144 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
The board of park commissioners, Peoria, 111 ., has passed 
the annual appropriation bill which authorizes the expenditure 
of $122,336 during the ensuing year, 
* * * 
The women of Lamar, Mo., are urging the creation of a 
city park. The Lamar Educational association has made a 
proposition to the ladies which promises to aid in realizing the 
park project. 
A special election has been held in Waukegan, 111 ., to de- 
termine whether or not a park district shall be created which 
shall embrace the towmship of Waukegan. Up to time of going 
to press the result of the election is not known. Waukegan 
sadly needs parks. 
* * * 
A large amount of work in the w'ay of improvement has 
been carried oi't this season in the parks of Denver, Colo. 
Among the prominent parks is City park, a natural tract of 320 
acres, of which some 115 acres have been improved. It is 
especially noted for its beautiful lawns. 
* * * 
The business men of Las Vegas, N. M., are manifesting a 
commendable spirit in relation to maintaining interest in their 
plaza park. They have during the summer subscribed |roo per 
month to furnish music and when the time expires for the 
regular musical entertainments the subscription will be con- 
tinued to furnish an appropriate fountain as an embellishment 
for their park. 
* * * 
The executiive council of Boston has advertised for bids for 
removing the buildings east of the state house, between Mt. 
Vernon, Beacon and Bowdoin streets. This would indicate that 
the long delayed development of the state house park is about 
to be inaugurated. The act to establish a state house park was 
passed in 1S93, but actual work has been put off from time to 
time until this final action. 
* * * 
A new rule of the park board, ^Minneapolis, Minn., relative 
to petitions for the planting of trees decrees that such petitions 
must be presented this fall if the work is to be done next year. 
Under the new plan, the board is able to determine on the 
assessments at $5 per forty feet for all tree planting next ye^r, 
and arrange appropriations accordi^gl}^ The park board now 
has 40 miles of trees planted and under its care. 
» * * 
Starr Garden park, Philadelphia, Pa., concerning w'hich so 
much has at times been written, will be wlien completed an 
ideal small cit’- park. In size it is only one regulation city 
block but its location at Sixth and Lombard streets will mater- 
ially help the health of that congested portion of the city. An 
appropriation of $S,ooo is available for its improvement. The 
improvement w’ork will consist of grading, laying cement curbs 
and walks and erecting a pavilion and fountain. After the con- 
.etructive work is completed, which embraces a sand bank and 
a -wading pool for children, City Forester Lewis will carry out a 
planting scheme. * * 
A valuable addition to the educational interests of Bakers- 
field, Ca'if., is the pub ic library, which was accepted by the 
city authorities last spring. It w'as the gift^of Mrs. Mary E. 
Beale and Hon. Truxton Beale, of Washington, D. C., in mem- 
ory of General E. F. Beale, for many years a resident of the 
place. In the remarks of Mr. Beale in presenting the building 
he alluded to the affection which his father had had for the 
town and wishing to erect a memorial to his name, he and his 
mother had concluded that a public library would be as endur- 
ing a monument as could be erected. In this sentiment Mr. 
Beale will be warmly seconded. 
* * •*■ 
A park project is being inaugurated at York, Neb., in 
which it is proposed to introduce some new features. A native 
forest on a creek will be utilized and special groups or sections 
will be laid out in appropriate locations. There will be a 
Rocky mountain section on a steep hillside, containing speci- 
mens of its trees, flowers, etc., and likewise a Black Hills sec- 
tion. It is also intended to provide Japanese and Chinese 
groups. The climate is hot and dry, but a north slope has been 
secured. Rev. C. S. Harrison, who is chairman of the Com- 
mercial club of York, and president of the Nebraska Park and 
Forest association, is chairman of the above park committee, 
and is an enthusiast in this work in its relation to the state 
interests. 
» » * 
In connection with a previous note on the progressive spirit 
manifested by certain residents in Bluff City, Kansas, the fol- 
lowing from the mayor, Mr. James Glover, affords suggestions 
to others. He write=: “It has become a custom, a fad, for rich 
men to endow libraries. This country is well supplied wdth 
reading matter; the daily press alone is a library, and I cannot 
help but think that more parks, larger playgrounds about the 
city .-chool buildings would be a be'ter outlay of money than a 
heap of books in a gorgeous building where poor children never 
go and many of them who do w’ere better out romping in the 
pure air. Large cities can have parks. They have the property 
to tax and raise funds; it requires only the disposition to do it, 
but villages and small towns often lack both. We have been 
very successful and accomplished a good deal with the means 
at hand, but it was love, not money that did the work. Now 
our people are educated up to the point where it is easier to con- 
tinue than it was to begin and we look forward to greater 
success.” 
» * « 
In a speech on Fanners’ dajq at Exeter, N. H., Dr. J ihn 
D. Ouackenbos, of Columbia university, after expatiating on 
the natural beauties of New Hampshire, thus expressed himself 
on the “bill-board” nuisance: “A great civilization like ours 
resents expression in mulilated forests, denuded mountains, 
flowed like margins with their hideous girdles of dead timber, 
stony channels of dried streams, emptied like basins; trees and 
rocks disfigured with advertisements — the outward and visible 
signs of an inward and reprehensible apath)-. Ruthless adver- 
tisers, in deliberate contempt of our feelings and our property 
rights in the scenery, are everywhere disfiguring the face of 
nature with the flaring placards of nostrum proprietors; dry 
goods and hardware dealers, agents for farm machinery. Huge 
field boards intercept the most inspiring views with disgusting 
portraitures in color of stage and circus brutalities; barn sides 
painted black, proclaim, in colossal saffron letters, the virtues 
of potassium iodide under the pseudonym of sarsaparilla; and 
every fence rail commends to the passer-by the comforts of 
Dutchess trousers or the sedative effects of L. M. cough drops. 
Time was when the scenery and the outlook needed no protec- 
tion; now there exists an organized intent to destroy both — the 
i laleniable birthright of the community, with the object of 
adding to the gains of a handful of traders.” 
