PARK AND CEMETERY 
311 
A bill has been introduced in the Massachusetts Legislature 
providing for the setting aside of 2,000 acres of land on and 
about ]\It. Tom and Mt. Monotuck, near Northampton, for a 
state reservation. An appropriation of $25,000 is provided 
for the purpose, and the government of the tract is to be 
under the control of a commission of three members, ap- 
pointed by the governor, to hold office for six years. The 
necessary expenses for the care and maintenance of the .Mi. 
Tom Reservation are to be raised by ta.xation in the counties 
of Hampshire and Hampden. 
sjc ^ 
A bill now before Congress proposes to add 3,254 square 
miles to the Yellowstone National Park. The present area 
of the park is 3,313 square miles, and with the new addition 
would make a total area of 6,567 square miles. The territory 
it is proposed to annex is in the Snake river country, and 
includes parts of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The chief 
reason for the annexation is to prevent the slaughter of wild 
game by making the wintering pastures of the elk, deer, 
moose and mountain sheep a part of the park. General Ji.h.n 
F. Lacey, chairman of the House Committee on Public Lands, 
is the leader of the movement. 
* * * 
.A. valuable strip of property along the lake front at Evans- 
ton, III., is to be made into a public park as soon as an e.cl 
of the Legislature can transfer it to the city. The Hal was 
“made,” or filled in, on the shore of the lake by abuttir.g prop- 
erty owners, who were engaged in a long course of litig.ation 
with the state for its possession. The suit was comnromised 
on condition that the land be transferred to the ci y for a 
park. The tract is 300 feet wide, and seven blocks lor.g 
* * =1= 
The park board of St. Paul, Minn., thinks it has found a 
way to avoid the inconvenience imposed by tin new city char 
ter which forbids the different city departments from using 
the proceeds of municipal ventures for improvements by pro- 
viding that all such moneys shall revert to the general fund. 
Hereafter the board instead of conducting its own ventures, 
will farm out all concessions, and in lieu of a lump cash 
sum will receive in return either its equivalent in labor or 
some improvement that has been decided upon. This will 
keep the board’s funds intact and allow their use for improve- 
ments, which in the past it has been unable to make. For the 
past five years this method has existed between the board and 
the street car. company, and, as a result, Como Park is the 
richer by numerous electric lights and several needed build- 
ings. 
* * 
At the last session of the Canadian Parliament, a bill was 
passed providing for the enlargement of the Canadian Nation- 
al Park at Banff. The Dominion now has two parks ad- 
joining one another, and situated on the backbone of the Rock- 
ies. The Rocky Mountain Park, with Banff as its center, for- 
merly contained 260 square miles, but with the recen; addi- 
tion, now embraces 4,900 square miles. Yoho Park, with 
Field as its chief point, is 832 square miles in extent, making 
the entire park area 5,732 square miles. The addition to the 
Rocky Mountain Park is in the form of a huge right-angled 
triangle with the backbone of the Rockies (tlie boundary line 
between the Territories and British Columbia) as its longest 
side. It surrounds and includes the present park reserve. 
All the land is located in the Territories. Yoho Park is in 
the railway belt on the British Columbia side of the moun- 
tains. The new territory includes some of th? gnmdest scen- 
ery in the Rockies, and is much frequented by tourists. 
=1: * * 
d'he City Parks Association, of Philadelphia, is urging the 
adoption of an extensive system of connecting parks and 
boulevards for the southern part of that city after plans by 
Frank Miles Day. The center of the system would i!2 .at 
Broad and Johnston streets, where it is proposed to lay out 
a small park, occupying the ground between Thirteenth and 
Fifteenth streets, and Oregon avenue and Bigler street. At 
the center of this park it is proposed to place the new soldiers’ 
and sailors’ monument, the accepted design for which was 
shown in our last issue. From this as a focal point will 
radiate a system of avenues or parkways, forming vistas from 
all directions ending with the monument. From this park 
to League Island Park is to be laid out a mall, and Girard 
Park, Bartram Park and Fairmount Park will be connected 
by avenues. In some instances where a number of streets 
intersect, the plans call for a small circular park space to do 
away with the sharp corners and angles. 'I'he Board of Sur- 
veys is considering the plans. 
* * * 
The Board of Park Commissioners of Wilmington, Del., 
have issued an attractive annual report illustrated with finely 
executed half-tones showing views of park scenery. The total 
park area of Wilmington is now 269.68 acres, which with a 
population of 76,500, shows an average of one acre of parks 
to every 284 inhabitants. The area of the city is 10.18 square 
miles, giving an average of one acre of park land to 24 acres 
of city area. The report of Theodore Leisen, Engineer and 
Superintendent, shows considerable work of improvement, in- 
cluding the building and macadamizing of drives, construction 
of walls and of a new concrete-steel pavilion, at a contract 
price of $2,710. The financial statement gives the receipts for 
the year as $35,762.63, and the expenditures $27,172.49, leaving 
a balance of $8,590.14. The expenditures were divided as fol- 
lows: Maintenance, $10,054.70; construction, $17,117.79. 
* * 
Plans for extensive improvements in Union and Green- 
wood Parks, Des Moines, la., have been’ adopted by the 
Board of Park Commissioners of that city. The carriage 
entrance to Greenwood will be changed to the extreme north- 
east corner of the grounds, and will be at the foot of a 5 per 
cent grade leading to the top of the hill. A magnificent arched 
gateway will crown the entrance, and the drive will he lined 
with a thick growth of foliage, consisting of tropical plants. 
A large trolley station with a plaza 500 feet long, and an open- 
air auditorium, capable of seating 5,000 people, will be erected. 
South of the auditorium will be two loges connected by a 
peristyle. Deer Lodge and the lake will be materially changed 
so as to conform to the other features of the park, and 
masses of shrubbery, trees, tropical plants and evergreens will 
be set out in places best adapted to their growth. At Union 
Park work has already begun. Twenty acres have been added 
to it, and a carriage entrance and memorial arch will be con- 
structed. The portion of the park tract now skirting the 
river will be excavated and a lake encompassing ten acres of 
ground will take its place. The waterway will be through 
a deep channel opening into the river, which will be spanned 
by a high arched bridge. The lagoons will be made over into 
running streams, and heavy foliage will overhang these. In 
the site of the present entrance to LTnion Park will be a novel 
and picturesque forest of low trees. There will be 140 vari- 
eties of shrubs set out in Union Park, 65 varieties of trees 
and 20 varieties of evergreen, all known to be hardy in this 
city. Seymour Nelson, of Chicago, has furnished the plans 
for the improvements. 
