The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-01
Deering Park.

| A correspondent, after speaking of the salts
faction derived by every intelligent person at
the acceptance of the Oaks by the City Council
for the purposes of n permanent park, speaks
| of the credit due to Mr.. Montgomery S. Glib
| son, of the Council, by whose energy and per-
severance, in order to develop the resources Of
our city, the final result was reached. He also
refers to a remark made to him by Prof. Long
fellow, the poet, saying he hoped the city
would accept without hesitation, this delight
full, natural park.
The writer goes on to say that while little
elaboration or ornamentation can be done at
present, he thinks some needed work should
be commenced, such as the clearing out of the
underbrush of juniper, the ralling out Of the
vegetable debris under the trees, trimming off
the dead limbs, and filling up of the several
gullies to some extent. Would it not be best,
he continues, to lay down this fall some drain
pipe from the line of Portland street, say fifty
feet in each gully, and then allow the team
sters to haul in the surplus coal ashes during
the ensuing winter, and thus gradually, and
without cost to the city, fill up these ravines to
a reasonable height And might it not be well
for the City Council to offer prize for the
most feasible plan for an ultimate development
of this territory, and thus interest our civil
engineers to present their theories for this OBJ
ject, and the valuable thoughts of different
minds would be suggested that might be made
very available in the future.
AS some of our citizens may not be aware Of
the benefits which would accrue to the city by
this acquisition, let us state a few Of them for
their consideration. 1t may not be known to
all that the whole northern slope of our city,
from Green street to the residence OF Hon.
John B. Brown ON the verge of Bramhalls, is
drained through these "Oaks" to Back Cove,
and this valuable privilege has been allowed
by the kind sufferance of the Deering and
Preble heirs How might the case have been
if some parties had owned the Oaks. The city,
upon the refusal to submit to any unreasonable
request of such party, taking advantage of
such needed privilege, would have been
obliged to take up the sewers running through
this land, and then lay them through Port
land, Grove, Green, or other streets to the
channel of Back Cove, at a cost OF $50, 600,
more or less. Then again, when the time shall
come, as soon it must, when the marginal way
should be bult through the rear portion of the
Oaks, from behring's bridge to Grove street,
the land damages alone for such street would
cost more than the present value of the whole
territory This position was strongly enforced
by ex-Gov. Washburn at the meeting OF the
City Council on Thursday evening, when final
action was taken.
Again, the value of the land on the. opposite
side of Portland street, extending from High
to Grove, and from Cumberland to Portland
streets, will be increased four-fold very soon,
and these lots (Which no one wishing to build
| a nice and lnodernly improved dwelling would
now purchaser will spring into requisition
upon the perfection of the transfer, and the
increased taxation upon the property on the
opposite side will, in very few years, more
than equal the small amount now paid for the
Oaks.
The city owns large and available parcel OF
land near the Oaks,-we mean the Aim shouse
farm,-which, before many years, by the use
of land in this vicinity, will be considered too
valuable for the city to hold for that purpose,
and another and lower priced situation will be
secured, while streets will be laid out through
the farm, the lots sold and the city greatly ex-
tended in what will then be beautiful locali-
ty. 1t is also to be supposed that within the
twenty years or before, our fair young sister
town of Deering may wish to enjoy our system
of schools, sewerage, street lamps, park, ETC.,
and if SO, we will welcome her to our arms and
thus place Deering Park in the very midst OF
Portland.
The large number of strangers alone who
visit the Common and Public Garden OF Bos-
ton, or Central Park, New York, leave great
amount Of money in the shops, restaurants and
hotels of those cities, and our city has promi-
nent advantages for the public entertainment
of strangers. She may well be called like
| Mount Zion beautiful for situation" and it
only needs proper development of our natural
resources like the opening of Deering Park to
attract thousands of strangers hither every