259 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
The Women's Clubs of Bucyrus, O., 
are vigorously taking up the matter of 
remodeling and parking the public 
square, and several plans are being 
considered. Present conditions are 
evidenth" unbecoming to a prosperous 
community, and the public square of 
the cit 3 ^ is a fine opportunity for an 
improvement scheme. 
At the luncheon given by Gover- 
nor Fort, of New Jerse}’’, to the legis- 
lature of his state at Lakewood last 
month, it was intimated that there 
was the probability of a gift of some 
5,000 to 8,000 acres of land from the 
Hewitt estate to enable New Jersey 
to join New York in its park scheme. 
Strong efforts will be made in the 
legislatures of both states to make the 
most of these munificent gifts — that 
of kirs. Harriman, in New York, and 
that promised for New Jersey. 
The annual report to the Board of 
Commissioners of Tower Grove Park, 
St. Louis, klo., for 1909 is a general 
review of conditions. The receipts 
were $30,329.69, which included -$25,- 
000 for maintenance from the City of 
St. Louis: and the expenditures were 
$25,264, of which $15,288.10 was for 
labor and $1,600 for salaries. The 
work in the park for last year was 
mainly that of maintenance, restora- 
tion and repair, under adverse season- 
able conditions. With all the use 
made of the park there was a gratify- 
ing degree of freedom from disorder. 
The great problem appears to be: 
how to make the park as a whole 
secure for pleasure seeking pedestri- 
ans in view of the great traffic and 
the automobile which now predomi- 
nates. The road maintenance ques- 
tion has been also a study, and it 
appears that “drives firmly rolled,” 
then coated with petroleum residuum 
and top dressed with fine limestone 
screenings, are the kind most suit- 
ed for traffic such as that of this park. 
The matter of providing for sports 
and games received the usual atten- 
tion, and the Sunday concerts were 
attended by large and appreciative au- 
diences. There is considerable work 
yet to be done in planting and restora- 
tion improvement. 
The city council of Oklahoma City, 
Okla., recently voted favorably on a 
proposition to purchase 50 acres of a 
tract of land adjacent to the Canadian 
river for park purposes, at a cost of 
$ 200 , 000 . 
The appropriations for city purposes 
of Marblehead, Mass., this year reached 
the highest mark in its histor}-, some 
$240,000. The parks, however, call for 
comparatively little of this sum. 
Progess is being made on the work 
of securing the Southern Raihva}' yards 
in Memphis for park purposes. A jury 
has been appointed by the court to in- 
spect and place a value on the property 
with a view to its condemnation by the 
cit}'. 
Tliere is something refreshing in the 
reply of former Congressman George 
E. Adams, of Chicago, to a representa- 
tive of the Small parks commission, 
who approached him on the subject of 
purchasing a piece of city property 288 
ft. by 103 ft., valued at $15,000, owned 
by him and Mrs. Adams. The reply 
was : “I don’t care to put a price on it. 
I prefer to give it to the city.” The 
deed has been turned over to the au- 
thorities and the cit}^ council has voted 
a message of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. 
Adams. This is an excellent example 
to follow. 
A matter not as yet generally noted 
in respect to the value of small parks 
in a community, is the help they are 
giving to the cause of a sane celebra- 
tion of the Fourth of July. Park rules 
being enforced yet leaves lots of fun 
and amusement to be enjoyed of greater 
attractiveness than the blowing off of 
gunpowder. 
Omaha, Neb., has been very fortu- 
nate in gifts to the municipalit 3 r from 
public spirited citizens. The latest is that 
of Mrs. Selina C. Cornish, who has 
added $10,000 to her previous donation 
of $50,000 for the acquisition of the 
lands comprised in Carter park, a me- 
morial to her former husband, the late 
Levi Carter. The park donations to 
the city comprise a total acreage of 
approximately 444 acres, or very nearly 
lialf of its total park area. 
Considerable agitation is working up 
in regard to providing the appropriation 
for completing the magnificent Charles 
River parkway at Boston, by taking the 
stretch of river frontage near the 
Brighton abattoir. There is some fear 
that the legislature may refuse to make 
an appropriation for the purpose. 
Los Angeles, Calif., is becoming 
aroused over the desirability of im- 
proving its 4,000 acres of parks, and a 
new spirit is developing looking to 
reformation in methods and practice of 
improving and maintaining the parks. 
An early completion of a fine water 
supply project promises to greatly aid 
in the maintainence of a good appear- 
ance in the parks and grounds, and 
from all indications Los Angeles is 
taking another stride in the direction of 
physical uplift. 
Former Mayor John B. O’Donnell, 
Northampton, Mass., has offered to the 
Northampton Playground Association, 
for a term of years, the free use of 
Baker Hill in Bay State village for a 
playground. 
Philadelphia appears to be very nig- 
gardly in respect to park improvements. 
For instance, only $464,078.75 was ap- 
propriated as against $1,195,876.50 re- 
quested by the Commissioners of Fair- 
mount Park for maintenance and im- 
provement this year. 
The trustees of Sul Ross Park, Waco, 
Texas, have let the contract for a sys- 
tem of walks, after a design by How- 
ard Evarts Weed of Chicago. 
The city council of Gloucester, Mass., 
has appropriated $6,000 for park pur- 
poses, $3,000 of which will be used for 
the construction of a building for bath 
houses and sanitary purposes. 
The park commissioners of Hamilton, 
O., have made a contract with Mr. 
George Kessler, landscape architect, of 
Kansas City, for complete plans and 
specifications for a park system. 
The park board of Virginia, Minn., is 
considering the question of establish- 
ing a natural park on a tract which can 
he leased on a long term from the 
Oliver Iron Mining Company. 
The work of putting the 40 public 
parks of Springfield, Mass., into prop- 
er condition is now under way. An- 
other picnic grove is to be established 
and a new band stand to be constructed 
at a cost of some $2,500. The material 
of the latter will probably' be cobble- 
stones and concrete with metal roof 
and superstructure. A proposition to 
enclose Forest Park with a wire fence 
to prevent depredations on the birds 
and small wild creatures is discouraged 
by the commissioners. 
Mr. O. C. Simonds, of Chicago, has 
been in consultation with the park 
board of Springfield over the plans for 
the improvement of Mildred Park. The 
cost of the improvements has been 
placed at $50,000. 
The trouble with a tax title on the 
new city park of Moline, 111., and which 
promised to create a humorous situa- 
tion has been settled by the citj^ officials 
and the tax deed held by Mr. Fiebig of 
Rock Island has been relinquished. 
Brush Creek valley extending from 
The Pasco east to Prospect Avenue. 
Kansas City, will probably be converted 
into a park in the future, and may be 
included in the plans for park and 
boulevard extension recenth' under con- 
sideration. 
To help the scheme of turning the 
river banks of La Crosse, Wis., into 
beautiful parkways, Mr. Emil T. Muel- 
ler has donated to the park commis- 
sion the riparian rights of his property 
just north of Main street. 
{Continued on pageXt). 
