PARK AND CEMET ERY. 
89 
solved itself into three factors: first, 
the conservation of the stream and its 
banks; second, the construction of a 
main boulevard or driveway with 
minor service roads; and, third, the 
impounding of a body of water to 
such height as would permit boating. 
The Blue River with its finely wood- 
ed banks, broad fertile valley, and 
picturesque Bethany Falls limestone 
bluffs is naturally a pretty stream, as 
well as the most accessible in the vi- 
cinity of Kansas City, and should be 
conserved in its natural beauty. Prop- 
erly controlled, with a suitable dam 
providing a uniform stage of water, 
and with the proposed improvements 
along its banks, it would be one of the 
most useful and beautiful waterways 
in the country. In its natural wild 
state, the river with its banks is inevi- 
tably beautiful, but man spoils it, for 
he makes the river, especially the 
smaller streams, the dumping ground 
for wastes. With the growth of the 
city might come the familiar aspect 
of the river flowing between mud 
banks, its sides affording a resting 
place for offensive manufacturing es- 
tablishments, dumps, and all sorts of 
pollution and hideous things. The 
River in Kansas City, Kansas, affords 
a good example of the way in which 
industrial plants pollute and encroach 
upon the streams until steps have to 
be taken to control and widen them. 
The number of industrial plants in the 
Blue Valley is rapidly increasing and 
the inevitable result will be pollution, 
dump of wastes, and encroachment 
upon the stream, which, owing to its 
many sharp bends, is much more apt 
than is the Kansas River to do great 
damage by overflow. Already at a 
few points factories, houses, stables, 
sheds, and back yards are dumping 
their wastes upon its banks. Just 
now, before the ruthless and avari- 
cious hand of man pollutes and disfig- 
ures the whole stream, before indus- 
trial development encroaches upon it, 
while yet the property which must be 
reserved toward its conservation is 
comparatively inexpensive, this stream 
should be conserved, protected and 
improved. Not only will this im- 
provement be a protection to the in- 
dustrial and residential developments 
of the valley, but such a waterway 
will contribute inestimable value to 
the reservation for parkway develop- 
ment and will restore and preserve the 
attractiveness of the stream for that 
large class of citizens who take pleas- 
ure in boating. Besides conserving 
the stream, the plan provides for the 
reservation of land upon which to 
build and maintain a continuous drive- 
way on each side of the water-way, 
this reservation to be made a part of 
the park and boulevard system of the 
city. As the control and protection 
of the Blue River from its mouth to 
Fifteenth Street ties in with the con- 
with its accompanying banks and 
driveways, lying between Fifteenth 
Street and Swope Park. 
The route suggested promises ad- 
vantages of scenery and attractiveness 
which will be quickly recognized. 
SUMMER SCENES ON THE BLUE RIVER, KANSAS CITY, MO. 
trol and protection of the Missouri 
River in the East Bottoms — as is rec- 
ognized by the Board of Public Works 
in its studies and plans for the protec- 
tion of the East Bottoms — and as in- 
dustrial plants, railroads and yards 
have developed to a considerable de- 
gree below Fifteenth Street, it seems 
advisable to take control of, as a park- 
way, only that portion of the river. 
With the commanding view of the 
Missouri Valley from Indian Mound 
on the North Terrace bluffs at one end 
and the great Swope Park at the other 
end, connected by the picturesque 
waterway of the Blue River with its 
fifteen-mile boating course, this will 
be a most popular park drive. 
Continued on p. XV. 
