181 
■ PARK AND CEMETERY . 
FROM THE PARK REPORTS 
The report of the Public Parks 
Board of Winnipeg, Canada, for 1908, 
shows a growing park system. In 
1908 the sum of $103,140.30 was ex- 
pended in the maintenance and con- 
struction of parks and boulevards, 
tree planting and care and improve- 
ment of Brookside Cemetery. Win- 
nipeg has a- total area of parks of 319 
acres which cost $130,633.41; their 
valuation in 1907 was $1,235,138.75, 
which is a pretty good showing since 
the first park was only acquired in 
1893. There are 11 parks in all, vary- 
ing in area from 1% acres in Victoria 
Park 'to 282.03 in Assiniboine Park. 
The annual report of the Board of 
Public Service, Parks, Baths and 
Markets of the City of Cleveland, O., 
for the year 1908, is a most interest- 
ing report. Cleveland is a very pro- 
gressive city and its park system has 
received attention in these columns 
morfethan once. In the present pam- 
phlet one is particularly drawn to the 
department of playgrounds, and no 
city has, perhaps, gone further into 
the development of the usefulness of 
civic playgrounds than Cleveland. The 
work has been thoroughly studied, 
and it has been found, among other 
things, that the playground instruct- 
ors should include women in its corps. 
As the report says: “The employ- 
ment of young women was fully justi- 
fied in every instance, and the exper- 
ience of the summer indicates that 
no playground, no matter what its 
size or environment, can render the 
most efficient service to its neighbor- 
hood without the leadership and in- 
fluence of a vigorous, refined and ca- 
pable young woman.” The pamphlet 
is copiously illustrated and will add 
to the growing library of civic experi- 
ences. 
PARK IMPROVEMENTS 
The Civic Improvement Association 
of Indianapolis is leading a movement 
to promote the establishment of a civic 
center where future public buildings 
may be constructed. Mr. George E. 
Kessler, landscape architect for the 
Park Board, has prepared plans to this 
end. 
Knoxville, Tenn., will take over the 
property of the Knoxville Park Asso- 
ciation near White’s Spring branch and 
improve it for park purposes. 
A referendum is on ballot this month 
on the council’s order for $36,000 for a 
new park and playground at Melrose, 
Mass. The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Asso- 
ciation proposes to erect a monument in 
the park. 
The Alumnae of the Clara Conway 
School, Memphis, Tenn., have recently 
dedicated an attractive pergola struc- 
ture in Overton Park, in memory of 
that great southern woman educator. 
Evanston, 111., is the recipient of an- 
other park gift from James A. Patten, 
Charles G. Dawes and William A. and 
Frank Vawter. It has a frontage of 
315 feet on Sheridan Road, carrying 
with it riparian rights, and 275 feet on 
Greenwood Boulevard. The city may 
erect an art museum on the plot. The 
property cost over $41,000. 
The oak grove at the back of the col- 
lege gymnasium, Albion, Mich., is to 
be transformed into a park. 
The Newark Shade Tree Commis- 
sion, Newark, N. J., is developing Co- 
lumbian Park, a small plot, 100 feet by 
200 feet, having a running brook, which 
will aid in making a unique small park. 
Pendleton, Ore., is soon to have its 
first public park. , 
A new park of six acres, on Myrtle 
Avenue, Flushing, L. I., is under con- 
sideration. 
The property owners of Mount Pleas- 
ant, Washington, D. C., have raised the 
funds to secure the triangle at Park 
road and Mount Pleasant street, north- 
west, to be set aside as a park. This 
action was. taken in advance of asking 
Congress to purchase the property. 
Final deals have recently been made 
in securing the land for a 15-acre park 
for National City, Cal. 
The city of Gulfport, Miss., is enter- 
ing into a general scheme of park im- 
provement and city beautifying. The 
Park Commission has reported, and in 
the near future a tree planting ordi- 
nance will be passed and a landscape 
architect employed to carry out the 
work. 
• With the aid _ of contributions 
from neighborhood residents, Winthrop 
Square, Boston, is to be about doubled 
in area. 
The Board of Control has strongly 
urged the City Council of Norfolk, Va., 
to appropriate $4,000 to put Jackson 
Park into condition. 
The City Council of Seattle, Wash., 
is being urged to submit to the people 
a proposition to issue bonds to the 
amount of $3,000,000, to extend the al- 
ready fine park system. 
As an idea to broaden the Defenders’ 
Monument movement, the proposition to 
establish a new public park is being se- 
riously discussed in New Haven, Conn. 
Within nine months the Metropolitan 
Park Commission, Providence, R. I., 
has secured about 667 acres of reserva- 
tion, for which $150,000 has been paid. 
This is probably as good a showing for 
the money as has ever been made in a 
large city. 
, The park commission of Milwaukee, 
Wis., has asked its full tax, as permit- 
ted by law, of $300,000 for park pur- 
poses during the ensuing year. 
Five thousand dollars has been pro- 
vided to start the work of grading and 
planting in the new park. Twenty-sec- 
ond -ward, Rochester, N. Y. It has an 
area of seven acres. 
The work of securing additional land 
for the Bay View lake shore park, Mil- 
waukee, Wis., is progressing. 
It is becoming more probable that 
Starved Rock, on the Illinois River, a 
place of great historic interest in Illi- 
nois in connection with Indian warfare, 
may be purchased by the state for a 
state park. The tract, comprising some 
365 acres of ' natural attractiveness, is 
offered by its owner at a reasonable 
figure, and a number of organi.zations 
are urging the project. A commission, 
appointed by the governor, is securing 
data regarding the place. 
The Oak Lawn Improvement League, 
Dallas, Texas, is urging the purchase 
of Oak Lawn Park. As soon as it is 
taken over by the city the residents of 
the vicinity propose to expend $3,500 in 
improvements. 
No advertising matter whatever will 
be allowed on any street obstructions 
erected by contractors in prosecuting 
their work, according to a recent order 
passed by the aldermen of New Bed- 
ford, IMass. 
The N. C. & St. L. R. R. is paying 
for the work of laying out a small park 
just north of its depot at Jackson, 
Tenn. 
The town of Wellesley, Mass., has ac- 
cepted the gift of Mr. John D. Hardy 
of a tract containing 103,053 feet to be 
used as a park. 
Contracts have been closed at Water- 
loo, la., for the 33 acres of land known 
as the old paper mill property, for an- 
other park site. It is finely located for 
such a purpose. 
