539 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Omaha, Neb., in a recent communica- 
tion says ; “My idea is that statues of 
our living ideals should be placed in 
art galleries or similar buildings, where 
the surroundings are suitable the year 
round.” 
Mr. C. M. Loring, of Minneapolis, 
Minn., and Mr. J. H. Reed, city tree 
■warden of Riverside, Cal., were recent- 
ly guests of honor at a picnic at Mead- 
owbrook Park, San Bernardino, given 
by the civic section of the Woman’s 
Club of that city. Both gave addresses 
and it may be taken for granted that 
two such apostles of the trees made 
deep impressions on their auditors on 
the subject so near and dear to them. 
Senate and House bills, now before 
the Illinois Legislature, are intended to 
bring about the purchase by the state of 
Starved Rock and contiguous tracts of 
land, in all about 1,155 acres. The 
measures also provide for the forming 
of a state park out of this beautiful 
and historic bit of country. An appro- 
priation ‘of $250,000 is required to secure 
the desirable results thus outlined. The 
public are hoping that the legislative 
committees which now have the bills 
in hand will report them favorably, and 
that they will pass at the present ses- 
sion. Readers at all familiar with the 
early history of Illinois will recognize 
how appropriate it is that this locality 
should become state property. 
A novel plan to decide the location 
of a park is that of the Women’s Im- 
provement Club of Vallejo, Cal., which 
will arrange to conduct a contest to 
decide upon the site of the park. The 
city will be laid out in four sections, 
and votes will be received at $10 a 
thousand from the interested property 
owners. The section offering the high- 
est number of votes will get the new 
park. It is expected that $10,000 will 
be received in this contest for improve- 
ments on the new children’s play- 
grounds. 
Hyacinths have been barred from the 
city parks of Boston, Mass., on account 
of their poisonous nature by Forester 
D. Henry Sullivan. The bulbs have been 
found not only poisonous to the per- 
son who handles them but also to the 
ground in which they are placed. 
After years of controversy the city 
of Los Angeles, Cal., has established its 
right to hold as park property 800 acres 
in the heart of Griffith Park, deeded 
to the city several years ago by Colonel 
Griffith J. Griffith. This victory was 
won when Judge Wood of the Superior 
Court recently sustained the city’s de- 
murrer in the suit instituted by J. H. 
Smith last month, whereby Smith 
hoped to have a former judgment of 
the court set aside. 
NEW PARKS 
Martin A. Ryerson, of Chicago, own- 
er of the old Indian burying ground 
near the center of Muskegon, Mich., 
has given the land to the city, with the 
proviso that the city maintain it as a 
park. In this plot many of the tribal 
chieftains who died during the early 
lumbering days of Muskegon were bur- 
ied. Its large, white, wooden cross 
was kept in repair for years by In- 
dians still living in the vicinity. 
A formal deed conveying 40 acres of 
land to the city of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
to be used for park purposes, the gift 
of Mrs. Huntley Russell and Mrs. Lu- 
cius Boltwood, was recently presented 
to the board of park and cemetery 
commissioners. The deed contains no 
strings whatever except that the prop- 
erty is to be used for park purposes. 
It comprises the land on the east river 
bank, just south of the Soldiers’ Home. 
About $5,000 is being expended by the 
Drs. Mayo upon Mayo and College 
Hill parks, both of which they have 
given to the city of Rochester, Minn. 
A. F. Langlois, a landscape architect, 
has been engaged to take charge of the 
parks. It is expected that when the 
work is completed the parks will be 
very attractive. 
Muncie, Ind., is to have another new 
city park and resting place. 
In behalf of the town of Morristown, 
N. J., the Board of Aldermen at a re- 
cent special meeting accepted an offer 
of Frederick G. Burnham and wife, of 
Sherman Hill, of a 28 acre plot of land, 
known as Burnham’s Woods, for the 
purpose of a public park. 
Charleston, S. C, has a new park, 
known as the “Old Faber Place,” lo- 
cated on the Ashley river. 
West Oakland, Cal., is to have a 
park, $16,000 having been appropriated 
by the council for the purchase of a 
site. 
Mr. Jonathan Mould and wife, of 
Reading, Pa., have presented to that 
city what is called the Mt. Penn pa- 
goda and ten acres of mountain land 
for an addition to Reading’s park sys- 
tem. It is a notable and fine gift and 
was accepted by the city council in 
grateful terms. 
By a donation of three acres of land 
on the river front, the Chicago, Mil- 
waukee & St. Paul road has facili- 
tated the building of what is expected 
to be one of the most beautiful parks 
on the Mississippi river at La Crosse, 
Wis. A large force is at work on the 
park, which is mostly in the river bot- 
tom. The shore line is to be extended 
and the channel diverted. 
At the meeting of the city council 
of Fort Dodge, la., recently, a tract 
of over forty acres of land for a park 
was presented as a gift to the city, ac- 
cording to the stipulations of the will 
of Joseph Phinney, a pioneer resident 
who died two years ago. The land is 
worth $16,000. The property is a beau- 
tifully wooded valley and hill on the 
bank of the Des Moines river, opposite 
the heart of the city, and will be a fine 
addition to the city’s park system. It 
will make the main portion of the city 
practically enclosed in parks. 
A new park will be laid out in South 
Cullman, Ala., by Hon. Ignatius Pol- 
iak, whose philanthropic leanings are 
well appreciated by citizens of Ala- 
bama. It will be located just south of 
the Kelhopfer home at the Sulphur 
Spring. The work has already been 
commenced. 
Foster Park, Ottumwa, la., a 38 
acre tract of land which was donated 
to the city for park purposes, was de- 
signed and laid out by Mr. F. E. Pease, 
landscape gardener, of Des Moines. In 
topography it is finely adapted for gen- 
eral park work, of which the designer 
has taken advantage. It has three en- 
trances, with the chief objective point 
a commodious pavilion. A formal gar- 
den is arranged at the west of this 
with pergola, etc., while on the east are 
the playgrounds, with wading pool and 
accessories for gentle sport. Toward 
the northeastern entrance is the high- 
est point, with its Look-out building, 
which, while not a high structure, com- 
mands beautiful views. It serves as a 
rest house and shelter. This park will 
be an important feature in the park 
and boulevard system as planned. 
The offer recently made to the city 
of Albany, Ore., by Mr. and Mrs. H. 
Bryant of a fine tract on Bryant’s 
Island,, to be used as a public park, 
has been accepted by the council. The 
land lies between the Calapooia and 
Willamette rivers and is reached by a 
bridge. The donors stipulate that the 
grounds are to be under the control of 
the Chautauqua Association during the 
period of the annual assemblies, and 
the association is to construct an ade- 
quate building thereon. The city is to 
keep up the roadways and expend 
$5,000 in improvements within the next 
five years. It will be known as Bry- 
ant’s Park. 
The common council of Philadelpha, 
Pa., recently passed a bill authorizing 
the purchase of the old grounds of the 
Belmont Cricket Club in West Phila- 
delphia for park and playground pur- 
poses. The tract consists of nine and 
one-half acres and will cost between 
$200,000 and $250,000. 
