The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-26

COmmOnalty of the city Of New York, under COM
missioner to be duly appointed for that purpose to
take possession of the lands known and described AZ
the central site, with view to its conversion into
public park, and he APPROVES OF the same and re-
commends its passage. JAMES E. COOLEY.
ALBANY, June ~, 1853.
The Jones' Park Report.
REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE BILL
RELATIVE TO PUBLIC PARK IN NEW YORK.
The select committee, (the Senator from the First
er to report complete, the bill from the Assembly,
entitled San act relative to the purchase possession
and laying out of certain lands for public park in
the Nineteenth ward Of the city of New York, and
the powers and duties of the Mayor, Aldermen, and
COmmonalty relative thereto"
REPORT.
That from the numerous petitions submitted to
them by the Senate, 1t is apparent that the residents
necessity Of some large public park in the upper
wards. Since the bill which passed the Assembly
the I'd April last was referred to your committee up
to the date Of this report, about 10000 petitioners,
the Legislature praying that the lands lying between
Sxtysxth street and Seventy-fth street, and Third
avenue, and the East river, popularity known as
Jones' Wood, be laid out as public park. During
the same time nearly nine thousand remOnstrants
have prayed that Jones Wood be not taken for such
purpose because it is not sufficiently central. OF
these names, however over 100 are in the same
handwriting and without address, and are therefore,
the same time, prayed for the purchase Of land lying
between SXteth and One hundred and sixth streets,
and Fifth and Eighth avenues.
Twelve other remonstrants against Jones Wood
Park, pray for the purchase of central plot, from
about Sxtyseventh to One hundredth streets.
The Corporation of New York have also presented
resolutions setting forth that the proposed central
park has met the general appreciation OF their citi
Zens, that Jones' Wood park has been urged by
certain interested parties, without any action Of the
Common Council in favor of the same, and that appli
cation be made to the Legislature at its present SEES
sion for law authorizing the opening of park, the
boundaries Of which shall be southery by Sixty
street norbery by One hundredth street. eastery by
the Fifth avenue, and westerly by Eighth avenue.
1t will be sufficient to call the attention of the SEN
ate TO the fact that the Common Council of New York.
already infamous for its corruption and venaity in
railroads, Russ pavements and contracts, has been
repudiaed by its constituency at recent election,
by vote of ten to one; SO 900 to 5000. Any recon-
mendation from such source may fairly be suspect
ed and your committee do not attach to 1t the slight
est importance.
OF the 5000 remonstrants, 673 regard the present
time unpropitious for such matter of mere lux
ury and do not ask for any park. They say that
jones' Wood is more valuable than land in the GEN.
tire Of the sland $50 candidy rest their objections
upon the fact that Jones' Wood is too remote from
their property.
Another remonstrance, emphatically declaring that
there is not one good reason for making park at
the place in question, signed by single remon-
strant is remarkable from the fact that the signer
was the counsel for the owners of the land when the
law OF 1851, laying out Jones' park was decided to
be invalid by Judge EdmOnds.
number Of petitions, headed in English and in
German, 'for central park" also referred to
your committee on the 18th June. Many pages of
the signatures are in the same handwriting, and
without the residences Of the pretended sgners not
less than two hundred and fifteen names having been
counted in one petition which could not have been
genuine.
In another appear FIVE hundred and twen.y -nne
quch A third npffiOu contains three hundred
and seventyfour Another, petition, in English.
signed by six hundred and seyenty-nine residents of
New York, prays for central park iD preference to
Jones Wood.
A remonstrance against Jones' Wood park, is
signed by several prominent citizens Of New York,
who pray that central park may be laid out, and
that the expense Of it be borne as common charge.
Another memorial asks for the central park, por-
vided its cost shall not exceed fifteen hundred thou
sand dollars.
The petitioners for either park equal those for the
other nearly, that your committee can only report
with certainty that over eighteen thousand citizens
Of New York pray for some large public park.
Your committee, thoroughly impressed with the
necessity of public grounds to the health and well
being OF a metropolis, would recommend the estab
lishnent of both the Jones' and the Central park, if
bills for both were before them. Upon the first Of
these measures they are now called upon to decide.
and they have not neglected to avail themselves Of
such information within their reach.
They have examined witnesses as to the capability
of the Jones' Wood park for park purposes; to the
value Of the native forest trees when opened up to
the light by paths and roadways; as to the value OF
the land compared with that proposed to be taken
for central park; as to the advantage of q river
'front.' and also upon the topography Of the central
site, and its adaptation to public uses.
Professor Torrey, the well known State botanist
and geologst, testified that he had been student OF
botany from boy; that he had known Jones' Wood
all his life and visited them often while pursuing
his researches that the ground was two and O half
or three miles from Union Square: that the surface
was varied, undulating, having rocky shore, with
great depth of water DIR. Torrey said that large
part of the ground is well wooded, and knew no rea-
son why trees should suffer by opening paths. II has
not been the case ia Greenwood. He did not appre-
bend any danger to the trees from thinning out and
described them tulip trees, oak, birch, hickory,
&C. He deems the water front great advantage,
on account of the view and air. and said that he pre-
fers the east side Of the island to the centre for
park chiefly on account of the water and the noble
trees Dr. Torrey thinks park would be OF great
advantage to the public health, and says that
the high and central parts of the island are more
sicky than the east side and the draining OF Jones
Wood is better than of the central lands. DR..
Torrey described the parks in London, which
he said were frequented by all cassesspoke of the
deep interest he felt in this measure sanitary
one, because Jones' Wood could be at once converted
into public grounds without waiting for planted trees
VIM Curr, a gardener, of thirty-fve years expe-
rience in and about New York, who had assisted in
laying out Greenwood, Trinity and other ceme-
teries, Union, Washington, Madison, ana Stuy-
vesant squares, testified that all the city grounds
were originally quite bare. He had found no diff
Guilty. however, in thinning out trees in cemeteries.
Greenwood had not suffered; he knew Jones Wood
we described its surface as undulang the trees as
large and finer than at Greenwood Nature, he said
has made it park, and if purchased, year would
render it available to the public. landscape gar
dener, he said, would prefer ground covered with
trees to produce effect on account OF time saved Mr.
Curr decidedly preferred Jones' Wood to the Gen.
trail park.
Mr.. Rufus Prime stated that he was well acquaint-
ed with Jones Wood having lived in that vicinity all
bis life He said that land there was less valuable
than in the middle Of the island, as he knew from
sales during the last six months-the value OF lots
being $500 each-he much preferred Jones' Wood,
which in his judgment, combines all the requisites
for park he knew Of no purchases or speculations
made with reference to Jones' Wood, was not himself
interested; thinks park absolutely necessary in New
York, and that Jones' Wood will give prompt enjoy
ment in return for the outlay.
Mr.. Thomas Hogg, being examined, stated that he
TT IL r.