386 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
those who realize the value of keeping close to Nature 
in all our efforts to substantially beautify the earth. 
But the exhibit occupied more ground than was 
covered by the several large tents. The judges of 
landscape effects were kept busy a large part of two 
days visiting the numerous places, both private and 
public, which competed for the various prizes. The 
prizes were offered by the city of Colorado Springs, 
by the Suburban Rapid Transit Co., by the Board of 
Education and by General William J. Palmer, whose 
love for the beautiful is doing so much to make Colo- 
rado Springs famous as a city of parks and elegant 
homes. 
Mr. R. J. Coryell, former superintendent of the 
Detroit parks, and myself acted as judges of landscape 
effects. 
The accompanying photographs tell only a small 
part of the story. In fact, a Colorado irrigated lawn 
must be seen to be appreciated. Boston has for a long 
time been the Mecca to which landscape men journey 
for inspiration, but Boston, as I saw it less than three 
weeks ago, does not produce anything comparable to 
a Colorado lawn in August, at least so far as the turf 
is concerned, but in the matter of shrubs and trees we 
must at present yield the palm. 
The Washington School, illustrated on page 384, 
was awarded first prize for being the most artistically 
Tlie American 
■Second A.nnusil Convention, 
The second annual convention of the American 
League for Civic Improvement, held at St. Paul, 
Minn., September 24, 25 and 26, was in every respect 
a notable gathering of leaders in the movement for 
public beauty. The papers and discussions, contrib- 
uted by men and women of national reputation in their 
respective fields, gave evidence of the remarkable and 
wide-spread interest in the work the League has un- 
dertaken, and the reports of the officers showed much 
active and successful work accomplished since the last 
convention. The sessions were held in the rooms of 
the St. Paul Commercial Club, and the co-operation of 
all civic bodies and the city officials of the Twin Cities, 
who vied with each other in entertaining the delegates, 
contributed all that was necessary to make the conven- 
tion a complete success. Not the least of these features 
of interest were the visits to the parks of St. Paul and 
Minneapolis, which entertained the guests in the inter- 
vals of the business sessions, and furnished practical 
object lessons that will not soon be forgotten. 
First Day, September 24. 
At the business session of Wednesday, Mr. Charles 
M. Loring, of Minneapolis, well known as one of the 
pioneers of the movement for civic beauty, spoke from 
arranged, best planted and best maintained grounds 
connected with any school building. The prize was 
offered by the Board of Education. 
The grounds of Mrs. W. K. Jewett, shown in No. 2 
on the preceding page, received the first prize for being 
the best kept home premises exceeding 50x190 feet 
in size under care of a hired gardener. This view of 
the garden, which is called the “Garden of Peace,” 
from the inscription on the sun dial, shows how one 
may very properly set apart a corner of their grounds 
in which to gratify their love for flowers without spoil- 
ing the general effect, as would be the case if used 
throughout the lawn. 
The home grounds of Mr. T. D. Hetherington, 
shown in No. 3, were awarded first prize as the best 
kept home premises under the sole care of the owner — 
grounds not exceeding 50x190 feet in size. The vines 
were a feature of this place, and harmonized beauti- 
fully with the rustic character of the building. 
Nos. I and 4 show, respectively, front and rear 
views of the grounds of Mr. T. D. Pastorius, the sec- 
ond prize for home grounds larger than 50x190 feet 
in charge of hired gardener. The front view shows 
the value of using plants near the foundation walls. 
No. 4 shows the lower garden, and was one of the few 
places receiving as much or more attention in the rear 
as in front. W. W. Parce. Denver, Colo. 
for Civic Improvement. 
St. Paul, Sept. 24, 25 and 26. 
his own wide and active experience on the need of im- 
provement in the small towns and villages of the 
West. He emphasized the necessity for beauty in 
school yards, private grounds and parks, and said : 
“Almost every country village in the state is a dis- 
grace to civilization when you compare them with the 
small towns of New England and central New York, 
where there are public playgrounds, and parks and 
squares and trees.” 
He noticed, however, a vast improvement, and in- 
dications of an awakening sense of the value of the 
beautiful, and complimented the Minnesota Agricul- 
tural College for the work it had accomplished. 
Mr. Edward J. Parker, of Quincy, 111 ., former presi- 
dent of the American Park and Outdoor Art Associ- 
ation, and vice president of the National Bankers’ As- 
sociation, gave an interesting address on parks, rein- 
forced by facts drawn from observations in many cities 
of this country and Europe. The keynote of his ad- 
dress was the necessity of anticipating the future 
growth and needs of a city in laying out its park sys- 
tem. He touched on the literature of the subject, and 
characterized the park question as probably the most 
important factor in civic improvement. He told his 
own experience in Quincy in trying to abolish the ad- 
