148 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
understood, to be interested in what is add- 
ing materially to the cost of recreation, 
and apparently will add much more in the 
future. I refer to the six tenement blocks, 
and those blocks of a greater number of 
tenements. They occupy such a large per- 
centage of their building lot that there is 
no opportunity for recreation outdoors on 
their own territory for those who live 
within them. Every block so erected 
means additional cost to the city for rec- 
reation, to be paid for in part by taxes 
upon the buildings themselves, and in part 
also by taxes upon homes which do pro- 
vide recreation for their own. As bad as 
this is, worst seems to be coming, for tene- 
ments of this character are now being 
built in the interior of our city blocks with 
blind alleys and courts, a condition most 
severely condemned in other cities, which 
is being remedied at great cost in some, 
and which promises to become an unnec- 
essary evil and expense to Hartford's next 
generation, which is the point of this dis- 
cussion. It will increase materially the 
per capita cost of recreation in Hartford. 
To remedy this would require a city or- 
dinance preventing any dwelling houses 
from being built that do not front upon 
a public street. I believe that such an or- 
dinance would be passed if the city as a 
whole realized the evil that is creeping in 
upon it. 
The experience of this year seems to 
lead up to the following suggestions: 
1. That in addition to such playgrounds as may 
be located in the parks, other playgrounds be 
equipped and maintained outside! of the park areas 
wherever there is a group of children who would 
use them. 
2. That playground apparatus be made in such 
form as to be as easily moved in and out of a 
playground as furniture is moved in and out of a 
house. 
3. That play apparatus be frequently changed, 
for it is demonstrated that the same child tires of 
using the same apparatus longer than a week or 
ten days, although he may return to it with re- 
newed vigor afterwards. The reason for this is 
on account of his physical make-up and not sim- 
ply a vagary of his mind. 
4. That outside play apparatus may be located 
on private grounds at the option of the owner, 
to be removed at one day’s notice when desired 
without question. 
It is assumed that the park interests in its 
play apparatus follows its moving from place to 
place, and that it is never lost any more than 
if it remained on its own territory. 
5. That all playgrounds and play apparatus be j 
cleaned and put in order daily, for it was found j 
when this was done, the people respected and j 
used it properly, but if the park neglected its I 
care, the people sometimes misuse or destroy it. j 
6. That the department be prepared to install , 
additional play apparatus in existing playgrounds j 
as they may be needed, or to install new play- 
grounds at any time. By so doing scrapping or : 
misuse of playgrounds and apparatus can be almost I i 
entirely prevented. 
7. Pavilions large enough to accomodate 2,500 i 
people are needed in Colt and Pope Parks, and 
until provided, those parks must remain limited in j i 
their service to the city. The need of them is ; > 
great, much greater than one realizes unless they 
have given a most careful study to the recreation , 
needs of a city. 
The Park Department through its dec- * 
orational and recreational functions should 
become as closely connected with each 
home as is the Street Department and the j 
Water Department, and as interested in 
the welfare of the people as is the Health j 
Department. As great service as the Street, j 
Water and Health Departments render to j 
a city, the Park Department should sup- 
plement that service, becoming in its own j 
way as important, and when that comes j 
about the Park Department will become ! 
self-supporting. 
SUMMER SPORTS IN MINNEAPOLIS PARKS 
In natural facilities for summer sports, 
in systematic development of the advan- 
tages afforded by its unique chain of small 
lakes and the Mississippi river, the park 
system of Minneapolis is unrivalled. Its 
water sports and water carnivals are 
unique, and have made its lakes and its 
parks of the widest service to a vast num- 
ber of its citizens, young and old. 
There is water baseball, canoeing, swim- 
ming, diving, boating and bathing that get 
the utmost value of the water features of 
this remarkable park system. 
The latest annual report of the Minne- 
apolis Park system, a beautiful illustrated 
book of 135 pages, tells of some substan- 
tial development in the summer attrac- 
tions and lake system. 
Especially notable are : The linking of 
Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake: the 
work upon Cedar Lake Boulevard ; the ex- 
tension of Glenwood-Camden Parkway to , 
Nineteenth Avenue North ; and, finally, the 
securing on so large a scale, the last link 
in the “Grand Rounds,” thus completing, 
one of the most attractive and extensive ; 
drives to be found in this country. This : 
gives forty miles of boulevard practically 
all in the city, leading by nearly a dozen 1 
natural lakes, several of which are large I 
WATER BASEBALL ON LAKE HARRIET, MINNEAPOLIS PARK SYSTEM. 
