PARK AND CEMETERY . 
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ILLINOIS CIVIC CONFERENCE 
The Illinois Outdoor Improvement 
Association held a convention at Spring- 
field, 111., on May 26 and 27 last, at 
which many valuable papers and much 
discussion was enjoyed by a goodly con- 
gregation of workers in the admirable 
cause. President Edward J. Parker, of 
Quincy, himself an earnest worker, pre- 
sided. Secretary A. P. Wyman, land- 
scape architect of Chicago, read a pa- 
per on “Outline of the Field.” He 
stated there were 140 Improvement 
Clubs in Illinois and 160 commercial 
organizations, all working for the im- 
provement of conditions. Mr. A. M. 
Augustine, president of the Normal Im- 
provement Club, spoke of “The Success- 
ful Improvement Club.” Mrs. Elmer E. 
Hagler discussed “Women’s Clubs and 
Outdoor Environment.” Mrs. O. C. Si- 
monds, of Chicago, in the absence of 
the author, read the paper of Mrs. Irv- 
ing Washington on “Work of the Chi- 
cago Woman’s Outdoor . Art League.” 
Mr. C. A. Kiler, president of the Cham- 
paign Chamber of Commerce, spoke on 
“The Commercial Association and Out- 
door Improvements.” Mr. U. J. Hoff- 
man, assistant state superintendent of 
public instruction, addressed the meet- 
ing on the “Improvement of the School 
Grounds.” President Parker spoke on 
“Organization and Work of Park 
Boards,” in which he incidentally advo- 
cated the calling in of tree experts to 
doctor crippled and badly pruned trees. 
H. H. Gross of the Farmers’ Good Road 
League of Illinois, entertained the com- 
pany on a comprehensive talk on the 
road question. “Work for the Children” 
Much interest is growing on the prop- 
osition to create state parks at “Starved 
Rock” on the Illinois river near Otta- 
wa, and at Monk’s Mound,” Cahokia, 
Illinois. 
The citizens of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
seem to want the city to issue bonds for 
the purpose of acquiring new parks, and 
the park commissioners will outline a 
general plan for probable submission to 
voters at the fall elections. Grand Rap- 
ids needs more parks and playgrounds, 
and now is the time to provide for them. 
Wrigley Park, donated to Paterson, 
N. J., by Mrs. Jane C. Wrigley, in mem- 
ory of her husband, is to be opened this 
summer. 
was handled by Miss Minnie A. Fritts, 
president of the Peoria Woman’s Civic 
Federation. “The Social Value of the 
Parks,” “Contribution of Birds to Out- 
door Life;” “Public Grounds; Their 
Usefulness and Value in Modern Life,” 
and “Improving Country Roads” were 
respectively dealt with by Judge Hum- 
phrey, Thomas L. Hankinson of Charles- 
ton, Jens Jensen, West Side Parks, Chi- 
cago, and Charles A. Ewing, of Decatur. 
The very full time was rounded out 
by such social amenities as the local 
committee provided and all agreed that 
this convention was a profitable one. The 
next meeting will probably be held the 
coming winter at Peoria. 
Aluch interest was manifested 
in the remarks of the president, Mr. 
E. J. Parker, so well known in connec- 
tion with his work in Quincy, 111., con- 
cerning the enlargement of the State 
Capitol Grounds under the direction of 
a competent landscape architect, and 
making it practically a civic center. This 
would be decidedly an appropriate under- 
taking. Mr. Parker has also been test- 
ing the matter of tree surgery on some 
of the park and boulevard trees of 
Quincy and much to the credit of the 
Davey Tree Expert Co., by whom the 
work was done. Mr. John Davey, of 
the company, the father, so-called, of 
tree surgery, is now also interesting him- 
self in the subject of birds, the preserva- 
tion and care of the useful varieties, 
and Mr. Parker is urging park and 
cemetery authorities to join in this 
branch of improvement work, both for 
pleasure and profit. 
The new park presented to the village 
of Ballston Spa., N. Y., by Irving W. 
Wiswall, has been completed. 
Wichita, Kan., is to have a new park 
of about 20 acres, located on the West 
side. 
In the omnibus public buildings bill 
recently passed by Congress, provision 
was made for the purchase of tracts of 
land on Meridian Flill and Georgetown 
Heights for parks for the District. 
These will be under the control of the 
chief of engineers of the army as are all 
the other parks. 
While we do not hear a great deal 
concerning progress in the far northwest 
there has been a decided beginning in 
PARK NEWS. 
improvement work in that region. In 
La Grande, Ore., work has been begun 
on a small park of 17 acres, of which 
we may hear more in the future, and 
last year the city of Eugene very at- 
tractively parked its depot grounds. 
There are several other towns which 
arfe awakening to the growing demand 
for more civic beauty and now that ac- 
tivity has opened up, rapid strides will 
undoubtedly be made. 
A park loan of $50,000 has been adopt- 
ed by the Board of Aldermen of Fall 
River, Mass. 
The Odell bills, which were signed 
by Governor Hughes of New York, en- 
able that state to accept gifts of land 
and money offered by Mrs. E. H. Har- 
riman and others for park purposes, and 
to provide an issue of $2,500,000 bonds, 
one of the conditions imposed by the 
donors. 
The park commissioners of East St. 
Louis were entertained for a day in 
Kansas City by Mr. George E. Kessler, 
who is at work on the East Side Park 
system. Mr. Kessler is enthusiastic over 
the park possibilities of the bluffs and 
has planned a system of boulevards and 
parks that will run from the river north 
of East St. Louis around to the river 
south of the city. 
A legislative appropriation of $50,000 
will be expended in driveways and 
bridges in the smaller parks of St. Paul, 
Minn. 
The rose show upon the grounds of 
Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y., 
has been especially beautiful this spring, 
and has been an attractive sight even in 
the city of flowers. The firm opens its 
grounds to the public on week days, a 
liberality .much appreciated. 
At a meeting of the Board of Super- 
visors of Adams county, Illinois, recently 
held, the following resolution, intro- 
duced at the request of the Boulevard 
and Park Association of Qunicy, 111., 
was passed by the Board : 
Whereas, Bridges on the highways 
and other county properties in Adams 
county are used for advertising pur- 
poses, and without the consent of the 
county, thus disfiguring expensive prop- 
erties, and 
Whereas, The county should not show 
preference in allowing such advertising 
by any firm, corporation of individual, 
therefore be it 
Resolved. That all advertising should 
be prohibited on county property, and on 
trees and fences ajong the highways; 
and be it further 
Resolved, That this preamble and res- 
olution be referred to the committee on 
county roads. 
