214 



MIDDLESEX PELLS. 



income can be derived from a well-managed forest, as is 

 proved by European experience ; that the forests increase 

 and preserve the water-supply by storing up the spring and 

 fall rains and protecting the springs from drying up ; that 

 a natural park would offer valuable educational facilities and 

 lead the people to study the rocks and flowers, and especially 

 our New England forest-trees ; that here the city child could 

 catch his first glimpse of Nature, and the overworked profes- 

 sional or business man and the tired laborer could find recre- 

 ation and relief ; that the " appreciation of the beauty and use 

 of absolutely rugged and wild scenery" 1 would become general. 

 A more serious aspect of the subject is presented to the 

 mind when we recall the difficulties with which Boston is 

 now contending in preserving the purity of her water-supplies. 

 Even the town of Winchester, situated within the basin of 

 one of Boston's supplies, is fighting the owner of a large pig- 

 gery which lies upon the water-shed of her own reservoir. 

 Already there are several cheap dwelling-houses upon the 

 water-shed of Spot Pond, 2 and the rapid growth of Stoneham 

 will, before many years, wake the people who drink Spot Pond 

 water to a realization of their folly in not securing the water- 

 shed for public park purposes, and thus preserving the purity 

 of the water. Moreover, the large increase in population and 

 valuation of all five municipalities during the past five years 3 

 emphasizes the desirability, from every point of view, of estab- 

 lishing a public park in their midst. Now is the time to act ; 

 for the four thousand acres are practically unsettled, and real 

 estate is cheap. 



i Frederick Law Olmstead, Herald, Nov. 14, 1880. 



2 Near Franklin Street. 



8 Recent growth of the municipalities within the Middlesex Fells : — 





Population. 



Ecal-Estnte Valua- 

 tion, 1885. 



1880. 



1885. ' 





12.017 

 7,573 

 4,560 

 4.J591 

 3,802 



32,843 



16,407 

 9,041 

 6,101 

 6,652 

 4,390 



41,591 



»10,C55,050 

 6,185 425 

 4,874.250 

 2.710 335 

 3,069,722 



$26,994,782 





Stoneham 









