301 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
way between Kearney, Neb., and the 
Watson ranch, under the charge of Mr. 
N. C. Dunlap. It will be a great im- 
provement. 
Oklahoma City, Okla., has decided to 
make a bond issue of $400,000 for park 
purposes and for circling the city with 
a grand boulevard. 
Lorado Taft, the Chicago sculptor, is 
working out a beautiful scheme of stat- 
uary for the sunken garden along the 
Midway Plaisance, of World’s Fair re- 
nown. It is a .scheme which will take 
years to mature, but Chicago is rapidly 
becoming a leading art center, and 
something of great artistic value will 
come from the present study. 
The Woman’s Auxiliary of the Ken- 
tucky Humane Society at their annual 
meeting in Louisville, Ky., gave consid- 
erable attention to the drinking foun- 
tain question, and will work upon the 
proposition of providing more for Louis- 
ville. 
The committee appointed for the pur- 
pose in Los .A.ngeles, Cal., have reported 
favorably in the matter of converting 
the old city cemetery into a park, the 
same to be in conformity with the “city 
beautiful’’ plans now being considered. 
The project for the purchase of land 
east of Forestdale cemetery for park 
purposes in Springfield, Mass., is meet- 
ing with considerable opposition. It is 
claimed that the city has already in- 
volved itself far enough in park prop- 
erty purchases. 
The Memphis, Tenn., park commis- 
sioners have provided a park for colored 
people, which will be maintained on 
the same lines as the other public parks. 
It is believed that this will have an up- 
building tendency and that the effort of 
the commissioners vvill be warmly sup- 
ported by the colored citizens. 
The state of Texas has formally ac- 
cepted the site of the battle of San 
Jacinto, where General Sam Houston 
defeated the Mexican General Santa 
Ana, and achieved the independence of 
Texas. It will become a state park. 
The Park Board of .\kroh, Ohio, 
have asked for an appropriation of $20,- 
000 for the purchase and improvement 
of six acres of land lying' along a creek 
bottom that is at present a dumping 
ground. Plans for the improvement of 
the tract have been made by Howard 
Evarts Weed of Chicago and call for 
a change in the present Glendale Ave- 
nue so that this street may run through 
the property and serve as a fine en- 
trance drivewa}' for Glendale Cemetery. 
It is pleasing to note the change for 
the better in the laying out of new real 
estate subdivisions in getting away from 
the right angle methods of streets ir- 
respective of the topography of the 
land. Austin, the capital city of Texas, 
contains, perhaps, as fine building sites 
as any city of the country but the fine 
hills and valleys have not been advan- 
tageously used in the building of the 
City. Lewis Hancock, a prominent real- 
estate owner of Austin, has engaged 
Howard Evarts Weed, of Chicago, to 
make a plat of the Hancock property 
to divide according to the best building 
sites and curved streets. 
An innovation in park management 
will be tried at Lincoln Park, Marion, 
O., by Superintendent Addison Bain. 
With the encouragement of the city of- 
ficials he proposes to allow camping out 
parties of parents and children, from 
July 1 to July 9, to occupy the park, 
giving them police protection, and pro- 
viding for them all sorts of games and 
recreation. It is expected that quite an 
encampment will be seen. Parents need 
not accompany their children if in- 
convenient, for the greatest care will 
be given the latter day and night. 
A difference occurred recently be- 
tween the trustees of the University at 
Cincinnati, O., and the park commis- 
sioners on account of the former block- 
ing the road leading from Clifton ave- 
nue past the Lbiiversity and down to the 
lake. The park commissioners claimed 
the right to build all roads under an 
agreement with the University trustees. 
Speaking at length on the subject of 
the billboard nuisance the Cleveland, O., 
“Plaindealer” concludes as follows: 
“There can be little objection to the 
principle of outdoor advertising. It is 
all a matter of taste. If the subdued 
and not unpleasing methods of Europe 
were adopted generally in America, 
there would be less criticism of the bill- 
board men who ruin the beauty of city 
and country alike with their hideous 
handiw'ork.” 
Grand Rapids, Mich., laboring under 
the disadvantages of inadequate funds 
for even park maintenance, to say noth- 
ing of extensions which are sorely need- 
ed, is crystallizing sentiment on the 
proposition to provide the necessary 
means by the issue of park bonds. 
Grand Rapids needs a properly devised 
park system, and it will be far more 
economical to provide for it now than 
at any time in the future. 
The improvement idea has taken a 
strong hold on Greenville, Pa. Sur- 
rounded by picturesque hills with a 
beautiful river and valley, it is an at- 
tractive place for homes as well as ap- 
propriate industries. The Board of 
Trade and its Ladies’ Auxiliary are de- 
termined to clean up the unsightly 
spots in the city, and many other feat- 
ures of improvement will be undertaken, 
the citizens generally, being in accord 
with the Board of Trade. The city is 
noted for its beautiful shade trees, and 
these w'ill be S3'stematically cared for. 
The Board of Trade made a special ef- 
fort to get fixed up along the- railroads 
and this work is being continued, while 
another important move is getting the 
people interested to fix up their lawns 
and plant more shrubbery. 
From a spirit of pure patriotism Mr. 
John Parkinson, one of Los Angeles, 
Calif., most prominent architects has 
prepared plans for the beautification of 
Central Park and has submitted them 
to the park commission ; they have not 
been formally adopted but it is said the 
park commission expects to do the work 
of improvement along the lines laid out 
by Mr. Parkinson. 
The Park Commissioners of Bidde- 
ford. Me., have begun the improvement 
of Clifford Park. 
Schiller Park, Columbus, O., is to 
blossom like the rose this year, accord- 
ing to the intention of the superintend- 
ent, Mr. Jacob Sherman. Some 27,000 
plants are to be set out. A peculiar 
fact about the winter on the fish in the 
park lake is that while the catfish, gold- 
fish and other kinds came through in 
good shape, the carp all froze. 
It has been discovered at St. Joseph, 
Mo., that the City Council cannot pur- 
chase land for park purposes without 
the approval of the park board, hence 
a proposition to acquire a piece of land 
for a sunken garden in Hansen Heights 
falls through. The Park Commission 
is considering plans for a park and 
boulevard system and desires all other 
questions to remain in abeyance until a 
decision is reached. Plans have been 
submitted by Park Superintendent Ran 
to establish a zoological garden in King 
Park, which is meeting with favor. 
The park commissioners of Attleboro, 
Mass., have received another gift for 
Capron Park. Mr. Charles O. Sweet 
has presented them with a hands.ome 
.grove of purple beech, which are to be 
set out on one of the drives. 
The project to extend Eastern Park- 
wa3^ from Highland Park through 
Mount Carmel Cemetery and Cypress 
Hills Cemeter3q Brooklyn, N. Y., to 
connect with the boulevard in Forest 
Park, has now a better chance of con- 
summation. After eight years of op- 
position 1.13- the Cypress Hills Cemetery 
people the the State Legislature finally 
gave New York City the power to 
build through the cemeteries a boule- 
vard not to exceed 150 feet in width. 
