PARK AND CEMETERY. 
116 
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PARK NEWS. 
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The district commissioners that gov- 
ern Washington, D. C., have voted to 
issue no more permits for placing bill- 
boards on fences and walls. They were 
led to take this action by the prospect 
that the plaza about the new Union 
station would be ruined. That city has 
a permit law, which reads as follows : 
“No person shall place, exhibit, main- 
tain, or continue any advertisement or 
poster, except upon such land, houses, 
buildings, billboards, fences or other 
structures as the commissioners of the 
District of Columbia may, in their dis- 
cretion, authorize in writing for that 
purpose.” 
Under this law permits will be re- 
fused. 
* * * 
The purchase by the county of Mil- 
waukee of the four city blocks from 
Wells street to State street and from 
Eighth street to Tenth street, is the 
most notable recommendation of the re- 
port to the metropolitan park commis- 
sion and the county board’s special com- 
mittee on civic center by its experts, 
John Nolen and Frederick Law Olm- 
sted, landscape architects. These two 
experts, in addition to recommending 
the use of four city blocks at the crest 
of Cedar street hill, the closing of North 
street and the location of the center of 
the courthouse on the present intersec- 
tion of Cedar and Ninth streets, recom- 
mend that the authorities close Seventh 
street and park the space between Sixth 
and Eighth streets, widen Wells and 
State street's from Fourth to Ninth 
streets and include in the land to be 
secured the east side of Fourth street 
to the alley between Third and Fourth 
streets. 
* * * 
FROM THE PARK REPORTS 
The anual report of the Essex Coun- 
ly> N. J., Park Commission for 1908, 
is a brief and business-like account of 
the many activities of that remarkable 
system. Much of it is taken up with 
a description of the Weequalic Reser- 
vation and the addition thereto, which 
was the principal undertaking of 
the year. A brief summary of the re- 
port is as folows : Amount expended 
in construction work, $168,223.95 ; cost 
of maintenance, $146,139.30; new field 
house erected on the Sussex avenue 
athletic field of Branch Brook; field 
house of West Side Park extended; im- 
provements made in Watsessing Park ; 
permanent improvement of Riverbank 
Park delayed Ijecause of board’s in- 
ability to agree with property owners 
as to terms of purchase of land; marked 
increase in public’s use of reservation 
which are being further improved as 
natural beauty spots ; good work accom- 
plished in mosquito extermination by 
destruction of breeding places; large 
gains in attendance at playfields. 
* * * 
The 49th annual report of the park 
board of Hartford, Conn., is an inter- 
esting illustrated book of 40 pages tell- 
ing of the year’s work. The speedway 
which was started last year was pushed 
forward as rapidly as possible at an ex- 
pense of about $750. A bowling green 
was constructed at Colt Park, and was 
much enjoyed by those who participated 
in the game. The golf links at Good- 
win Park were well patronized, and a 
petition for a shelter house, with the 
proper facilities for the use of the golf 
players, was presented to the board, and 
it is hoped that a building will be 
erected. The public cemeteries of the 
city, namely, the Old North, Zion Hill 
and Mt. Pleasant Addition, and the Old 
South Cemetery, which came under the 
jurisdiction of this department last 
April, have been cleaned up, and consid- 
erable labor spent on straightening 
stones, leveling graves, cleaning out rub- 
bish, and filling and grading land suit- 
able for burial lots. Superintendent 
George A. Parker gives a tabulated • 
statement of the details of maintenance 
and improvement. The total expendi- 
tures were $44,889. 
* * * 
FINE SCULPTURED FOUNTAIN 
Monumental sculptured fountains of- 
fer a rare opportunity for the artistic 
combination of the sculptor’s, architect’s, 
and granite worker’s handiwork, and 
the Rebecca Darby Smith fountain re- 
cently erected at 12th and Spring Gar- 
den streets, Philadelphia, illustrated on 
our cover, is one of the handsomest of 
these that have recently been placed. 
The sculptural theme of the bronze 
relief, a representation of the Biblical 
story of Rebecca at the Well is particu- 
larly appropriate and has been well ren- 
dered in all its details by John J. Boyle, 
the Philadelphia sculptor. The Biblical 
robes of both male and female figures 
lend themselves admirably to sculptural 
uses. 
The granite work was cut and erected 
by the Presbrey-Coykendall Co., of New 
York City. It is Picton Island red 
granite, whose warm 'color, and simple 
square lines makes an effective com- 
position. 
* * * 
PARK IMPROVEMENTS 
A joint committee representing four 
of the city organizations of Quincy, 111., 
has recommended changing the name 
of Sunset Heights to Parker Heights 
in honor of Mr. Edward J. Parker, the 
founder of the park system of Quincy 
and for many years the leader of the 
public-spirited park work acomplished 
by the Quincy Boulevard and Park As- 
sociation. Mr. Parker recently compiled 
for the Quincy Journal some compara- 
tive statistics of park work in other 
cities that make quite a favorable show- 
ing for the work of the Quincy associa- 
tion which has secured since 1888, 225 
acres of parks for the city at a cost 
of $165,000. 
'G. A. Stephen has presented to Mo- 
line, 111., a tract to be known as Steph- 
en’s Park. 
Alderman Henry Bulder, of Milwau- 
kee, is advocating the placing of tables 
and chairs near the band stands in the 
parks to add to the comfort of park 
visitors during concerts. 
Park Superintendent Addison Bain, 
of Marion, O., has inaugurated an an- 
nual “Romp Day” for the children in 
the parks. The exercises included 
speaking, singing, and roller skating 
contests for prizes, ring races, donkey 
contests, ball games, pole climbing, tug- 
of-war, baby contest, and a “Botanical 
Search,” in which 100 boys and girls 
were sent out to find a rare specimen of 
plant for- prizes. The day was highly 
enjoyed by 1,500 boys and girls. 
Webster City, la., has acquired a tim- 
bered tract of thirteen acres for park 
purposes. 
The Knights Templars of Iowa have 
secured a tract of 35 acres on Clear 
Lake, la., which will be improved on 
plans prepared by Prof. Arthur T. Er- 
win, associate professor of horticulture 
at the Iowa State College at Ames. 
This island park will offer a delightful 
place for holding the annual conclaves 
of the order. 
Leading commercial organizations of 
Des Moines, la., are pushing the plans 
for a comprehensive system of parks 
for that city, including the parking of 
both banks of the river. A new gov- 
ernment building and a coliseum are 
also planned. 
The supervisors of San Francisco are 
{Continued on page Villi) 
