THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
27 
piiiiiiiiinniiiiin iiiiiiin iiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiii nil iim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiii imiiii iim nun iiiiiiiiiiiinn iiniiiiiiiiiii nnii ininnii iiniiiiiiiiiii i iii mil niiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiirni niiiiintnniii^ 
I American Association of Park Superintendents | 
John F. Walsh. Jr.. President, Xci^' Yurk. 
HENRY VV. BUSCH, Detroit, Mich. 
HERMAN W. MERKEL, New York, N. Y. 
K. W. CoTTERiLL, Sce.-Treas., Seattle, Washington. 
I'iee-Presidents 
CLARENCE L. BROCK, Houston, Te 
ERNST STREHLE, St. Louis, Mo. 
ALEX. .STUART, Ottawa, Canada 
CHARLES W. DAVIS, Memphis, Tenn. 
iiiiiini iiiiini I mill nil i I i iiiniinnmmi i i: mmiminiiiniiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiunnimimiiiii niiinimimiiiiii i imiii :iiii iiiinnniiiiii in iiiiimm i mmiii ;^ 
Winniiieg. Can. ; A. W. Cowell. State College, Pa. ; E. B. DeGroot, 
Sau Fraudsoci: il. R. Liuscutt. Kansas Cit.v, llo. 
Filiiiiiiiimmiiinnnm: 
JANUARY REMINDERS ON WHAT THEY ARE 
ACCOMPLISHING. 
\\i> inu 'if til lia\c le' lilts fioni tlir cdinmittees on Xomendature 
and alsd Bird Preservation for the February issue of the Chroxuxe. 
I icail with iiitciest tie secretary s enninieiit on the absence of 
must ct' llio Xew Liiglaiiil lacnileis and will liave tri afjvee with 
him that tluy I'ave bei n >adly missed at tlie hist two conventions. 
As there are several i^ast presidents among their number, from 
wliiini ill t'..e I a~i wo could .ih\ays expect something new and pro- 
j;iessivc ill lark niattcis. we inisfed tl-ese members very much. 
Well here's hoping we may see them all in St. Louis this fall. 
I have received seveial communicati^ms fiom members, contain- 
ing very good suggestions, which I hojie to see Jiut in practice vet y 
soon. Hut 1 expected a great many more and want to again ask 
the meml;erfi| to bear in mind that all suggestions will lie ap- 
preciated. 
The members should send p'notographs of buildings, playgrounds, 
athletic fields, stadiums or any other interesting work which they 
may have. Kach issue should contain several photographs in con- 
junction witii the reports and notes as it would tend to make our 
official organ more attractive, also perhaps help other members 
decide on the style of building or work for their particlular system. 
Again 1 ask every member to boost for the best attended con- 
vention at St. Louis next fall. Urge every member you know who 
is doubtful of attending to come along. Til warrant from what I 
saw of the St. Louis officials and other citizens two years ago, on 
the return of the members from the coast when we stopped ofi' for 
a day in that city, that they will make everything so aureeable 
tliat no one will regret attending. A large attendance will tend to 
increase the membership and adiaiice the aims of the organization, 
and that, I lielieve, is what every member wishes to see accom- 
plished. 
Xow fellow members when you receive the Chkonki.e don't just 
glance over tliis and then liy it aside, but make u]i your miiiils to 
do something to furtber the interests of tliis oigiuiization. Pe up 
and doiii^ and do it now. 
JOHX F. WAI>SIL .Tr.. President 
]•;. K. Sheinian. Commissioner of Parks at Sioux Falls. South 
Dakota, and a memlier of the association for many years, died last 
June, the secretary has recently learned. 
Kvery member should read the article "A Park Superintendent's 
Funetion." which will be found elsewhere in this issue. It is a 
most valuable contribution and should be called to the attention of 
commissioners, as it is brim full of hard facts liy one wlio knows 
from practical experience. 
Tliis article was the annual address of Past President E. T. 
Misclie at the Xew Orleans ennvention. but was not delivered in 
full, its .Mr. Misclie very modestly eiirlniled it on accourit of the 
short time allotted, heme it will be of inii'cst even to those who 
attended the convention. 
Frederick Law Olmsted's paper, ••Playgrounds in I'arks From a 
Designer's .Standpoint," ha,'-, attracted a great deal of attention. 
having been printed in a number of publications of national circula- 
tion. The papers and addresses of our Xew Orleans con\'ention. by 
Olmstead. Sialey. Weir and Jlische oimstitute, in the jud.gment 
of many, the most valuable group of contributions to our work of 
an.v single convention in recent .years. 
