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PARK NOTES. * 1 
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At the annual meeting of the Village Improvement Associa- 
tion of Falmouth, Mass,, recently held, the report of the treas- 
urer showed the amount in the treasury to be $154.38. An ap- 
propriation of $50 was made for the protection and care of trees 
throughout the village. 
* * * 
The chain link idea for raising money is being utilized in 
many ways and for many purposes. In Akron, N. Y., a fountain 
for the park is desired to cost $1000, of which only a portion has 
been secured. To hasten the fulfillment of the project the 
ladies have undertaken the chain link scheme, and money is 
coming in fast. 
* * * 
The Watertown Mass., Historical Society is arranging to 
have all points of historical interest in the town marked by 
suitable tablets. It is also proposed to correct misleading 
tablets which have heretofore been set up in various parts of 
the town. The society further proposes to take steps to perpe- 
tuate the Indian names of the town. These are valuable points 
of improving interest. 
* * * 
According to the annual report of Mr. William Doogue, 
superintendent of public grounds, Boston, transmitted to the 
mayor of that city, the expenditures were $97,258.88, not 
including special appropriations of $12,930.96. Among the 
items of expenditures are: $9,946.30 for city greenhouses; 
$21,141 .72 for salaries, implements and repairs; $13,862 on 
account of Boston Common and $17,070.70 for Public garden. 
The balance is charged chiefly to labor accounts for the squares 
and small parks of the city, South Boston, East Boston, Dor- 
chester, Brighton and Roxbury districts. 
* * * 
Although the magnificent park plan proposed for the lake 
front of Chicago is in abeyance for the time being, striking im- 
provements are in progress and the down town section which in- 
cludes the site of the Logan monument will not be recognized as 
the Lake Front park of a few short years ago. The Illinois Cen- 
tral Railroad has completed the depression of its tracks and has 
constructed handsome parapets to its retaining walls, and an ap- 
propriately designed station at Van Buren street. A large 
amount of planting out has been done, and the park is now a 
transformation scene taking on new beauty each successive sea- 
son. It is now proposed to name it Grant Park. 
* * * 
An important feature of the work of the Village Improve- 
ment Association is that of Sanitation, and it is noted that its 
importance is being appreciated. Granting that it is a duty of 
such association, to become interested in so vital a question of 
public good, their work will lie more particularly in taking criti. 
cal notice of such deficiencies and lapses in the precautionary 
regulations of the town authorities as may be observed, and of 
using their influence to seeing that such defects are remedied. 
The intimate relations of such associations with the home life of 
the community makes it especially appropriate that they should 
receive suggestions for improvement, and reducing them to prac- 
tical shape, help the officials of the town towards incorporating 
them in their government. 
* * * 
There is a rapidly growing interest in the cause of shade 
trees, their care and management, and a pretty general suggestion 
is current that the town and village authorities should include 
the shade trees among the matters of public welfare in their 
governing regulations and ordinances. It is certain that the 
beauty and comfort imparted to a community by its street trees, 
deserves far more than mere spasmodic attention. Many of our 
towns are blessed with magnificent specimens of trees, planted 
by the forethought of ancestors, but so little have they been ap- 
preciated, that frequently not even the decayed or decaying 
branches have been removed, and in a multitude of cases they 
have been simply left to run their life uncared for. It is an im- 
portant matter this question of shade trees, and should be kept 
to the front in the public interest. 
* * * 
In talking of the prospects of a Village Improvement So- 
ciety for Valley Falls, R. I., the, Telegram of Providence, com- 
ments as follows: “These societies are of considerable benefit 
to the community because they foster in the minds of the people 
a desire to have thier respective properties improved and kept 
in the very best of condition at all times. In the state of Mas- 
sachusetts there are a number of such organizations, and if one 
is desirous of seeing prettily laid out villages, well kept lawns and 
sidewalks all that is necessary is to take a trip through some of 
those villages in the summer time. In the village of Hopedale, 
Mass., the selectmen offer prizes for the best kept property, and 
there is intense rivalry among the citizens to win the prizes. 
This scheme has made Hopedale one of the prettiest villages in 
the United States. The same result could be reached in the 
Valley Falls if some such inducement was held out to the prop- 
erty holders. All that is necessary is for some one to step for- 
ward and start the movement and the society would be a flour- 
ishing success from the beginning.” 
* * * 
The design for the Hayes drinking fountain, approved of by 
the committee selected by the town of Lexington, Mass, was 
modelled by Mr. Kitson, sculptor, Boston. It is to be erected 
at the head of the common on the small circular plat facing 
down Mass, avenue. The model shows a semi circular rustic 
stone wall of large field boulders, at the center of which is 
joined a pedestal to support the figure of a minute-man of 1775. 
A large boulder is to be hollowed out for the drinking basin for 
horses, while fissures at the base of the wall, with similar rustic 
basins, will be provided as drinking places for cattle or dogs. In 
the semi-circular enclosure seats are provided. The water is to 
trickle down the face of the rocks into the basins and the whole 
is calculated to present a rustic, picturesque appearance amid 
the towering trees, while the rocky formation of the fountain 
will be suggestive of the stone wall which fronted the British on 
their visit to Lexington and from the protection of which the 
minute-met! fought so bravely. The entire fountain will be 
about nineteen feet high. The figure is to be of bronze, nine 
and one half feet high. 
* * * 
It is exceedingly gratifying to note how the public press is 
taking up the subject of art out-of-doors. Mr. E. F. Searles has 
been very liberal towards Methuen, Mass., his most recent gift 
being a granite pedestal surmounted by an old anvil. On the 
pedestal is cut, “Marstons Forge, 1775.” The monument marks 
the site of the old Marston blacksmith shop, where Peter Mars- 
ton, a soldier of the Revolution, worked at his forge. The monu- 
meut is located on the plot of land, known as Marston corner, 
which was also purchased and presented to the town for a park 
by Mr. Searles. In speaking of this and the natural beauty of 
Methuen, the Methuen Transcript says: “But it is to be re- 
gretted that many of us have been far less generous in our treat- 
ment of these beautiful places, than nature has been in bestow- 
ing them upon us. The destruction of noble trees for a mere pit- 
tance, or often from even less worthy motives, the demolishing 
of beautiful highlands for a few loads of gravel, and the gross 
misuse of choice parcels of country lands, are cause for much re- 
gret to those who admire that which is beautiful in nature. 
There are many splendid pieces of land on the outskirts of the 
town which have been richly endowed in natural beauty, but 
which have been ruined by a homely arrangement of farm build- 
ings or the erection of mere shanties,” 
