Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-02-11
For the Spy.
PnhIin Grnn lis.


Since the town of Worcester became a city,
the purchase OF grounds, for one or more public
parks, has been a subject of much discussion.
But while official wisdom has been exhausting its
energies upon the question of one purchase only,
the popular voice has always demanded either
at least too new parks, or none at all, Indeed,
1t is perfectly obvious that, whether for purposes
Of health or ornament, two small parks would
be far better than single large one, situated Of
necessity, at an unavailable distance from a con-
siderable portion Of the city.
But, after all, the purchase of additional pub
lie grounds anywhere, at present, would, for sew
eral reasons, appear TO be an unwlse measure.--
In the first place, the health Of the city does not
require such purchase. Our buildings are neith-
er high nor closely crowded together, and the at
mosphere Of our most compact portions is not
less pure and fresh than that ofihe open country.
So true is this, that no one ever thinks Of walk
ing upon the present common, for air or exercise.
Neither is there any reasonable anticipation of
the growth of the city TO justify the purchase of
parks for posterity loih poStsrttys money, 1t be-
ing not improbable that some embryo alderman,
now lisping his letters in Primary School, may
hereafter assail the gray hairs of the present
Board, with the wel-merlted rebuke-"Why
didn't you pay the debts of your own generation,
instead Of providing ,vhat is not needed for ours:
Nor are additional public grounds required 10
crafty public taste; for it must be admitted that
the taste Of our citizens generally, in regard to
public grounds, is not TO be spoken OF boasngly,
Indeed, the historian of Worcester, who omts
a description of our common, for the last thirty
years, ought 10 be voted public benefactor =
We say nothing Of the church and the grave
yard, placed upon the common long ago, when
puritansm adhered taste as SIN; but We COM
plain of more recent times, well remembering
the old gun hou Sc, and the hearse-house, both
suffered to rot do wn in the centre ofthe commons;
the old town pound in ruins on one side, and the
two school.houses, Zone Of which still stands,)
located near, or rather in the old burial place,
81 that il must of necessity be the first lesson Of
childhood, to learn to desecraie the graves OF
their iorefathers. We recolect the insult offered
to taste, by the cree ton Of the City Hall upon It's
present site, and thu repetition of the insult by
the comparatively ecent enlargement of that
building. We have not forgotten how the people
sacrificed taste to pub lie convenience. when they
voted the Norwich r abroad across the common,
and more recently, til Providence Rail Road !;
also when they permit ed the First Parish to en-
large their meeting hou Sc Calling TO mind the
history Of these abuses Of the present common,
we nauseate the very idea OF having another.--
Our honest conviction ia, that under the existing
state Of things, il would De wise for the city to
lease for business purpose s, all that portion Of the
common west of the Rail Road, and appropriate
the income thereof, TO the payment of the city
debt At all events, we vote to improve the pres
ent common, by the remov al Of all the buildings
thereffom, before purchasing another. Let US
have no reason to be asham. ed Of what we have
already, before we talk lai-g about additional
pleasure grounds.