283 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
since. In theory I believe in their be- 
ing elected by the people as the most 
democratic, but the Hartford method 
has worked so satisfactorily, has pro- 
duced such good results, and is logic- 
ally so well related to the work which 
the park department must carry on, 
that 1 am prejudiced in its favor, even 
though it is foreign to our democratic 
principles. 
“Sixth : I believe that the number of 
park commissioners for a small city 
should not be less than five nor more 
than fifteen. In actual practice, they 
vary in number from one, as in the 
case of Detroit and St. Louis, up to 
forty-five in the case of New Orleans. 
Probably commissions with from 
three to five members are the most 
common. Where there is a large sys- 
tem with many employees and parks 
well developed, and the duties of the 
commission largely executive, the 
smaller number is by far the most pre- 
ferable. But when the system is not 
well advanced, and there is needed 
some one to plead for it, an advocate 
or interpreter of the park to the peo- 
ple, then the larger number should ob- 
tain the best results, because a greater 
number become interested in them, 
and a number as great as fifteen has 
been found desirable, and given most 
excellent results, as in Minneapolis, 
but in a few cities the park commis- 
sioners are expected to pay a consid- 
erable portion of the expenses out of 
their private means, and in order to 
distribute this burden and to increase 
the interest to raise the money as it 
were, a very large commission is cre- 
ated, being very much like an im- 
provement society, and that is the ex- 
planation of the large commission of 
forty-five in New Orleans; in fact 
there are several park commissions of 
that number there. 
“In the small city where the advo- 
cate is needed fully as much as the ex- 
ecutive, I would favor the large com- 
mission, even as large as fifteen. 
“Seventh: As to the length of the 
term of service. It varies in different 
cities from one to ten years. It varies 
from the option of the appointing 
power to being appointed for life, as 
are some of the park commissioners of 
New Haven. In Hartford the com- 
missioners are elected for ten years, 
and are not eligible for re-election to 
succeed themselves. I believe that 
the time should not be less than three 
years, and that gve is a better term. 
“In some cities the time of the com- 
missioners all expire at the same time, 
and an entirely new set are appointed. 
This 'is very bad in principle, and usu- 
ally bad in practice. The time should 
be so arranged that only a part of 
tliern go out each year, certainly not 
over one-third of the number. By 
this means the working majority has 
a continnitj^ and have a knowledge of 
what has previously been done. This 
is essential for good results, as will 
readily be seen when it is realized that 
a park is as much a structure as a 
city hall, and needs the same contin- 
uity of design. Probably one of the 
greatest wastes of public money is the 
changing of designs and the different 
schemes of carrying out the work, or 
what frequently happens, working 
from no design whatever, in a happy- 
go-lucky, hand-to-mouth fashion, with- 
out any knowledge or thought of what 
will happen afterwards. 
“For a small city I would favor a 
commission of fifteen members, ap- 
pointed for five years. Three to go 
out each year, although a commission 
of five rhembers, one going out each 
year has much to be said in its favor.” 
MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN for a PARK, HAVERHILL, MASS. 
The Dudley Porter memorial fountain shown in the 
illustration is a remarkably graceful and imposing piece 
of granite construction, a handsome, and useful monu- 
ment and a worthy ornament for its prominent site in 
Winnekeni Park, Haverhill, Mass. 
It is a gift to the public from the family of the late park 
commissioner Durley Porter, to whose labors the city’s 
fine park system is chiefly due. 
The low, massive exedra of Conway granite, faced 
with a deep seat, is of unusually good proportions. C. 
Howard Walker, architect, of Boston, is the designer, and 
Thos. Lahey, of Haverhill, the local contractor. 
The water, which comes from a natural spring in the 
hill at the rear, flows through the mouth of a large bronze 
lion’s head, around which is the simple inscription. 
The fountain is located on Porter road where for a 
long time there has been an old drinking trough. It is 
planned by Superintendent of Parks Frost to make the 
vicinity the chief show place of the park, and work on 
the scheme outlined by him is now going on. 
Directly across the wide driveway from the fountain a 
small lily pond is to be constructed, with rockeries and a 
central fountain, the latter fed by the overflow from the 
other. A walk will encircle this, and, the undergrowth 
being cleared away, one of the finest views of Kenoza 
lake will be obtained. There will be rustic seats along 
the surrounding walk. 
At the rear of the Porter fountain Superintendent Frost 
will plant ferns and shrubs, making a background of 
green and colors, in addition to the fine growth of trees. 
PORTER MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, HAVERHILL, MASS. 
C. Howard Walker, Arch. 
