New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28
THE NEW CITY PARK PROPERTY,

THE NEW CITY PARK PROPERTY.
From a report lately published b,
Messrs. Oglesby, Greenwood, Rigney
Smythe and Lewis, the present board o.
park commissioners, We learn some facts
which are worthy of immediate public
nsideration.
The property purchased by the old
board of commissioners is we'll known to
our citizens. 1t is the property on which,
during the war, the Sedgwick hospital
was situated, and was then famous for its
beautiful location and shrubbery and mag
nifcent trees. 1t extends from St Charles
avenue to the river, containing about
three hundred and seventy acres. Look
ing over the tract from St Charles avenue
or from the river, it seems to be immense,
and to have been reserved by nature for q
public park. The land is unusually high
and dry, and the many trees upon it can
not be surpassed for size and beauty;
but most remarkable is the fact that
though within the city limits and in popu-
lous neighborhood, it has been wholly
unimproved by the original owners. In
other cities the cost of land for park pur-
poses has usually been more than doubled
by previous improvements, which neces-
STATED additional expense for their re-
moval, but this land is now ready for the
designer and engineer, and the shovels of
the laborers.
But to return to the report. There is
now due upon the property 1892, 900 in
notes bearing seven per cent interest,
payable annually, and secured by mort
gage and vendors lien on the property
In addition to this there are outstanding
of park bonds S135, 900, and other indebt-
edness of about $4,000. The city, or the
park board, now has on hand of the pro-
ceeds of the park tax 1884, 900.
From these data it seems to US quite
evident that whatever may be thought of
the first inception of this plan for park,
Or Of the purchase of the property, there
is now no alternative but for the city and
the park board to go on with the reject.
The bonds and floating Indebtedness are
undoubtedly a valid len against the park
fund, either in the hands of the city or
the park board, and must be paid in any
alternative, and this, with what has al
ready been paid on the property, is much
too large an amount to be lost, especially
as the batture is now worth nearly or
quite the additional sum required to Sc
cure the whole property.
These are our conclusions, without
considering any of the advantages that |
may proceed from the construction of the |
park; but they also are worthy of consid-
Grafton. New York, Brooklyn, Boston
and Chicago, especially, and we believe
all other cities in this country, that have
made extensive park improvements, have |
found them pecuniarily profitable, and,
that instead of their cost increasing the |
pro rata of taxation, they have dimin-
ished it by approaching the value of
property.
New Orleans needs park, not only for |
the resort of our own citizens, but also for |
the attraction of visitors and strangers. 1t
should not trust to its commerce and trade |
alone for its prosperity. With our delight
full climate and tropical fruits and scenery,
and our cosmopolitan society, and with a
little more enterprise, we can make of
New Orleans ''the Naples of America"
There is another consideration that
should have the immediate attention of
he park board. The suffering in this
,ity among the poor and from want of
is now very great, and is in
'reasing daily. The park fund is spe-
,ial fund that can be legally used only
or park purposes, and is or should be
low idle in the vaults of the Fiscal Agent
Let the board at once put one hundred or
mere men at work on the park grounds
making drains and drives in accordance
With some well matured plan. They will
hus afford great relief to our suffering
,oor and incidentally to all classes of So
iety, and the work can probably be done
more cheaply now than at any other time.