THE PAEKWAYS 



185 



other local affiliations. Tlie object of the meeting, the call 

 stated, was to secure "intimate co-operation with the Essex 

 County Park Conomission, to the end that Park and Cen- 

 tral avenues be placed in their charge as parkways, and 

 the construction of the projected north and south boule- 

 vard be insured." Henry H. Hall acted as chairman, with 

 a list of thirty or more vice-presidents. 



The speeches by Messrs. H. H. Hall, A. P. Boiler, H. G. 

 Atwater, G. E. Howe, G. S. Hulbert, W. H. Baker, G. F. 

 Seward and Hamilton Wallis were dignified, forceful and 

 to the point. A letter from Mr. Shepard was read, in 

 which he stated : "If Central and Park avenues cannot be 

 included in the park system, then new east and west park- 

 ways could not be constructed through East Orange, be- 

 cause of the great cost of the land. This would compel 

 their construction through cheaper vacant land at the north 

 and south of East Orange." 



EITTHUSIASTIC MASSMEETING. 



The hall was filled. Enthusiasm prevailed. The effect 

 of the meeting was instantaneous. The members of the 

 Township Committee who had so readily declined the park 

 commission's application but three or four weeks before, 

 and were seemingly so willing to pass the traction com- 

 pany's ordinance for one of the avenues, soon saw new 

 light. The proceedings of the meeting, with quotations 

 from the Park Commission's reports, and the official map 

 showing the avenue parkways for connecting the mountain 

 and Newark parks, was printed in pamphlet form and gen- 

 erally distributed. 



On February 15, 1897, the commission receive.d a re- 

 quest from the Township Committee for "a conference as 

 to the proposed parkways." This was held February 26. 



In the meanwhile the reader may wish to know what 

 had been going on in the Park Board rooms. There was 

 iiearly as much activity over the question there as in East 

 Orange. When the traction company showed its hands— 



