41 



parks would be taken for any other purpose than recreation 

 and pleasure of the people. He was followed by Hx-Senator 

 George M. S. Schulz, President of the Taxpayers* Alliance, 

 who said : 



" The people of this borough appreciate the magnificent sys- 

 tem of Parks in which Crotona Park is so well situated. The 

 advantage — and I speak especially to the boys and girls here 

 — which comes to us with the freedom of this park imposes a 

 reciprocal obligation on us to take care of it, preserve it anil 

 help to keep it beautiful." Joseph P. Hennessy followed him 

 and said it was the duty of the public to support the Park t 

 Commissioner for protection of the parks. 



" I stand with those who are opposed to taking any part of 

 these parks for purposes other than those for which they 

 originally were intended." he added. 



Mrs. \Y. W. Niles drew aside the flag, while the cornetist 

 played, but very strangely, the crowd of children did not sing, 

 though some of the audience did. Troop No. 120, Scout 

 Master D. M. Bull, were the guard of honor at Crotona and 

 Battery D, 2d Field Artillery, were on duty also. 



The most picturesque scene was in Bronx Park, which was 

 reached at 3.30 and as the program called for 3.45, Cornetist 

 Stahl obligingly played "Marching Through Georgia," "Kil- 

 larney " and the "Last Rose of Summer." 



Soon Battery D hove in sight and it was the wonder and 

 admiration of all how they covered the ground so quickly with 

 their heavy guns and caissons, from Crotona to Bronx. Un- 

 der the bow-bridge they cantered, guidons fluttering in the 

 breeze, horses prancing and shaking their heads and manes 

 which with the red-trimmed blue uniforms of the men made 

 a picture of life and color. As they drew up below the falls 

 standing by the gorge, under the bow-bridge, with the roar 

 of rushing waters making speaking difficult, Chancellor Mac- 

 Cracken said : 



" Bronx Park is the home of three societies of New York, 

 two of them already great, the third to be greater next year 



