The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-04

indiscriminate gathering by All coners, hence
school children of the city And TO avoid confusion
in the first trial of the experiment, II was deemed
advisable to conGne the invitation 10 the public
schools, whose perfect discipline It was believed
would secure the best arrangements lor the safety
and comfort Of the large throngs 0a 20 people
Of Controllers. who entered hearuly mo tne pro-
ject, and, by the cooperation OF tne scn1oi ulrec-
tors of the various districts and OF the teachers were
enabled to make the holiday complete success
SO great the appreciation Of t as 20 give rise TO
a suggestion for instituting two PARK Mondays, one
in June for botanical and floral recreation, and one
in the autumn for nut-gstheTing, Ihe date OF
nutting.day last year was tne stn o S wnicn
The walnuts fell q week earlier, and the hickory
nuts week or two later The num6er OF persons pre-
sent on the occasion was estimated to be sixty thou
sand, and the principal embarrassment IN arranging
for the visit grew out of the dihcuty Oh transport
ing such muitudes of children and teachers to the
the city. The trouble from this cause may be di-
minshed In future by arranging tne SCHOOLS IN tWo
such an arrangement the pupils OF private schools
and inmates Of children's homes could also come ON
appointed days, accompanied in all cases by their
teachers or care-takers In this way the people of
Philadelphia may be brought into closer mutual
sympGy by nS feeling 81 of the PaE IN the
Since the last report some changes nave taken
place in the personnel Of the C9mmssion' On the
installed as Mayor of the city, and became ex-
officio a member Of the board. On the same day
James II. Castle, valuable and active Commis-
sioner who had fulfilled his duties most faithfully
and inteilieently felt constrained by the urgency
Of his private business to renquish and the
District Court appointed Morton McMichael, whose
official term Mayor and with 1t his functions as
Commissioner, had just expired to I'LL the vacancy
At a meeting held Immediately thereafter, on
the motion of Mayor Fox Mr.. McMichael was re-
elected president, post he had occupied from the
outset On the 18th OF june JoseRn & r. Marcer re-
Marcer, in virtue of his office as president of Com
mon Council. was member OF the original Com
mission, and while the difficult work of moulding
and constructing the novel organization was in
progress, he rendered important aid by his knowl-
edge of affairs, and by the skill with which he
discharged the onerous and exacting duties of
secretary, in which capacity he continued to act
[being Commissioner, of course, without com
pensatonl until the date mentioned. On the re-
signation of Mr. Marcer, David f. Foley, who, as
assistant secretary, had given ample proof of his
pal place, with suitable salary on the 7th. of Oc-
tober Louis Wagner, successor to Mr.. Marcer as
rpesloen! Oh common o Ia Sd W w"s
Samuel w. Cattell, then chosen president of Sc
lect Council, replaced William S. Stokley, whose
service in that relation ceased During ms con
nection with the Commission Mr.. Stokley exhi-
bted the same zeal and energy which have dis
tinguished him in the various public stations he
has held.
From what has been stated, it will be seen that
while all has been done for the Park that judi
cious disposition of the means at command would
sanction, it only be regarded as having entered
upon the first stages of initiation. Pending the
typographical survey, which, from the extensive
area to be gone over, and the Interruptions una
voidRbly encountered, required large force and
long time for It's COn8umnatOn, no peTlndnenJ
plan for action could be adopted. Anxious as the
Commissioners were to give to the public the use
of the Park fast the different tracts of which
IL is made up came into their possession, they did
not wait for any preliminaries except such as were
absolutely essential. AS soon as fences and other
distractions could he removed, they opened provi-
siona roads and paths, and erected such temporary
structures the eXigency demanded. In this
course, so long as it will promote the accommoda-
ton and convenience of the public, they propose
to persevere. But something more Is necessary.
The surveys are now nearly finished, and all the
6afa fpra nod anil m M
provement, embracing the entire Park, in all its
relations and dependencies, will soon be at their
rests upon them, they have resolved to con-
suit the highest talent in engineering and land
that system of Improvement should be. Edu-
Gated and trained as several OF the Commits
sioners have been as engineers and aided, as they
are by the taste and skill of their accomplished
Chief Engineer, with the general information as to
park requirements which all the members of the
Board feel they possess, it is from no want OF conf
dence in their ability to grappe with the ordinary
questions that may ariSe they are 1mpeled TO seek
this assistance. But in SO wide field of operations
such various objects it contains, they think that
in order that the parts may harmonize with each
other and with the whole it Is essential that the
knowledge only comeswith experience ,andthe
faculties of perception, selection, opposition and
distribution, which must be sedulously cultivated
in this special pursuit before they can master its
difficulties, should be employed, if for nothing else,
at least to sketch the picture which other hands
may execute. In this, however, as in everything
belonging to the administration of the Park, the
Commissioners will keep constantly in view the
strictest principles of economy. They realize that
nature has been SO prodigal in her bountes-has
granted profusey her choicest favors to the Park
that discreet utilization, rather than sumptuous de-
coratiop will be needed; and to this end they will
direct the attention of those to whom they may
apply for instruction.
While the general plan is in preparation there
are certain details SO evidently proper that it may
be assumed they will in any event be embraced in
IL OF s Is Ee SR
yond Falls bridge, and on the east to the mouth of
the Wiseahickon, and thence to follow the wndings
of the latter until 1T passes beyond the Park limits
This drive has already been plotted out, and it will
be commenced early as circumstances will per-
nit. When completed the eastern shore, and
connected with the WssahickOn valley, IL will fur
nish line of Park travel fully ten miles in length
through scenery diversified from the placid smooth
ness of a lake reposing among grassy meadows, to
the sweeping dash OF the torrent as 1t struggles
and roars between lofty pine-clad SUBMITS.
The marginal road on the western shore will, in
like manner, approach the rayine known as Roberts,
groups a rapid stream rushes through rocky
channels and ascending by. the sinuous bor-
ders of this stream, the visitor will reach the
upland drive, returning by which he will
have made a twelye-mile circuit. When the
valley of the Wissahickon and Roberts, hollow
shall be united, as ultimately they must be, by a
bridge spanning the Schuylkill the ride from east
to west, of about eight miles, will comprise more
luxuriant wildness than can be found in any other
park on either continent. simultaneously with the
construction of these roads the avenues which
skirt the Park on both its eastern and western
frontiers will be pressed forward. The entrances
leading to it will also be carefully studied (as in
Decd they already have been), SO that those which
afford the best and easiest access may be put in
proper condition. This subject Is one of the utmost
consequence both to the present and future welfare
of the Park, and the Commissioners are satisfied
that the public will not tolerate any encroach-
ments OF hndrances which will unreasonably in
terfere with its settlement go
ground for children and q parade ground for the
military will be provided. The localities assigned to
these are convenient, and the space allotted wil be