THE FIRST COMMISSION 3” 
The request was complied with, and this was the last pub- 
lic work that received the attention of that great specialist 
in park designing. The other architects were Nathan F. 
Barrett, Ehrenberg & Webster, John Bogart and Gray & 
Blaisdell. The agreement with each was specific and well 
understood in advance. They were, as park experts, “turned 
loose in the county,” figuratively speaking. Each was en- 
gaged to act entirely and wholly independent of the other. 
Each received a county map, upon which, after studying the 
topography of the whole county below the Second Mountain 
—the relative populations, etc., ete——was to be marked in 
a way indicating the locations of such parks and connecting 
parkways as, in his (or their) judgment, would provide the 
best park system, as viewed from the standpoint of the 
whole county. In this view the needs and conveniences of 
the denser populations were to be considered. The maps, 
when completed and marked as indicated, were to become 
the property of the commission. The necessary expenses 
in making the investigations were to be met by the board, 
but the compensation was for a fixed fee, which was in each 
case very reasonable; for it was understood that the plans 
to be submitted were on the principle of competitive designs, 
and the architect (or firm) making the most acceptable de- 
sign and report would very naturally have an advanced posi- 
tion for future engagement should their plans be carried 
out. 
THE EXPERTS’ PLAN. 
Under this arrangement the commission received the five 
plans and full reports for what, in view of all the circum- 
stances, was an exceedingly reasonable price, viz.: a total 
cost of but $2,372.13. 
In a number of important features, their recommenda- 
tions, such as the location of Branch Brook Park, Newark, 
the acquirement and retention of Central avenue and Park 
avenue as parkways, and the location of large areas for 
mountain parks and reservations, all agreed, and were, after 
careful study, found to be in full accord with the convic- 
