PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING 
Vol. XX. Chicago, September, 1910 No. 7 
The Chattanooga Convention of the A. A. C. S. 
Further particulars of the approaching convention of the 
Association of American Cemetery Superintendents, to be held 
at Chattanooga, Tenn., Oct. 12, will be found in another col- 
umn. There is little to be added to what was said on this page 
last month, except perhaps that it would be well to again urge 
a large attendance, and to emphasize the promising outlook for 
a most enjoyable time, coupled with the certainty of gather- 
ing a fund of information for mental exercise during the win- 
ter which will soon be with us. That the proverbial hospital- 
ity of the South will be in evidence every moment of the time 
goes without saying, and everything indicates that mutual sat- 
isfaction and helpfulness will find expression, and promote a 
better understanding of what the spirit of convention work 
reall}^ stands for. Nor should cemetery officials miss such an 
opportunity as the Chattanooga convention offers, for encour- 
aging and promoting the development of the modern cemetery 
to a still greater excellence. 
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Progress in the Billboard Campaign 
Notwithstanding that the billboard advertising concerns give 
evidence of continued prosperity, agitation against the disfig- 
urement of our streets and landscapes by the obnoxious bill- 
board is making progress. This is indicated in some localities 
by the gradual reduction in the demand for billboard publicity 
among enlightened businesss men. In Boston, recently, a well 
known firm has determined to no longer use this fprm of ad- 
vertising and has been destroying the boards. Many of the 
leading railroads are rapidly falling into line' and are remov- 
ing all discreditable billboards and such as detract from the 
landscape effects along their right-of-way, or interfere with 
its esthetic improvement. The Illinois Central is one of the 
latest railroad corporations to be heard from, and it has, 
through its newly appointed official, Vice-President Park, 
given orders for the removal of billboards within the city 
limits of Chicago. Considering that Lake Michigan Is the 
chief natural asset of the great inland city, this means a great 
deal, and restores to it a small part of the citizens’ rights, 
which the City Fathers, years ago, ignorantly or viciously de- 
prived them of. If the wave of reform now sweeping over the 
country results in honest representation in our legislatures, 
there should be no difficulty in the near future in securing 
legislation to efficiently regulate and control the billboards. 
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The Railroads and City Beautification 
The leading railroad corporations have, more and more, 
within the last few years, recognized the advantages resulting 
from the improvement of their depot grounds, and for this 
purpose have employed experts as well as permanent employes 
to keep the work up. And there is no question but that, indi- 
rectly at least, it is a paying proposition. Anything that can 
make travel more popular and attractive is bound to pay ; in 
all probability it actually increases the number of passengers 
carried, and it certainly has a decided tendency to promote 
local traffic, for the pleasure of passing through cultivated im- 
provements is a temptation to a train trip not to be denied, 
and outdoor beauty has a fascination which is irresistible to 
the normal human being. In this connection we would recall 
that the fourth annual convention of the American Associa- 
tion of Railroad Gardeners, has just been held in Boston, and 
nothing could more positively proclaim the interest of the rail- 
roads in outdoor improvements. A later development in this 
direction, and one of great importance, is to be credited to the 
Michigan Central at Detroit, Mich., whose assistant general 
manager, Mr. Wilson S. Kinnear, has made a suggestion to the 
Board of Commerce and members of the Common Council of 
that city, which may result in a novel addition to the city’s 
park and boulevard system. The Michigan Central is about 
to begin work on the erection of a handsome passenger sta- 
tion, which will take some four years to complete, and the 
proposition is that the city join the railroad in a beautification 
schem.e, which will result in a park-like neighborhood sur- 
rounding the handsome structure, and the prevention of the 
usual conglomeration of unsightly buildings and degrading 
conditions, which too often, and generally, form the environ- 
ment of city railway stations everywhere. 
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The Playground Movement 
One of the phenomenal facts connected with the outdoor 
improvement idea in this country is the growth of the play- 
ground movement, with the impressive evidence of its moral 
force in the uplift of the community. In the year 1907 some 
90 cities in the country we,Ee maintaining supervised play- 
grounds, which increased in 1908 to 177. The number had 
grown to 336 in 1909, and on June 1 of this year 195 other 
cities were conducting playground campaigns. These facts 
are given in a pamphlet recently issued by Mr. H. S. Brancher, 
secretary of the Playground Association of America. Large 
sums of money are being raised by bonds and other means to 
supply the increasing requirements of this new feature in com- 
munity development, and the demands upon the above associa- 
tion for information, advice and assistance, have overwhelmed 
its resources. The most enthusiastic promoters of the cause, 
and those whose prophetic vision assured them of the vast 
usefulness of the work, have been astounded at the progress 
made, and which is still unchecked. It has created what might 
easily be termed a revolution in the lives of the masses, to 
whom a place for educational and physical recreation was usu- 
ally far away; and the moral good it has wrought cannot be 
measured, so far as the young, to whom, primarily it was ded- 
icated, is concerned. With the playground a demand has 
sprung up for a special grade of teachers whose work will 
make a significant impression upon the lives of those coming 
under their charge. The playground park must, however, be 
made a winter as well as a fine weather institution. 
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A Good Opportunity for Young Men’s Clubs 
To make the little city park of Hampton, la., an up-to-date 
and attractive spot, the Yankee Doodle Club, a young men’s 
organization of that place, undertook its improvement on 
broad lines. The park is only a block in area, bounded by 
business streets, but it has been undergoing a scheme of im- 
provement of which the main feature is a central fountain, 
26 feet in diameter, octagonal in plan, with cement walks 
leading from it to the four corners of the square to facilitate 
travel. In addition there will be floral decorations and grass 
plats. In the past three years the club has been at work upon 
it, and it not only shows a very commendable public spirit on 
the part of Hampton’s young men, but it assuredly points the 
way to such organizations in any number of small towns and 
cities to go and do likewise. There are many reasons why 
such improvements may be taken up and prosecuted in this 
manner and by this means, with like promise of success. The 
very enthusiasm engendered by such public work contributes 
to success by arousing public sympathy. 
