The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-11
TRADEIN THE CITYSPARKS
WHAT rs BETTER THAN FIVE THOU
SAND DOLLARS A YEAR.


The Choice that superintendent Columbus
Ryan Made-Somr Facts Brousbt Out bv
tho Erection of Ryan's soda Water stand.
A rude and shabby box was thrown to-
gether In the centre OF the Battery Park. on
Saturday week, and Oh Sunday an uDsghtly can
vas was thrown over 1t, soda water fountain
and an ice cream freezer were put In place. and
the business Of selling refreshments to the
swelteriDg idlers in the park was begun. Capt.
Petty inquired who owned the stand, and was
shown a license from the Commissioners Of the
Department vi Parks to J. =. Ryan, the keeper
of liquor store at 20 state street. Ihis permit
was reproduced In The SUN ON Monday. deal
of outspoken denuDciation by the residents OF
the neigh boibood followed, aud letters were
sent to 1BE SuN oriticising the action OF the
Park Commissioners.
None Of the Commissioners were In The city
during the holidays that followed; but from
Mr. Martin, brother of the President OF tho
depart ment, It was learned that the license bad
bot been unanimously granted. MIR. Martin said
that the depart meut intends to erect pretty
cottage for which MIR. Ryan Is to pay, and that
another booth Ia TO be erected and rented o at
In the new East river park at the foot OF Eighty.
ilxth street, when the park Ia far enough ad-
Ianced.
Among the letters addressed to THE SUN Ia
The following;
To Tnx DIToR OF THE Sun; Sir; The Commission
j. z. Ryar to tand twenty.hv feet diameter
on the most central posilon oi our p.nutiul Battery
fam. exert on our PRS coumissoners. Mir. Coium:
other places q prOnt IN ne Cenlr rarK at nominal
perc' lage. which T. aud elmays has been just what.
set with: Uptown hs Central Park u better know
eSrs. OF Tor ytafs c,i,d N the Centra fark made
c99tnelye 20 ms mans ~ pront;
AMI nnu nee IN either retaining or olscnarsine Park
belongs to The Republican or to the DemOc attic party
Whit an influence free Teasing mas On mn
The writer OF the above letter was found to be
person Who served as gardener and M ster
Raroen.r in Centr Park for more than sixteen
years after ground WAS first broken there. lie
saws he saw Columbus Ryan rise from the posi-
tion OF labOrer to that Of the oNne OF ali the
booths In the park except one-a mineral vat er
stand near Seventy second street nd Eighth
avenue; and that RYAN, up to within year, re-
peived 5000 for experimenting these stands.
He adds that RYAN secures. without cost TO
himself the help of the ark laborers on his
and In cleaning the Ice on tn lakes In the win
ter. Ryan mas also. according to tue gardeners
story. stock farm 10 Connecticut on witch he
pastures sheep ana Lives reared In Central
Park md sold to him for merely nominal sum
every sping.
Col IL q. Stebbins, Of the Commissioners OF
the Department OF Parks, heard the gardeners
stOr, from the lips OF reporter for HE SUM-
and then he laid, pleasantly, Every position
that IL taken In that recitl Is untrue. X, an Is
no old and faithful employee, who has been con-
pected with the dep r.ment seventeen years.
He rose from labOrnR to be Su perintenueut
held with adehty aud Satisfaction to US
In time IL became evident that places for rest
and iefresnment were needed III the Park, "a
they nave teen found to be IN the great parks
OF Parts, Phil dephia Baltimore, anu else
where. The Diet attnent made several expert
ments In b wing these conducted, notably with
tbe sielsans, the hote Keepers. Who led ut
terly To give satisfaction. 1t WAS resolved to
retain The saloons IN the control Of the uoarJ,
and Of their own accord the Commissioners
proposed to RYAN that ne should run them, huy-
lag aud selling at prices dictated by the board,
ana returning rs u rental certain percentutn
first fen y.ars, aud wnen the department be-
me n part II the mum ip1 government una
politics crept into It, mis- place IKE all the otLer
a polntuients. was greatly sought futt"
The Commissioner here spoke OF his never
ceasln. desire TO mage tue deiaftment as AN
Bsl hetic work, to the exclu-lOu OF politics and
paitisanship. Res.mlng his MARI live, ne SAID
Tn "a disc .ssion arose ss to whether Ryan could
lawfully hOld license to MAINTAIN the saloons
ana his position as Superint" ndcnt at the same
time. Al hough the Cur.oraton Coun.e. de-
cided that ne could do so. there was such
strain brought TO heur on the Commission r.
that they went to H. u and requested ain /
Resign one trust or tue other lie resigned his
pl ce as SupeTintendent.
OF late the hard times have operated against
r. an and his pfonts have been small, Inl In
consid ,ra'ion Of TINS fact, last month tn. Com-
missu nefs redu eu the perceutum Of .rOfit tuat
be pals As rental, believing II to be extor-
honate.
Col. Stcbbins believes that Ryan has pronted
lnce, partly because of the yer, " .rm weather.
The Colonel concluded by 5 ying that he voted
against blowing J. i. Ryan. who he believes to
be no relation Of the Central Park man OF tho
sano name, TO set uD stand In the Battery
Park. Sucn places are not needed IN the small
squares, "a they are surrounded by saloons. lie
Will always vote agains tnem. lie believes that
every citizen has an equal Ii-ht to "a stand. aud
that II Que such license Is granted, there can 10
no limit To the numorr OF licen.e,.
MI. j. T. Ryan Is positive that the objections
Passed 4 inst his pursuing his avucatiun In the
Battery Park emanate from envious First Ward
keepers Of DarroOms.