, 1879-04-16
Chicago BEFORE mn Eneltsl, Audience,

10 the Edtor ot Jhe 7'rtbtnr.
GENEVA LAKE, Wis.,, April live tlnd tile
following among sorlcs Of wcl!.writtcn papcrs
| upon "Parks and Public Gardens ip America,"
as contained III the Gardtn, m Illustrated weekly
published ut Coyent Garden, London. Wllilo
the criticism upon Chicago Ia not altogether
agreeable, It has Ills merit Of calldor. having
hcco written for Enuisll-not Amerlcar-eycs,
hence should he wholesome:
Unfortunate Chicago, before the fire ono Of
AMcsca's Ercnt cities, u!tu III Eurono tcpntcd to
ho tho great city Of the Wcst IL largo nnd th1ly-
ng, but the st.latlon Is low. nlIl its srfacc not
broken pby the grand rivers Md estuarics that
fwevp through nlu grcat cities Of The Eastern
coast. Looking over It's surf!!ce from a hich
building, It Is n1ora suggestive Of Clelscn or tic
flats Of lsotllcrlsthe than of Manhattan or Hos.
ton liarbnr. Il'rru ars few thu streets nlNI
sumo hundreds not 'lno. Here. too, The sweet
practivs Of leaving tho garoauu III the gutter for
iln,y days prevails, and so,liu Of tho streets uru
long enough for a pilgrimage. Tlp city Ik un
tht narCin uf the gteat ser-liltc at!l clear Luke
Michigan. Ono would think they would vel
other ,sart ncar does Nature co,ne to speak
throw ,l.elr rubbish Tito IL, md drlyeo
,ilr.y railway wagons aopg its sl!ores, aud in
of the town. llcra ut least two parks are in
cou1ac Of construction by, wo believe, Mr. OlI1-
stead, the designer of u,e Ccntral Park Ut New
1uFHi HGQLlcUlIu CAEGllEHLlS HuA&luGu 1oF thu
work, autl who hAs the broadest nl.d trlest NO.
tons OF i!le nost essential thl.gs In public CUR.
dcnIHg. 1n connection with these pnrks, fine
tree. planted h0lllevar!s aro be|slE made to con.
meet o.a tMrk with another, anu to open up, tn
all effective t,anNcs, parts Ut tho suburbs which
Will une DAY, no dou6:, be dqusely cuyured with
houses.h
Thu writer of tho above, willie llo praises tho
American parks (parttculaslY the beautiful rcn-
etcrles) as far beyond apyllling Of tho kind III
Europr, would warn Chicago ngaiust "the trail
s ,rs9;s9sst raFks VII Is IT, rsana9ey Of
tse'EEg Is. to q great extout, tho his
tory Of its sulrerlngs at the ha,nls
Ut architects, md, to o smaller qxteHt.
from scuut0rB: slenCe Versailles, with lis miles
Ut crunhing balustrade and many other bid
eolls sccres which VIC have been accustomed to
call gardens. In tic Ccutras park, New York,
as uluch money l.as been spent on useless work
bio park without such needless embellishments.
hut fow will dispute that It Is nature, and mt
nAe!ess ucctlcss, seeona.ratc, a,Il costly arctl-
itectnrG, We want III cur public gardens" The
writer WUAlI shun not only ncedless trl0Eea,
but the erect!.'n ut tau many buildings. Luok-
!Ily up0ll u park us nut merely paca Of anuso-
mrnt, but OF education, Ac woutl exclude oil
eAYe tho best atatuary, ahll comments thc nd
MisablO report OF lhe Commissioners Of Central
peAcn Of rest a1A recreation iuE Mltil nEA 1udy,
a.nl slca fur Tho preservation of asgencss Alll
simplicity; for the greatest amount 0f tlnob- !
structta lawn; for troes, mud 6llruhhery. md |
Ilnwera fur lakes A.tl streams; III stlart, fur as
mueh OF nuture ms VIC can EEt tor HlnnGH, hlitl |
tor very little Of art, and that only ths choic-
rst ulsI lest. l.EldH LAEE.