P A RK AND CEMETERY. 
170 
rest-inviting settees. One of the most use- 
ful innovations are the playgrounds, . in and 
-outdoor gymnasiums, wading and swim- 
ming pools, etc., and in some systems of 
our larger cities we find libraries, reading, 
club and meeting rooms, indoor swimming 
pools, baths and shower-baths, etc., and 
the regularity with which they are visited 
by numberless thousands year in and year 
out, since their inauguration, shows con,- 
vincingly that they fill a pressing demand 
and receive thankful appreciation. 
“The larger parks of most cities are 
equipped with bandstands, and concerts are 
given at frequent intervals, if not every 
day, during the summer season. Those 
concerts ought to be free to everyone every- 
where. but I want to go further than that 
and say that such concerts ought to be 
given at such neighborhood parks as often 
as possible. Of course it will be impossible, 
and it is by no means necessary, that such 
concerts be given every night, but if they 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK SUPERINTENDENTS IN CONVENTION AT TORONTO. 
with which they have been conducted and 
the popular appreciation they have met 
with, induced me to say a few words about 
them at this meeting. We have constructed 
a band wagon which can be folded together 
and be set up by three or four men in a 
very short time. The stand is brought to 
the park an hour or so before concert time, 
and immediately afterwards is folded to- 
gether and taken to the barns to be used 
again at the next occasion at another park. 
The stand is on wheels and is 20 feet by 
30 feet, and accommodates a band of 45 
musicians, with plenty of room to spare. 
The platform is 5 ft. above ground, has a 
railing and is equipped with 8 gasoline 
Iqmps of the ordinary gravity system. 
Damps, chairs, music stands, the large 
musical instruments, in fact the whole 
paraphernalia, is easily accommodated in- 
side the wagon after the sides are folded 
up. and one team of horses will take it 
wherever wanted. The whole outfit cost 
true of those given in the outlying parks, 
in parts of the city remote from its center 
of entertainment, populated by people 
whose income will not permit the expendi- 
ture of much money for amusement, and 
whose undirected tastes would lead them 
to spend what little they might afford on 
entertainment of mediocre if not of debas- 
ing quality. 
“ ‘The free concerts have temporarily de- 
populated the neighborhoods in which they 
were given. Everyone came to the park 
to hear the band — fathers and mothers, 
grandfathers and grandmothers young men 
with their sweethearts and innumerable 
children in assorted sizes. Their attention 
to the music was closer than that of the 
more cultivated audiences at Dake Harriet, 
their applause more enthusiastic and their 
pleasure franker and more apparent. Sor- 
did cares were forgotten under the spell 
of outdoor music on a summer night. The 
programs have been a combination of stand- 
could be had one a week or so, it would 
give a lot of pleasure and untold happiness 
to a class of people who have not the time 
nor the means to attend such concerts in 
parks far from their homes. 
Such musical entertainments bring to- 
gether all the families of entire neighbor- 
hoods. They will come, young and old, 
and they will feel that in their neighbor- 
hood park, they have an institution that is 
worthy of their appreciation, support and 
care. They will look forward to those 
concerts as a large joyful family gather- 
ing and they will go home each time hap- 
pier and elated, because we all are suscep- 
tible to the tender, inspiring influence of 
music and forget, under it, our cares and 
worries, and become happy and joy- 
ful. It will bring the love for music to 
every home and make them happier; it 
will mean musical education for the masses 
for the love of music itself. 
“Such concerts in local parks do not call 
for an extra large expense, for it is not 
necessary that each park be equipped with 
a costly bandstand, in fact such structures 
may well be avoided, for they are, under 
the very best conditions, no ornament to 
any park. The main thing is a w'ell organ- 
ized band of good musicians who are ■will- 
ing to play wherever the bandstand is 
erected. The latter can be removed from 
park to park, and need not be very cum- 
bersome. We have tried the ' experiment 
of such free concert.s in our small parks in 
Minneapolis this season, and the success 
less than $300.00 and answers the purpose 
as well as a $5,000.00 structure, 
“We have met with so much success ■with 
our free concerts, that I cannot help but 
recommend to you fellow parkmen to do 
something similar, if you have not already 
w'orked along the same lines, 
“One of the requirements of our many 
sided profession, is to anticipate and meet 
the desires, needs and expectations of the 
public. It calls for study and observation 
and an ever-ready spirit to meet and solve 
questions, w'hich in their variations, are 
very interesting and facinating. Besides 
the love for all that is beautiful in parks 
and park work, I know of no other pleas- 
ure that to me is so genuine, as to give 
pleasure to others, 'and the more the bet- 
ter. 
“Permit me to quote the following letter 
received from Mr. C. W. Henderson, Jr., 
manager of these conc.rts: 
“ ‘Referring to our recent conversation re- 
garding the park concerts given this sum- 
mer by the Minneapolis Park Band, let me 
say that I think nothing has been done by 
the Park Board, since the establishment 
of the parks themselves, that has been of 
greater benefit or a source of greater enjoy- 
ment to the Minneapolis people, than the 
free concerts given by the band in various 
parks during the past eight weeks. 
“ ‘It has been a constant pleasure to me 
to observe the enthusiastic enjoyment of 
the music by the thousands who have at- 
tended every concert. This is particularly 
ard and light music and many of the stand- 
ard works have proved themselves favor- 
ites. 
“The chief purpose of the concerts, of 
course, has been to impart pleasure, and in 
this alone they have repaid over and over 
again the expense of giving them. They 
w’ill have, furthermore, two secondary or 
future effects, which cannot be calculated, 
but which maj^ be considered as interest 
on the investment. One of these is their 
educational and refining influence, and the 
other is the popularizing of the parks by 
bringing to many people a first realization 
of their beauty and of their resources as 
place.s of recreation. 
■‘‘Yours very truly. 
“C. W. HENDERSON, JR.” 
The business session on Friday morn- 
ing was the most important of the 
meeting. The secretary-treasurer, F. L. 
Mulford, of Harrisburg, Pa., presented 
his annual report, which showed a 
slight increase of membership and the 
finances in a satisfactory condition. 
The following new members were 
elected: James W. Boone, Frederick 
Wessler, Chas. L. Sey1)old, Baltimore; 
W. H. Dunn, Kansas City ; R. W. Cur- 
tis, Boston; Wm. Donaldson, Buffalo; 
