The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-30
me Central Park-A Report Wanted.


irg of certain land on this island for the pur-
pose of a public park, went into effect, and five
very respe ctable gentlemen were appointed
Commissioners under it. They accepted the
trust, with the per diem compensation of four
dollars each, annexed. The law declared that
ell the land situate in the Twelfth, Nineteenth,
and Twenty. second wards Of the city of New
York, bounded southerly by Fifty ninth street,
rortherly by 106th street, easterly by Fifth
avenue, and westerly by the Eighth avenue, was
thereby made public place, and the Commits
sioners were fully authorized to take the land
and estimate the damages. Then they were to
report to the Common Council, and await its
action.
This is simple enough, any one would think
and we have no doubt that great many people
outside Of this city will be surprised to
learn that nothing has been done about
the matter. We have the same respect
able Commissioners, with the same highly gra-
tifying stipend. A map has been issued, and
that is all, and two precious years have been
wasted in doing nothing ct all. The Commits
sioners are all wealthy men; they can afford to
live in the country during the hot months; and
so long as they can hold meeting occasion
ally, 30 that the four dollars per day remain
good, they do not care how long they keep the
sweltering thousands of poor men out Of the
breathing place which has been gained for them,
in the face Of determined and powerful mer-
cenary opposition. Some Of the papers think
that such men as these Commissioners do not
care for the per diem. This is absurd for the
Corporation Counsel set them the example
of liberality by declining to accept any COM
pensatioD. They did not follow it, which fact
proves conclusively that they do care for the
dollars If they do not intend to do the
work, they should resign. At any rate,
they are culpable in neglecting to full
fl the duties SO clearly laid down to them by
the law, and for the performance of which
they are so literally paid.
II the Commissioners think to keep back
their report until after the election Of Legis-
lature which will repeal the law, they will find
that they have made mistake. The question
is one of the most vital Importance, both in o
local and national point of view. The peo-
pie Of New York must have their park, and the
people Of other cities will follow the metropoli.
tan example. Man, whether considered singly
or in communities, is initiative. Our
Central Park will be an imitation, on a small
scale, Of the Bots de Boulogne, Paris, the
PhGnk Park of Dublin, Hyde Park in London,
and the Prater of Vienna So soon as we have
carried this into effect, every city and town Of
any consequence in the Union will have its
Central Park. This tendency to imitation has
been displayed in small as we'll as in large
matters. Things with purely local designa-
tions have been widely imitated-for instance,
there are hundreds of Aston Houses,
Revere Houses, st. Nicholas Hotels,
and fremont Houses, in various places
where those names have no particular
meaning, except as the titular designations
popular taverns. When the present Mayor Of
this city opened his complaint book, half a
dozen other Mayors seized upon the idea; and
it is true that every new thing here is eagerly
copied in almost all the minor cities and towns
in the Union.
We may learn something at times from PEG
pies whom we are apt to consider not quite so
:" smart as ourselves. In most mat .ers, govern
ment especially, we consider ourselves superior
to the Europeans. We ought to be not only
free and enlightened, but also happy people
But the essentials to popular enjoyment are al
most altogether overlooked in the United
States. In all the European capitals the poor
and the rich minele together in the great pub
lie parks and indulge in rural bliss in the heart
Of greet cities. The Ere Gilman enjoys, with
out money and without price, the great garden
of the Tuileries, the woody Ely sian fields, the
immense Bots de Boulogne, the grove and flow
er gardens Of Versailles, the pleasure grounds
at Fontainbleau and then returning be may
lounge for hours in the leafy groves of Saint
Cloud, RECALLING himself with the odorous per-
fumes of thousands Of flowers, and backing in
the sunshine of myriads of happy, joy GUS faces
That's despotism la Louis Napoleon. The
New Yorker can only look at the loafers in o
dfied up little Park, or watch fountain that
never plays, in ten acre lot, dignifed by the
name Of Parade Ground. That's republican
ism Ia Commissioners of the Central Park.
We are not improving in this respect. The
movement seems rather to be retrograde one.
In eighteen hundred and seven, the Commits.
sioners of Streets and Roads laid out the follow.
ing public PARKS
Acres.
Market place, from It'll to 10th street, Is. avenue
TO East river, containing ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. SO 1.2
The Parade, between 23d ard 34th streets, Sd to
18th avenues .......................24 2 Ia
Blnomingdale square, b3d to 57th street, Sth to
een venue ...... Observation-Disclosures. 10
Manhattan square, 77rh to Slst street, Sch to 9th
avenue 49,. ........................ is SO
observatory place, seth to 9th street. 4th to 9Th
avenue. % SO
Harlem marsh, 10eth to l09th street, 5th avenue
to East river. So 1-2
Harlem square, 1l7th TO 12lst street, 9th to 7th
avenue. .......................1 Is 30
Hamilton square, Goth to 6sth street, Sd to 9th
~ LIZ
Total acres Observation-Disclosures. s62
What a beautiful Park the parade would
have been now!-from Twenty-third to
Thirty fourth streets, and from the Third to the
Seventh avenue But IL was abandoned as