The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-06-28
81. Louis New Park

The opening of new public park as q
relief from the dust and dirt, smoke and
heat, and general metropolitan monotonY
and brick and mortar dreariness of large
city. is a matter for notice and coDgrstuls-
ton, not only In the plsceimmedistely in
terested, but in all places similarly stu
sted. The journals in every city in the
land can we'll afford, even in this season OF
political strife and party agitation, to
suspend the discussion of the prospects OF
the various candidates long enough to
prise which has established a green
oasis of nearly fourteen hundred acres in
extent within easy access of the hot, narrow,
sitting, crooked streets of that breathing
hole of the internal regions popularity
known as the city of st. Louis. Such no.
tice is not merely puff of rival city. IT
is an encouragement of a spirit which Is
too sluggish everywhere, and whose ab-
sence in our own city makes it necessary
for the tired and overworked citizsn who
is furnishing for breath of pure air
and a glimpse of green fields, with the coz
responding exclusion of city sights, sounds
and smells, to expstriste himself for the
time being and seek the qualification OF
his desires in tie dis ant country, at such
and expenditure oil time and trouble as
makes the pleasure of rare occurrence.
A little plot of ground covering one or
two squares, whose most remote spot is
within q stones throw of some dusty street,
and whose limited area is soddsd, grsveled
and laid out with the conventional pre-
cision of city lawn, is in no sense pub
should be large enough to permit complete
seclusion from all the aspects of city lite
which sometimes become such an offense
to the wearied senses, to present some lit
tie diversity of rural scenery, and to bsffls
the fieRdish Ingenuity of the ubiqui-
who cesslessly labors to transform
the beautiful variety OF nature into
the stiff, conventional uniformity of So
called art. Such roomy and diversified
area of ground is Forest Park of st. Louis,
opsned to the public last Saturday with
appropriate ceremonies and much enthu-
sissm on the part OF the native citizens
and assembled guests of that city, many o.
whom sho owed the political pot to boil IN
molested for one afternoon, while they as
sisted at the dedication to public use Of
this new addition to the attractions of ST.
Louis. The park comprises 1872 acres, ~.
ing within easy access of the city
and includes within its limits
meadow and open woodland, primevs
forest, lakes, valleys and hills Though il
is little more than year since the ground
first came into the possession of the park
board, the work of Improvement has gone
on rapidly and 1t is already claimed by en-
thusiastic st. Louisans that they are the
most magnificent pleasure grounds in the
country. Much of this boast must proba-
bly, be taken as prospective.
Some details of the process by which
the ground was set aside for this
purpose will be of interest to other
cities which may have to contemplate a
similar investment In 1872 bill passed
the Legislature providing for the setting
aside of certain lands for this park. Some
of its provisions were resisted by property
holders and two years of litigation ended
in q decision adverse to the state. An
other bill for the same purpose, passed 10
1874, succe ssfully ran the gauntlet of the
courts, and in the course of the following
summer the grounds came into the hands
OF the board of park commissioners, who
have since been engaged in the work OF
surveying and improving them. Among
the Typographical engineers who have
been engaged upon the work is Henry
FIad, who worked in conjunction with
Captain Eads upon the great st. Louis
bridge. An interesting part of the dedi-
cstory cerem snies was the unwilling of a
bronze statue of the late Edward Bates OF
Missouri, which will occupy prominent
place in the grounds.