The jiroceedings of our X'ew Orleans convention are in the hands 
of the lu'inter at the time this is written and will no doubt be in 
the hands of the memliers by the time this is read. The secretary 
had hoped to have this delivered prior to the holidays, but delay in 
securing complete notes of the convention, also photos of officers 
for cuts, made this impossible. 
The following have been drop|ied from our ndls in accordance 
with o\ir by-laws, for non-payment of dues, but can be re-instated 
within the year by full payment of arrears: .Tolin II. Rcatty. Xew 
York: Edgnr JI. P.rown. Hartford; Alex Ciinunings, .Ir.. Cromwell. 
Conn. : Ricliard C. Driver. Lyneliburg. Va. ; Edw. JI. Swiggett. 
I'ticn. X. Y. : Richard Tacke. I.,exington, Ky., Geo. Walker. Water- 
bury. Conn.; W. .1. Zartman. Brooklyn. X. Y. : .1. H. Blackwood, 
Wm. J. Stewart, editor of Horticulture of Bo.ston. has resigned 
on account of minimizing the number of organizations which he- 
l;elongs to. 
C M. Loring. the "Father of the Minneapolis Park System," 
has recovered from a very severe illne.ss and is so.iourning at River- 
side. Cal.. fiU' the winter, where he presides as superintendent of 
the wonderful Huntington Park. 
Fred C. Alber. for many years superinteudeiu and commissioner 
of parks at Cleveland. Ohio, has abandoned park work and is 
now a maniifactiirer. his firm being the Champion Stove Co. of 
Cleveland. Mr. Alber is well known to many of our members, 
ha\ing attended several conventions and all will regret liis retire- 
ment from park circles, althongh wishing him well in his new 
venture. Lyman Xewell is his successor at Cleveland. 
J. J. Levison. former .secretary of the association and for many 
years forester of Prospect I'ai-k in Brooklyn, is now forester for 
the Department of Parks of Xew York City. This is a well-de- 
served recognition of his ability as a tree specialist, ami he has a 
great work before him in connection with the street tree problem 
of the metropolis. 
Our members. F. L. Mnltord and (Jeo. W. Hess, took an active 
part in the recent annual conventiim of the X'ational As.sociation 
of Cardiners. held at Wa.shington, D. C. Theodore \Mitli was 
elected as vice-president of the association. 
Henry Cleveland, superintendent at Duluth. .Minn, has assumed 
a new title in connection with the new form of government in- 
stalled in this city which eliminated the Park Board. Mr. Cleve- 
land is now the \\ bole show as far as the park department is con- 
cerned with tlie title of superintendent and manager. 
.lohn W. Duncan is making an eflfm-t to secure from members 
accurate data regarding niunieipal golf course operation, from 
which he will compile a chart which will be used by the association 
for the members' benefit. 
Chas. L. Seybold. supervisor of parks at Wilke.s-Barre. Pa., is 
Imsy on plans for the improvement of a O.'i acre municipal athletic 
and military drill field, which is to be added to the recreation 
svstem. 
W. IT. niinman, for several years connected with the de|iartment 
of horticulture at the University of X'ebraska. on .Tanuary 1 
assumed the position of superintendent of parks at Colorado 
Spring. Colo., succeeding .Tolin B. Lang. Both are members of 
the association. 
Will O. Doidittle. superintendent at Jlinot. Xorth IHikota. and 
one of our new members, sends in a neat pamphlet which his city 
issues, calling attention to the facilities offered to the public by 
the park system. 
A unique feature is an iiiviiation to farmers of the surrounding 
country to use the parks of Minot for recreation purposes in con- 
nection with picnics, grange meetiir^s. etc. 
Louisville, Ky.. has comiileted the re-organization of its park 
deiiartment. Harry S. Smith, secretaiy of the board, assuming the 
ti'Ie of general manager and acting as executive oHicer. Superin- 
tendent Louis Kettig retains his standing and title, but is relieved 
of all duties in connection with oflice work, confining himself to 
supervision of all maintenance and construction. A supervisor 
of recreation will handle all playground activities and policing will 
be handled by a separate head. 
This plan of organization is a development of the managerial 
form of government and is in successful operation in a luiiuber 
ef cities. While it is a]iparently a relimiuislmient of authority by 
the superintendent, in iiractice it means that he is relieved of a 
mass of office and clerical work to which luany of our liest [lark 
superintendents are ill-adapted, and leaves him free to de\ote liim- 
self to outdoor operation and construction. 
