House & Garden 
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THE FONTAINE DE BROUCKERE 
gas pipes had to be removed, and the confu¬ 
sion was discouraging, but the Brussels citizens 
are now satished that the perspectives of their 
boulevards have been preserved, and they are 
keener than ever to bear any expense or in¬ 
convenience to save the beauty of their town. 
King Leopold, himself, takes great inter¬ 
est in everything connected with city im¬ 
provements ; and when a blunder has been 
made, he does not hesitate to rob himself of 
a few millions of francs to make reparation 
for it. He is a great traveler and is ever 
studying the other capitals he visits. When 
he discovers their good points, he takes 
back the innovation to his own country. 
Ex-mayor, Charles Buis, who was considered 
quite a globe-trotter was also fond of doing 
the same. Once in the market place at 
Turin he discovered some pretty parasols 
striped with white and blue, used by the 
flower merchants. A month after the Turin 
parasols were imported into Brussels and 
offered to the flower sellers on the Grande 
Place to replace huge and heavy dark blue 
umbrellas. The flower girls were so glad 
to receive this present, that the prettiest 
of them was delegated to present the mayor 
with a splendid bouquet, and as she made 
him the gift, she added a hearty kiss. 
Under the administration of the same 
mayor, numerous fountains of cast iron were 
erected to provide fresh water for horses and 
dogs. 'These fountains have proved to be 
very popular. A new design combining a 
lamp-post with a drinking place has been 
adopted by the community of lxelles. Its 
very decorative character may be seen from 
our illustration, page 24. Upon the ground 
A STREET RAILWAY STATION 
is a small basin which catches an overflow 
from above. That this is well appreciated 
by thirsty dogs needs no emphasis, when one 
remembers that dogs in Brussels work very 
hard at pulling light carts, and for small 
loads, replacing horses. Of all the fountains, 
however, lately erected in Belgium, the most 
admired is certainly the fountain for children 
which has been placed in the public park at 
Brussels. It is very simple and charming. 
The Fontaine de Brouck'ere, situated at the 
Porte de Namur, was erected in memory of 
the mayor of that name and is illustrated on 
page 25. The picture on page 24 shows 
the lamp-posts used on the circular boule¬ 
vards. This particular one is situated behind 
the King’s palace outside the gate of the 
royal gardens. As many as twenty other 
different types of lamp-posts can be found 
in the conglomerate municipality of Brussels. 
There are also park benches, statues, music 
stands, cake stands and other civic accessories 
which are well worthy the attention of foreign 
visitors, and students of municipal art. 
American park commissioners could learn a 
great deal by a study of unique Brussels. 
The latest effort here for civic beauty is a 
plan adopted last year to embellish a vacant 
lot in the center of the most densely popu¬ 
lated district. Nearly everything had been 
attempted to hide the old and ugly walls of 
houses standing exposed upon a corner which 
will remain a few months vacant. At last it 
was proposed to plant evergreens and to lay 
out a temporary garden. This was carried 
out and passers-by may now see, instead of 
bill boards and advertisements, trees, shrubs 
and green grass. 
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