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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
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OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS 
G. X. AMRHYN, New Haven, Conn., President 
AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
ROLAND W. COTTERILL, Seattle, Wash., Sec. 
PARK MEN HAVE GOOD NEW YORK CONVENTION 
The sixteenth annual meeting of the 
American Association of Park Superintend- 
ents was held at Newburgh, N. Y., and 
New York City August 24, 25, 26 and 27. 
The headquarters at Newburgh were at the 
Palatine Hotel, in New York at the Hotel 
Astor. The attendance of both members 
and guests was exceptionally large, but 
there was ample room and entertainment 
for all. The meeting was one of the best 
and busiest in the history of the organiza- 
tion. 
The opening session at Newburgh was 
held in the gymnasium of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association. The meeting was 
called to order by the president, H. S. 
Richards, and considerable preliminary 
business was disposed of. The following 
list of applicants for membership were re- 
ported by the committee and unanimously 
elected : 
Arthur P. Perley, South Bend, Ind. ; 
Warren H. Manning, Harrisburg, Pa.; R. 
H. Huntington, Council Bluffs, la.; James 
B. Shea, Madison, N. J. ; John B. Corwin, 
Newburgh; Henry K. Eckert, Niagara, N. 
Y. ; James O. Howard, Castile, N. Y. ; E. 
S. Letts, Denver, Colo. ; Arthur A. Beisch- 
jald, Chisholm, Minn.; David Campbell, 
Syracuse, N. Y. ; Nelson Crist, Atlanta, 
Ga. ; Edwin A. Philbrick, Detroit, Mich. ; 
Robert L. Parker, Hartford, Conn.; Frank 
Hamilton, New York; George W. Hess, 
Washington, D. C. 
W. S. Manning, of Baltimore, chairman 
of the committee, reported on proposed 
changes in the constitution. After a short 
discussion the amendments were unani- 
mously adopted. The secretary, J. J. Levi- 
son, of Brooklyn, made his annual report, 
showing the society to be in a satisfactory 
financial condition with a small increase in 
membership. William J. Zartmann, Theo. 
Wirth and Emil T. Mische were appointed 
a nominating committee. 
The president, H. S. Richards, called 
upon George Champion to take the chair, 
and he introduced Mayor John B. Corwin, 
of Newburgh, who said in part: 
It is but natural that the foremost thought of 
Newburgh in your minds is as the home of Down- 
ing, for it was here that he was born, here that 
he made his home, and upon the river flowing at 
our feet that he met his tragic and untimely death. 
'Of Downing I shall speak to you but little for 
you are acquainted with his life, his work, his pro- 
fessional reputation and his influence far better 
than I. I only know that he was a dreamer with 
an artist’s soul,! who disdaining the limitations of 
the written word, the painted canvas and the chis- 
eled stone chose to transcribe his dreams upon the 
living face of nature and through the medium 
of growing leaf and sward, of winding path and 
massive rock, of rippling stream and placid pool, 
so interpreted the beauty of his visions that all who 
saw might feel and read and know. 
The welcome of the Mayor was supple- 
mented by Park Commissioner William 
Cook Belknap, who said in part : 
As to park development possibilities, nature has 
done her best for Newburgh and we must all regret 
we have not as a community taken greater advan- 
tage of what she offers. The City of Newburgh with 
two miles of waterfront and one of the finest rivers 
in the world has not a single foot that has been 
made available for park purposes. This should not 
be. 
As to scenic park we have not been so remise. 
In Downing Park we feel we have something in 
which w T e all may take pride and submit for your 
inspection. Let us be thankful for this. The de- 
velopment of Downing Park has been full of sen- 
timent as a letter written by Calvert Vaux under 
date of June 27, 1889, will show. This letter 
reads : 
“In a letter written by us some time ago we 
offered to give our professional aid as landscape 
architects to the committee without charge if 
the city should name the reservation Downing 
Park and we now with pleasure renew this 
offer in more specific form as suggested with 
the hope that it may be accepted in the spirit in 
which it has been conceived, that of profound 
respect for the memory of Downing. Yours faith- 
fully, Calvert Vaux, for F. L. & J. C. Olmsted.” 
These names mean something to you all. With 
the spirit of Downing about and guided by Frederick 
Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux it would have been 
hard to go astray. That the spirit of these men 
may remain with us and with you is the best 
wish I can offer to members of your association. 
Having enjoyed your hospitality in Boston and 
knowing from the reports of Superintendent Haible 
of the generous treatment he has received at your 
yearly gatherings I can only hope we may be able to 
make your stay with us interesting and instructive. 
H. S. Richards, president of the associa- 
tion, responded to the addresses of wel- 
come in a fitting manner. 
Professor Frank A. Waugh delivered an 
interesting and scholarly memorial address 
on Andrew Jackson Downing, known in 
PARK SUPERINTENDENTS IN CONVENTIOON AT NEWBURGH, N. Y. 
