180 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
study of the lot and its surroundings, and Mr. Bollo, 
an architect, was called in to help make a large full- 
size drawing of the sketch suggested by one of the 
famous Stele in the Cesnola collection at the Museum. 
The General suggested that the Assyrian winged fig- 
ures be replaced by the dove — the Catholic symbol of 
peace — and that a cross be put on the top of the 
monument. This was all that was ever said regard- 
ing the work, and it went on in an uninterrupted 
manner until placed in the cemetery. 
In appearance it closely resembles a stele which was 
found on the Island of Cyprus by the General when 
he was there as United States consul. The original 
from which it was modeled was a part of the collec- 
tion of Cyprian antiquities purchased from the Gen- 
eral by the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of 
Art many years ago. Steles are engraved monuments 
erected in ancient times over the graves of persons of 
distinction. They usually mark the graves of kings. 
The one which the General found was nearly perfect, 
and may now be seen in the museum. At the top of 
the memorial in a quaint and almost arabesque design 
are represented the vines and the honeysuckle. The 
curved projections from the side of the monument are 
conventional ferns, for the fern was a symbol of life. 
Beneath the flying dove is the lotus flower upside 
down, which when so placed is the sign of death. 
At first it looked like a very easy matter to copy- 
one of these ancient monuments, but as the work 
progressed on the modeling of the cap it was discov- 
ered that this subtle art of Cyprus was something 
wonderful in its character, and refuted utterly the 
silly attempt on the part of those misguided men who 
in 1883 attempted to destroy, not only this rare col- 
lection, but the great man who discovered these an- 
cient sculptures. 
The monument is cut from one block of Barre 
granite and is mounted on three steps in one block. 
It rests on a solid foundation of stone and cement six 
feet in the ground. It is the work of the William 
H. Scheurer Granite Works, of 530 Flushing avenue, 
Long Island City, N. Y., and was carved by Mr. W. 
H. Sherwood, the manager and a sculptor of note. 
Great credit is due to both Mr. Scheurer and Mr. 
Sherwood for their untiring efforts to reproduce the 
exact sentiment of the model. 
At the time this monument was made no other like 
it existed in the modern world. 
Its chaste beauty of line and classic integrity of 
proportion furnish a valuable lesson in monumental 
art and testify to the fact that the sculptor’s work 
was a labor of love as well as of skill. 
Iowa ParK and Forestry Association and Horticultural Society. 
At the meeting of the Iowa Park and Forestry As- 
sociation, held in Des Moines, la., December 12 and 
13, 1904, a number of interesting papers on park and 
forestry matters were read. 
The program was as follows : 
Reforestation in Iowa, by Prof. B. Shimek ; Pres- 
ervation of Iowa Lakes by Recent Topographical Sur- 
veys, by L. E. Ashbaugh ; The Farmer and the. Wood 
Lot, by E. E. Saville ; Practical Forestry for Iowa, by 
J. S. Trigg; Forestry in Northeastern Iowa, by Hon. 
Ellston Orr ; Notes on Pruning, by Dr. Bruce Fink; 
The Farm Timber Lot, by Elmer Reeves ; Park De- 
velopment as an Expression of Public Sentiment, by 
Dr. A. B. Storms ; The Uplifting Influence of Parks 
and Forests, by Dr. J. E. Cathell ; The Billboard, bv 
Prof. C. A. Cumming. 
Dr. Storms told of the growth of the civic im- 
provement idea, and of what had been accomplished 
in park work in New York, Detroit, St. Paul, San 
Francisco, and Madison, Wis. Describing the mak- 
ing of Belle Isle Park, Detroit, he said : 
“Some few years ago in Detroit river, above the 
city of Detroit, was a marshy, wooded island infested 
with rattlesnakes. Some enterprising citizen bought 
it for a hog pasture, for hogs are deadly enemies to 
rattlesnakes. Later there came a public spirited citi- 
zen with far vision, who dreamed of making Hog is- 
land into a park. Men laughed at his scheme and 
when it was proposed that the city invest a few thou- 
sand dollars in its purchase there was strong oppo- 
sition. Since this public spirited man began to dream 
his dream other men have shared his vision, until to- 
day, having expended millions of dollars in its im- 
provement and approach, Detroit has in her Belle Isle 
Park the most beautiful breathing place of any city 
in the world.” 
The following officers were elected : 
President, L. H. Pammel, of Ames ; vice-president, 
Wesley Greene, of Davenport; secretary, Thomas H. 
Macbride, of Iowa City; treasurer, J. C. Monnett; 
executive committee, T. S. Trigg, of Des Moines; R. 
P. Baker and C. A. Mosler, of Des Moines. 
The thirty-ninth annual meeting of the Iowa State 
Horticultural Society was also held in Des Moines 
on the same dates and one session of the two socie- 
ties was held jointly. 
Secretary Wesley Greene, of Davenport, in his re- 
port, recommended that the state set apart some forty 
acres near Des Moines for a botanical garden and 
experiment station. 
Treasurer Elmer Reeves, of Waverly, reported re- 
ceipts for the year of $5,991.84, and disbursements 
$3,879-33- 
An interesting paper was read by Professor B. 
Fink, of Grinnell, on “Plant Stems, Their Functions 
and Adaptations.” 
