The Portland daily press., 1865-07-14
BACK COVE.

a maJuer OF TACT fEngllSnln2n WHO nau gDeen
taken by his scotch friends to enjoy rare bitof
lake and mountain scenery, standing for some
time in, silence, apparently entraneed by the
beauty and grandeur of the scene, he suddenly
astonished his friends and knocked the poetry
ont of things generally, by inquiring whether it
would be possible to fill up Loch-Lomond by
tumbling Ben Lomond into it, and if so, how
s.nary acres ofgood land it would make P We
are always reminded OF this w1lon W. 800 tI,a4
great leveller the 10Th century, the modern
dump cart, persistently eating its way into the
base of our beautiful eastern promontory.-
We can't feel reconciled to this but the logic
of events will probably bring us to it, for the
tripod has left its footprints on the sand, and
the relenting figures ofthe real estate man
have. decreed that the question of swhatcan be
made of Back Cove, to beautify our city, and
make it healthful and attractive, shall be set
aside by the weightier consideration of how
many acres Of good land can be made by tum-
bling MuDjoy into i'll Now as all changes are
not Improvements, let us see if this is the best
thing that can be done. We are very sure it is
mot. A considerable portion Of Tukey's bridge
is built of stone, and now with the outlay Of
few Thousand dollars more, the whole can be
made solid sea wall with gates at the draw,
by which all the thousand acres of water in
the cove above, would be completely controIl-
ed. Here you would have one of the finest
little bays IN the world, completely protected
and at all times available for yachting, rowing,
fishing, bathing &C., to say nothing of the
pleasure Of looking down upon perpetual
high tide, instead of as now, unless you car
~ an Almanac in your pocket), a dreary, mis-
cradle waste ofmud. You have fairly got old
ocean in a trap.
Again, by shovelling down a little of the
clay and gravel from the, banks on the West
brook side, good smooth hard road could be
made around the entire margin of the cove,
thus giving you a cool refreshing, and perfect
ly level drive of three miles. Could anything
be finer? Still again,-we want skating
park; this subject has been discussed a good
deal of late, but as yet nothing has been pre-
sented which seems likely to meet the wants
of the public. Now with Back Cove shut in,
yOu hoSiu hafp Alt5AitaeO Aloiiu, 2 AAa5lltiSOiie
skating park, accessible to all, and large
enough for the most ambitious to spread
themselves and cut a wide swath without dan
ger of collision noi3aoa s--zs ss
Many suppose that salt water ice does not
make coed skating, but this is mistake. We
have seen as good, and as safe skating on salt
water ice as we ever saw on the Basin. 1t is
the rise and fall of the tide, breaking up the
ice and leaving it full Of cracks and ridges that
makes it usually unfit for skating Now this
scheme is entirely feasible, and not expensive,
and we should be glad to have some. action
have public squares or Central Park, let us at
least have this as an Offset
We arr glad to see the movement made by
our business men to introduce Manufacturing
here. 1t is all right. Build Manufactures of
any kind. Surround your city with forest
Of smoking chimnies,-- the putting of the
engine and the clanking Of machinery be ev-
cry where heard; do all you can to improve
the business interests of the city; but do not
forget that stocks which pay five and ten per
NA'' o"ASS JSch - = ilO1 ullC Ullly uNcSIlltuGS
that pay. DON'T look with contempt on every
thing that hasn't got money in it. That man
is not to be envied who sees in behring's Oaks
only cord wood and ship timber or in Back
Cove only made land at SO much per foot. 1. rs
Provide literally in every way for the health
and comfort of the people. The government
ola city is in duty bound to provide not only
for the present but for the prospective wants
of the people, and nothing that can be turned
to account for the benefit of the whole. should
it allow to be nionopolized by individuals. It
is a great pity that we have no public parks or
gardens-to be sure our streets are broad and
beautifully shaded, but they do not answer for
Fairgrounds for our children. If a boy tries
game of ball or marbles in the middle of the
street every man who drives buggy gives him
cut with his whip, or shouts to him to get
out ofthe way-and his hop-scotch chaIked
on the sidewalk is considered a nuisance
The wants of our city in this respect must be
provided for; it win not do to neglect them
Children must have places where they can
feel that they have right to play in Summer,
and slide and skate in Winter. We shall find
our account in such investments, not diyi-
dends of coupons every six months but every
day, in the ruddy faces and robust forms Of
our little ones. r.