A CHANGE OF COMMISSIONERS 169 
No acknowledgment or reply to this letter was ever re- 
ceived, and I never saw or heard from Judge Depue again. 
In the afternoon of the same,day, and the day following my 
conversation with Mr. Bramhall, April 21, 1897, the ap- 
pointment was announced in open court. The announce- 
ment was noticeable for its brevity. It also occasioned com- 
ment for not giving the public the slightest suggestion or 
intimation, any more than had been given privately to Mr. 
Bramhall, as to the reasons the judge had for making the 
change. This was in marked contrast to his extended re- 
marks in making the change in the appointment of two 
commissioners two years before, as quoted from at length 
in Chapter IV of this history. Moreover, this change 
involved the displacement of a commissioner who had served 
continuously from the time of the appointment of the first 
commission in June, 1894. The judge said: 
“T have the appointment to make of a park commissioner, 
to take the place of Mr. Kelsey. I appoint George W. 
Bramhall, whom I regard as capable and efficient. He has 
served as a temporary commissioner and is much interested 
in the work. As regards the situation now I consider the 
appointment a judicious one.” 
APPRECIATION FROM THE PUBLIC. 
The Newark Sunday Call, in editorially commenting 
upon the appointment, referred to it as appearing to do 
“some injustice to Commissioner Kelsey, whose place is 
taken and who was chosen originally in preference to Mr. 
Bramhall. Mr. Kelsey’s services have been satisfactory to 
the public, but it is gratifying that his successor is known 
as a man of taste, experience in business affairs and of spe- 
cial knowledge in this work.” This sentiment was quite 
generally expressed throughout the county. The commen- 
dations of various county papers, and the letters and other 
personal expressions of appreciation and approval of my 
