254 



FIEST COrXTY PAEK SYSTEM 



the meeting of xv'oTember 25^ by nnaninioTis rote. South 

 Orange avenne, "from the westerly line of Ridgevood road, 

 westerly to the western boundary of South Orange/' was 

 transferred to the eonmiission ''for the purpose of the park 

 act."' Owing to a modification of the Park Board plans, the 

 avenue was never accepted; but the transfer on the part of 

 the authorities was thus promptly effected. 



The ordinance transferring the short end of Park and 

 Central avenues in West Orange, was introduced at the 

 Township Committee's i^ovember meeting, finally passed 

 at the next meeting, and officially reported to the Park 

 Board on ]S[ovember 20, 1897. 



The application for Brookside avenue was not made until 

 May, 1897, but the transfer was promptly made and ac- 

 cepted by the Park Commission September 11, 1897. In 

 the board's official report for 1897 this reference ( ^ 1^) 

 occurs : "The Brookside road, which has been traii^ieirrd 

 to the commission by the Millburn authorities, has been im- 

 proved and is an excellent example of the way a neglected 

 road can at slight expense be converted into a delightful 

 pleasure drive. The entire drive of two miles has been 

 drained, widened, graded and stoned at a cost of $3,000." 

 Thus, from the Park Board's own standpoint this improve- 

 ment was used as an illustration, and as an example of how 

 existing avenues could be at comparatively slight expense 

 converted into partn'ays. This, if important for a moun- 

 tain roadway, how vastly more important was the practical 

 application of the same principle to the two great connect- 

 ing parkways so vital to the whole park system. 



The transfer of Mt. Prospect avenue, West Orange, was 

 not requested by the Park Board umtil March, 1898, but was 

 made without delay or objection, the local authorities being 

 anxious to co-operate with the Park Commission in securing 

 park^vay benefits for their localities, rather than opposing 

 such improvements for years, under the blighting influence 

 of the corporations, as in the ease of Park and Central 

 avenues. 



On January 16, 1903. the Supreme Court rendered a de- 



