort for 

 the happy play and education of the children and youth of the 

 region. 



17. Some methods of acquiring public reservations are 

 already provided by law in ]\lassachusetts. There is, I believe, 

 no general law under which towns may acquire land for the 

 establishment of a system of water-supply. The towns which 

 have done this have acted under separate special acts. But 

 there is an act which enables water boards of towns to con- 

 demn land to protect the purity of their water-supply. 



18. Chapter 157 of the laws of 1885 enables village improve- 

 ment associations to improve public grounds or open spaces 

 in any of the streets, highways or townways which the town 

 may designate as not needed for public travel. They may 

 grade, drain or curb such spaces, may set out shade or orna- 

 mental trees, lay out flower-plats, erect fences or railings, and 

 otherwise improve such spaces, subject to the authority of the 

 Selectmen or Road Commissioners. Approved April 13, 

 1885. 



19. The Public Domain Act, approved May 25, 1882, au- 

 thorizes a public domain loan and the taking of land by any 

 town or city for the preservation, reproduction and culture of 

 forest-trees, and for the sake of the wood and timber thereon, 

 or for the preservation of the water-supply of such town or city. 

 The title of all lands taken under this act shall vest in the com- 

 monwealth, and shall be held in perpetuity for the benefit of 

 the town or city in which sucli land is situated. I think no ac- 

 tion has ever been taken under the provisions of this law, and 

 it is. not likely that it will ever be carried into effect in prac- 

 tice. 



20. Under the Park Act, approved April 13, 1882, towns and 

 cities may take land within their limits for parks by vote of two- 

 thirds of the legal voters present and voting in a legal town 

 meeting called for the purpose, or in a city by the vote of two- 

 thirds of each branch of the Council. The act authorizes 

 bonds for a public park loan. Land beyond their own limits 

 cannot be reached by towns or cities under this act. A num- 

 ber of towns have taken action under its provisions. 



21. In Chapter 109 of the Laws of 1882 county commissioners 

 are required, on request of ten or more freeholders, to ascer- 

 tain the correct location of a public landing if it is doubtful or 

 not readily known, to erect necessary bounds, and to make 

 record of their proceedings, as in the case of highways. 



22. The act to incorporate the Trustees of Public Reserva- 

 tions, approved April 21, 1891, confers powers which are prac- 

 tically almost unlimited within the scope of the objects for 

 which the board was created. The corporation is authorized 

 to acquire and hold by grant, devise, purchase or otherwise 

 real estate, such as it may deem worthy of preservation for 

 the enjoyment of the public, to the value of a million dol- 

 lars, and another million of real and personal property to pay 

 for taking care of the first million's worth, and to support or 

 promote the objects of the corporation. The board can apply 

 and use its funds in any way or manner adapted to support or 

 promote these objects. No doubt the limitation as to amount 

 could be extended if necessary, so that the board could receive 

 and hold all that may be offered to it. It was understood at 

 the time of its passage that this act would meet a want 

 already existing, that some persons had property which they 

 wished to transfer to such a corporation to be held for pub- 

 lic uses, and that such gifts would be offered at once. The 

 immediate consummation of such purposes would be a useful 

 advertisement of the objects of the board. 



