THE FIEST COmilSSIOX 



37 



Tiie 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 [NTathan F. 

 Barrett, Ehrenberg & TVebster, John Bogart and G-ray & 

 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 count}' map, upon which, after studying the 

 topography of the whole county below the Second Mountain 

 — the relative populations, etc., etc. — ^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' plait. 



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- 



