167 
PARK AND CEMRTERY 
TREE WARDENS VERSUS RAILWAY IN- 
TERESTS. 
An interesting example of the official guardianship 
of trees has recently presented itself in the town of 
Andover, Mass. The offices of the wardens are created 
by state statutes. Andover has availed itself of the law 
and appointed one. A principal highway connecting 
Boston with Concord, New Hampshire, leads through 
Andover, where it is locally known as Main street. 
Flanking one side of the street are about a dozen state- 
ly old Elms — those priceless and traditional concom- 
itants of New England’s beautiful and characteristic 
scenery. 
It is held that the narrowness of the street and the 
danger of awkwardly arranged drive entrances leading 
to private estates from the streets will be elements of 
danger to the public after the proposed laying of elec- 
tric railway tracks on Main street. 
The tree warden “spiked” the trees and thereby made 
it a penal offense to injure or destroy them. Exerting 
his official power, he retained experts to submit a plan 
and advise him how the transit company might con- 
summate their design of transit without the present 
danger to life or property and without destroying the 
trees. 
The tree warden called a public hearing and at the 
meeting it was found that by sacrificing one foot in 
the width of the street the trees might be saved. Pop- 
ular sentiment was expressed in favor of their reten- 
tion. The selectmen who had given the transit com- 
pany the necessary permission to remove the trees 
failed, through imbecility, puerility or possibly 
through a sinister motive, to reverse their decision. 
Construction was undertaken and the grade around 
the trees, and the profile of the street so altered that 
as an only alternative and as a means of removing an 
element of danger the trees had to be destroyed. 
Unfortunately the unsalaried official was not given 
the public support or needed advice to combat the 
powerful opposition, an opposition supposed to be com- 
posed principally of railway interests. Local pressure, 
and possibly a certain personal temerity, caused the 
warden to lose, by default, an opportunity of timely 
appeal to the Attorney General of the commonwealth 
to define his power in the premises. The unique posi- 
tion presented itself of a town official combating the 
town selectmen. The deciding power was probably 
vested in the warden, the selectmen having power to 
protest, alter or annul. 
Reflecting on the episode, it is well to bear in mind 
that a sharp distinction should be observed between 
public necessity and the pretext of public demand 
foisted and abetted by parties with minor or unjust 
claims on a feature of public beauty. 
Were the street to be widened to 70 or 80 ft, instead 
of to 60, from 58, the destruction of the trees might 
be viewed as an undertaking of ultimate necessity, but 
the adopted method savors of one party’s inefficiency 
or base abuse of the interests committed to the respons- 
ible public representatives. It is to be regretted that 
some of the public spirited bodies promulgating the 
preservation of beautiful scenery had not interested 
itself to make the Andover tree warden’s case its own. 
PRIVATE STATION AT A CEMETERY. 
CEMETERY 
STATION. 
This new sta- 
tion is now being 
built at the point 
where the Pitts- 
burgh & Western 
Railroad touches 
the cemetery, eight 
miles from Alle- 
gheny, Pa. It is 
being constructed 
of Allegheny coun- 
ty sand stone, and 
will be ornate in 
appearance and de- 
sign, with all mod- 
ern appliances, 
containing retiring 
rooms with space 
sufficient in one of 
the rooms for 
chapel or funeral 
services. 
PRIVATE STATION, MOUNT ROYAL CEMETERY, PITTSBURG, PA. 
