456 
PARK AND ce:me.te:ry 
rounding the scliool grounds have shown marked improve- 
ment. 
There still remains much to be done, and our plans are 
well laid for the future work, during the season of 1906. It 
may be well to outline a few pertaining to the flower work. 
1st. Children to be separated, according to grade in school, 
into two classes. Those of about twelve years and under to 
receive one set of seeds, and those over that age another set. 
We find the older ones do not like to compete with the little 
ones. 
2nd. Children should be furnished with printed instruc- 
tions for arranging beds, distances apart for different kinds 
of seed, where vines, if any, should be planted, and the after 
care of the plants. 
3rd. In order to compete for prizes, the children must do 
all the work of planting and caring for the flowers, and 
prizes allowed only to those taking full set of seeds. 
4th. The prizes awarded should be something that will 
help along the interest in keeping up the beauty of the home 
grounds. We intend to use hardy bulbs, shrubs or perennial 
plants. 
5th. We found the second week of August too late in the 
season to secure the best flowers, so our carnival will be held 
about the 15th or 20th of July. Holding a flower carnival 
makes the children feel the importance of their work and 
they should be encouraged to look forward to taking part on 
programs, and also taught to be interested in the work of 
others. 
During the last week in November we had 'a “children’s 
evening.” The teachers made up a program of the best reci- 
tations and songs that had been given in the schools preceding 
Thanksgiving Day. The night was exceptionally stormy and 
“slushy,” but the children were there. The large hall was 
simply packed, many having standing room only. The im- 
provement club provided numberless popcorn balls, each 
wrapped in a paper napkin. There was one for each child. 
It meant lots of work, but it certainly was a pleasure to give 
them this treat. In February we will have another “Chil- 
dren’s Day,” just before distributing seeds, with a patriotic 
program, and a short talk on the spring work. 
* * * 
Annual reports or extracts from themy historical sketches^ 
descriptive circularSy photographs of improvements or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for rise in this department* 
The following will show the kind of entertainment which 
was carried out in the early part of December as arranged 
by the Chicago Municipal Museum. The lectures and enter- 
tainments were given in the field houses of the small parks 
of Chicago and were free to the visitors : Piano entertain- 
ment : stereopticon lecture, “A Day at the St. Louis Exposi- 
tion lecture, “In the Mountains stereopticon, “The Mak- 
ing of Chicago;” stereopticon, “A Child of the Public;” stere- 
opticon, “Public Recreation.” Some of the above were re- 
peated at other parks, but the program covered a week. An 
immense amount of good educational work can be accom- 
plished by this means and under similar circumstances. 
Miss Susan B. Sipe, of the Washington, D. C., Normal 
Schools, gave an illustrated lecture on “Children’s Gardens” 
on the evening of January 3, in Fullerton Hall, Art Institute, 
Chicago, under the auspices of the Horticultural Society. 
The lecture included a very interesting account of the work 
done by the children of the primary grades of the public 
schools of Washington. Miss Sipe has been verj" active in 
this work in connection with the Department of Agriculture, 
which has done much to encourage the movement in connec- 
tion with grade school education. 
* * * 
The awakening of the country to the necessity of civic bet- 
terment is emphasized by the calls, which are being con- 
stantly received by our professional authorities, for advice in 
the improvement of numbers of our progressive cities. Still 
more gratifying is the fact that such calls are not confined to 
our home states. Mr. Charles Mulford Robinson, of Roches- 
ter, N. Y., who has been kept busy for some time past in 
visiting and reporting upon proposed betterments in many 
cities, is now on his way to Honolulu to advise on the civic 
embellishment of the already beautiful Hawaiian capital. On 
his way he stops at Denver, Colo., to advise on the better way 
to give permanent beauty and artistic effect to the many im- 
provements Denver is about to undertake. 
* * * 
Springfield, 111 ., is one of the latest of cities to arouse itself 
to the propriety of a broad system of civic improvement, and 
at a recent public meeting nearly a thousand persons were 
present in the interest of a “City Plan.” Plans for the im- 
provement of the Illinois capital were submitted by State 
Architect W. C. Zimmerman, of Chicago, and resolutions 
were passed indorsing a scheme of improvement and author- 
izing the appointment of committees to push the project. The 
scheme proposed follows the lines now advocated in respect 
to centralizing and grouping public buildings, and in the case 
of Springfield providing ample park room about them to add 
to the citizens’ pleasure. The incentive for the popular enthu- 
siasm in Springfield is the fact that the last legislature made 
provision for a supreme court building, and in discussing plans 
for the carrying out of the bill it was concluded that the 
governor of the state, public officials and the business men 
might come together and look into the larger ciuestion of 
providing proper surroundings and improved civic conditions 
in the light of the wave of civic betterment that is sweeping 
over the country. The movement has met with complete 
indorsement by the people and Springfield offers an excellent 
opportunity to display what can be done on modern lines to 
beautify cities of like size and population. 
JK 5jC 
Frederick W. Kelsey, of Orange, N. J., expects to issue 
soon in book form his series of articles on the Esse.x County 
Park System which was published serially in The Neivark 
News. This is the only history so far written of the most 
important park system in New Jersey. Mr. Kelsey was one 
of the most active, intelligent and useful members of the first 
commission and is well qualified to write the history of the 
work. He notes every development of importance and ex- 
plains just who was behind it and what its purpose was. 
The secrecy surrounding the doings of the Park Commission 
and the method of appointing the commissioners are criti- 
cised severely, and Mr. Kelsey recommends that the law. be 
amended so as to remedy the evils complained of. Mr. 
Kelsey, in a recent communication to the Nezv York Tribune, 
protests against the proposed destruction of many oak trees 
alongside Prospect Park, Brooklyn, to provide a storage yard 
for the Interborough cars. j 
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