PARK AND CEMETERY. 
265 
PARK NOTES. 
The common councils of Mishawaka and South Bend, lud.^ 
have appainted committees to act in concert looking to the 
construction of a street or boulevard, 100 feet wide, to skirt the 
St Joseph River between the two cities. This will connect the 
parks of the two cities and will be a notable improvement. 
* * » 
The improvements at Audubon Park, New Orleans, under 
the general direction of Mr. Olmsted of Boston, are being car- 
ried along as rapidly as the financial conditions warrant- 
The people are becoming greatly interested in this beautiful 
park and the commissioners are receiving many tokens of this 
interest. Preparations have been made for additions to the 
permanent jdantiug, and the children’s playground will be 
ready for them by spring. Prospects appear to be favorable to 
a consummation of the plans for the final development of the 
park. 
* * * 
The city park, Denver, Colo., has been the recipient of 
many donations from remote states. Mrs. Lowe of Boston, 
some months ago sent a large collection of plants, shrubs 
and seeds to form the nucleus of the Lowe arboretum, to which 
she will contribute further from time to time. The mayor of 
Elyria, O., has signified his desire to establish a grove of nut 
trees and other plants to form an Pllyria tract and has sent a 
donation to commence operations. They are desirous of get- 
ting squirrels into the park and the nut grove will provide food 
in due time. 
iii * * 
Evansville, Ind., is maturing matters in the direction of 
establishing a park system . A triangular piece of ground on 
the Ohio river, known as Sunset Park, has been enlarged by 
additions, which will make a strip 1000 feet by 300 feet, 
which by judicious planting will make a delightful breathing 
spot. The authorities are being urged to purchase 220 acres 
adjoining the 40 acres recently deeded to the city for park 
purposes by Mr. Geo. L. Mesker. The land is situated west of 
the city and is admirably adapted for park purposes. It is well 
wooded, rugged in aspect and of easy access to West End citi- 
-/.ens and will be to all citizens when car line is extended. 
* * * 
The quarterly meeting of the New York State Reservation 
Commission, having in charge the care of the Niagara Falls 
reservation was held last month. Perhaps the most important 
action at this meeting was the adopting of a resolution to re- 
commend to the state legislature that the state engineer be di- 
rected to make a survey and report on the cost of a roadway to 
extend from Lake Ont...rio to the State Reservation. Such a 
roadway, extending over fifteen miles along the rivet would 
not be surpassed in scenic splendor by any drive in the world. 
A. resolution was also adopted to appoint an American com- 
mission to act with the Canadian commission in forming some 
plan to stop the divergence of the waters at this point from the 
fact that the beauty of the falls is thus affected. 
* * * 
In the forthcomin,g report of the St. Louis, Mo., park 
commissioners, the superintendent enthusiastically advocates 
the laying out of playgrounds in downtown parks and squares, 
provided with swing.s, sandpiles, bicycle and toy-wagon paths 
and various other permanent accommodations for pastime that 
would appeal to children under 12 years of age. The repoit 
w’ill also contain a chapter drawing attention to the rapid 
death of the old forest trees in all the parks, deploring tha* 
there is uo preventative or remedy. About 700 dead trees will 
have to be cut down this year. In the last year 5,000 young 
trees were planted and 150,000 flowering plants were grown. 
•About one-half of the young trees prosper. The death of the 
forest trees is ascribed to a lack of moisture in the soil. In a 
natural forest the leaves lie on the ground and retain the 
moisture; in parks the leaves are removed, and this, with the 
packing of the soil, prevents the distribution of moisture and 
air to the roots of the trees. 
■*• * * 
A strong movement has started in St. Louis, Mo,, to estab- 
lish public bathing conveniences and Water Commissioner 
Flad has perfected plans for the work. It is contemplated to 
provide for open air bathing in summer and skating in winter. 
The project will require $ 75 , 000 . As .outlined the plans call 
for separate out-of-door pools for women and men, between 
which will be the great fountain rising from a dam, along the 
center of which will be a row of trees. The pools will cover 
eight acres and will range in depth from two to nine feet. The 
bottom in the shallows will be of sand and Meramec gravel 
and in the deep places of “puddle.” Along the west side of 
both pools will be the frame bathhouses and fronting on the 
fountain a large reception hall built after clubhouse models. 
This building will cost $ 20 , 000 . The plans for the grounds 
have been drawn by Landscape Gardener M. G. Kern. They 
call for a drive round the whole park with a feature of cypress 
tree ornamentation, especially along the river front. 
* * * 
■An appropriate and attractive fountain has been designed 
by Mr. Charles Mulligan, sculptor. Art Institute, Chicago, 
which the West Park commissioners of that city propose to 
erect in a children’s playground which they are arranging to 
provide between Humboldt and Douglas parks. The motive of 
the design is children in patriotic celebration. In the center 
is a granite column eight feet high with the figures of four 
children on top. One is that of a boy waving the American 
flag and surrounded by the figures of three other children 
shooting off Roman candles. At night the lights are so ar- 
ranged that the w-ater spouting from the candles assumes the 
color of fire. At the children’s feet are to be a lot of used fire- 
works flung carelessly down and still smoking, this effect 
being secured by combinations of lights and spray. At the 
base of the fountain the column is surrounded by a frieze in 
bronze, upon which is sketched in relief the figures of a num- 
ber of children engaged in all manner of Fourth of July fun. 
* * * 
At the sixteenth annual meeting of the Public Park Asso- 
ciation of Providence, R. I., important action w-as taken rela- 
tive to increasing park facilities. The followdng resolution 
was also unanimously passed, which is suggestive as to possi- 
bilities of like associations. “Resolved, that the president and 
treasurer, together with Mr. Alfred Stone and Joseph D. Fitts, 
be requested to prepare a report exhibiting the desirability 
of a system of parks and playgrounds in every w-ard of the 
city, and a system of parkways extending around the city; 
also considering the various tracts of land which, by virtue of 
accessibility, natural desirability and attractiveness, or which 
bj' their particular appropriateness for any reason whatever 
should be acquired by the city of I’rovidence and surrounding 
municipalities, with a view to future improvement, together 
with such suggestions as seem to them desirable with a view to 
the systematic estaJIishment of a comprehensive park system 
and ail eepiipnient of public pU-.nsure grdinds If titling the 
city of Providence.” 
