86 
PARK AND CE-METERY 
nate the art feeling, we disseminate the love of a better 
home, we show men and women the true value of life, we 
appeal to the highest and best within them and ask them to 
use their gifts. ... So this association has the highest 
of missions, for all that is to be done in architecture, in the 
laying out of fine streets and planting them, and laying out 
gardens, cultivating and planting them, the selection of 
shrubs and flowers and trees for color and for contrast — in 
all that, work which is now in its infancy, the making of 
public parks in every city and village and in securing large 
reservations, in the preservation of forests, in planting trees, 
in a reverence for the conservation and perpetuation of 
natural scenery, in teaching the young, indeed all the peo- 
ple, how to see what is beautiful in nature and devote no 
small part of their time to the cultivation of the love of art. 
This is our mission. My mind goes out to the great future 
when all the land may be beautiful, when every village may 
have its public park, its pleasant retreats, its seats for shade 
and meditation, its walks, its drives, and when every home 
•will be, in its grounds and in its architecture, expressive of 
this larger culture; when all the highways and all the routes 
of travel may have felt this interest beautiful, when utility 
is crowned with beauty, when all the people have as much 
love of the beautiful as they now have of what is called the 
industrial and the useful.” 
Mr. Holden’s address was listened to with great 
interest, and was followed by the first paper of the ses- 
sion : “The Open Space IMovement in England,” by 
Mrs. Basil Holmes, Honorary Secretary Metropolitan 
Public Gardens Association, London. This paper 
briefly touched upon the origin of the work, its pur- 
poses through the centuries, and what the modern 
movement signifies and is accomplishing, and it offers 
some valuable suggestions to reinforce efforts in out- 
door improvement everywhere. The paper is given 
in another column. 
Mention in the course of the paper of the transfor- 
mation of disused burial grounds into parks evoked 
considerable discussion. The question was asked as 
to what disposition was made of the headstones when 
the cemeteries were converted into public breathing 
spaces. Mr. Warren H. Manning stated that in Bos- 
ton the old headstones were either grouped or ar- 
ranged around the edge. In some cases of abandoned 
grounds in Boston the headstones had been found to 
have been used for drain covers and stepping stones. 
Dr. J. V. N. Standish, Galesburg, Ilk, was opposed 
to the moving of the headstones when burial grounds 
were taken for park purposes. The cemeteries should 
be made beautiful, and there is plenty of other land 
for parks. 
E. J. Parker, Quincy, Ilk, differed with Dr. Stand- 
ish, and said that no better use could be made of such 
cemeteries than to turn them into breathing spots. In 
Quincy they had buried the headstones three feet deep 
over the graves to which they belonged. The neces- 
sity of preserving a knowledge of the location of old 
graves had been brought home to him by two appli- 
cations from Englishmen to locate graves of certain 
dead for legal purposes. In an abandoned cemetery 
turned over to bim, be had called in the city engineer 
and had the best records possible made of the head- 
stones and had them turned down upon the grave 
and buried. He said all monuments are perishable, 
but tbe open spaces once established are permanent 
and continue from generation to generation. 
The discussion turned to the question of the policy 
of providing open spaces in cities, and the general 
opinion was expressed that this policy cannot be in- 
augurated too early. It will cost New York and other 
large cities many millions to catch up to the condi- 
tions which should prevail. 
Charles M. Loring remai'ked that the landed own- 
ers of England had laid out their property with open 
spaces for the purpose of securing larger rentals from 
the abutting houses. These open squares had only 
recently been made free to the public in London. 
Referring to our large cities be remarked that in their 
laying out no thought had ever been given to the 
children, but today thought has entirely changed. The 
effect of open air play grounds on the children of 
Minneapolis had been marvelous, the most intractable 
quickly becoming amenable to tbe discipline imposed 
by those in charge, and better conditions are soon 
apparent. The land for breathing places in London 
has become very expensive, the Earl of Meath, presi- 
dent of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association,, 
of London, since 1882, had told him that a small block 
of ground in the heart of London had cost $4,000,000. 
President Holden remarked that London had some 
6,225 acres of open spaces, and within a radius of 25 
miles, 25,000 acres. 
On the close of the discussion the reports of the 
Secretary and Treasurer were read. The membership 
now amounts to 354, a gain of no during the past 
year, 74 of whom came into the Woman’s Auxiliary. 
The treasurer reported a balance of $273.01 in tbe 
treasury. A vote of thanks was warmly tendered to- 
President Holden for his generous thoughtfulness in 
providing funds to make good the financial deficit and 
to take the association out of debt. 
Tbe morning session closed with a paper read by 
Mr. J. G. W. Cowles, of Cleveland, O., on “The Cleve- 
land Park System.” This paper gave an authentic 
history of the Cleveland park system, which was de- 
veloped since 1893, as well as a description of the sev- 
eral tracts comprised in the system, and the connect- 
ing parkways. Cleveland has been fortunate in receiv- 
ing large financial help, as well as gifts of lands, in 
building up her series of parks, which now consist of 
some 1,438 acres. The city has paid $620,000 for the 
purchase of park lands out of appropriations for park 
purposes of $3,000,000 since 1893. Mr. Rockefeller 
has contributed $865,000 in cash donations, surpassing 
all other contributors. Mr. Cowles used a large out- 
line map during the reading of his paper, which ma- 
terially assisted the audience in appreciating its im- 
portance. This paper will be presented in these col- 
umns at an early date. 
Questions asked at the close of the reading drew 
attention to the fact that politics is the bane at present 
