PARK AND CEMETERY. 
185 
DEPOT GROUNDS AT LAKE CITY, MINN. 
If there be truth in the old saying, “First im- 
pressions are lasting ones,” there are but few places 
in the country which have not suffered from the fact 
that the railroad" station and its surroundings are 
such as to give the newly arrived passenger, or one 
passing through on the train, most disagreeable im- 
pressions as to the attractiveness of the village. 
Lake City, Minn., is but one of the many munici- 
palities whose citizens are beginning to realize the 
fact and seek for a remedy. 
Located on a broad plain, sloping gently down 
to the shores of that expansion of the Mississippi 
river, known as Lake Pepin; protected on the west 
by rocky and wooded bluffs rising to the height of 
several hundred feet, while the view to the east 
across the beautiful lake is bounded by a similar 
range, springing almost abruptly from the water’s 
edge, it is indeed a pleasant place, but to the trav- 
eller the entrance to these beauties is not one to 
arouse many bright anticipations. 
All who have journeyed in the west can picture 
to themselves the net work of tracks, the elevators, 
ware houses, coal sheds, stockyards, etc , which go 
to make up the dreary outlook from the equally 
dreary passenger station. Occasionally there may 
be a patron to whom it gives a homelike feeling, 
while dozing in the waiting room or seated at the 
lunch counter to listen to the cattle at the shipping 
pen munching their corn, or to hear from the hog 
yard the shrill protest when some enterprising com- 
panion gets both feet in the trough, but to most 
travellers distance will surely lend enchantment. 
In anticipation of increased accommodations 
which must soon be provided at this point, a com- 
mittee of citizens have had a plan prepared by 
Mr. Frank H. Nutter, Landscape Architect, of Minne- 
apolis, Minn., the acceptance of which in its general 
features if not in detail, they are urging upon the 
railroad officials, promising on the part of the city 
to do the necessary grading of the drives and lawns, 
including the street to the center of the city, while 
the Jewell Nursery Co., who are located here agrees 
to furnish and care for the necessary trees, shrubs 
and plants. 
The general plan for improvements may be 
briefly specified as follows: 
A new street to be opened by the city along the 
west side of the railroad to accommodate a new and 
enlarged freight depot and trackage, stock yards 
and coal sheds to be removed to other and less ob- 
jectionable spots and the grounds thus vacated to be 
used as ornamental grounds around a newand mod- 
ern passenger station. 
As all the surrounding property is platted in the 
conventional “checker board” style, all that is done 
here must conform to it. The principal change in 
the streets is to narrow up the roadway to thirty or 
forty feet as the case may be, leaving on either side 
broad spaces for lawn, tree-planting and sidewalks. 
Ample access is afforded for carriages to the 
rear of the depot, the drive passing through the tree 
planted lawns which will surround it on three sides, 
and in the season will be decorated with floral dis- 
plays of various designs. 
If the present intentions are carried out, the 
great change effected cannot fail to arouse interest 
in other localities in the vicinity which may be suf- 
fering from like untoward introductions to the trav- 
elling public. 
Planting List. 
The following is the planting list, with numbers correspond- 
ing to those on plans: 
DECIDUOUS TREES. 
1. Kentucky Coffee Tree. 6. Weeping Mountain Ash. 
2. Populus Bolleana. 7. Wier’s Cut-leafed Maple. 
3. Populus Certinensis. 8. Weeping Cut-leafed Birch. 
4 Laurel- leafed Willow. 9. Fringe Tree (Chionanthus. 
5. Wisconsin Weeping Wil- 10. Rosemary Willow. 
low. ioJ 4 - Linden. 
Unmarked Street Trees — Ash or Elm. 
EVERGREEN TREES. 
11. 
12 . 
13 - 
14 . 
21 . 
22 . 
23 - 
24. 
25 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
3 1 ' 
White Spruce. 16. 
Douglas Spruce. 17. 
Colorado Blue Spruce. 18. 
Abies Concolor. 
SHRUBS. 
Pyramidal Arborvit.e. 
Mugho Pine. 
Savin Juniper. 
Hydrangea. 32. 
Spirse van Houttei. 33. 
Spirae Sorbifolia. 34. 
Spirae Billardi. 35. 
Spirae Reevesii. 36. 
Bush Cranberry 37. 
Snowball. 
Lonicera Fragrantissima. 38. 
Lonicera Tartarica (pink 
and white). 39. 
Common Lilac (purple and 40. 
white). 41. 
Persian Lilac (purple and 42. 
white). 
Josikaea Lilac. 
Flowering Currants. 
Clethra Alnifolia. 
Cut-leafed Elder. 
Golden Elder. 
Mock Orange (Philadel- 
phus). 
Native Dogwoods (Killikin- 
nick). 
Juneberry. 
Carragana. 
Buffalo Berry. 
Strawberry Tree. 
The antiquity of legal methods is curiously illus- 
trated by the recent discovery of the oldest will extant. 
This unique document was unearthed by Prof. Petrie at 
Kahum, Egypt, and is at least 4,000 years old. In its 
phraseology the will is singularly modern in form, so 
much so that it might be admitted to probate to-day. 
The delightful labor of flower farming is steadily on 
the increase among the people of the Scilly Isles, the 
astonishing quantity of forty-one tons of cut blossoms, 
chiefly narcissus, being sent over to England weekly 
during the winter season. The farms, which employ 
many hands and much capital, are excessively interest- 
ing, and the sight of them in February or March is worth 
even the risk of a rough voyage. Literally millions of 
white and yellow blossoms, richly fragrant, nestle be- 
tween tall hedges of euonymus and veronica, and form 
a fragrant picture — exquisite as it is unique. 
