The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-20
PARE PROsPECTs.
Views OF a Correspondent ON die subject.
WHEELING, January 10.

Views Of n Correspondent ON the Subject
WHEELING, January 10.
EdlLOn IntSlllEeneeI;
The letter OF "citizen" on the City Park
question meets my own views almost ex-
actly. have long discussed this subject
in my own mind, and beg now to offer
few suggestions to the public. Six sites for
q park have been named, three on the
Island, one at the lower end Of the sth
Ward, one at Hornbrook's Park, one on
the Peninsula, and the last on Wheeling
Hill. To the first four these objections
may be named; Costumes, inacessibility
and hence the expense OF reaching them,
and to the Island sites the additional OBJ
lection that they are liable to be periodt-
cally inundated. For these reasons they
would not be used by any considerable
number OF our citizens, even II purchased
aud improved. The Peninsula Is more &c
cessible and possesses natural advantages,
but Its purchase and improvement would
involve an outlay Of money for which the
city is perhaps not yet prepared. have
thus eliminated all the sites yet named,
said In its favor? Let us see.
The objects OF parks are two; first recre.
alton, second ornamentation. Health
getting is the primary meaning OF recre-
alton, hence we may say that in establish
ing public park, we seek TO promote the
health and pleasure OF our citizens, as
well as to beautify the city.
But, in order 10 give recreation, a park
/ ,,U6t ha uaNa0uihIn In tha larU.4lt fNnRaihla
number OF our people. This involves
nearness and consequent cheapness. II
SO distant as to neCessitatc ride TO reach
1t, park will be almost useless to the very
citizens who most need 1t, viz: the poor
and their children, for these cannot afford
10 pay for recreation. To the sick child
rem OF our city in the summer months, q
park properly located would bea real San
itarium, and might be tho means OF saving
many younglif
This much then can be said in favor OF
Wheeling hill as site for our park. lst.
It Is accessible to large part OF our peo-
pie. ID. II is consequently without price
TO the poor. Sd. 1t affords, on account OF
its elevation, the purest atmosphere at
tainable near the people who need most
its advantages. 4th. No purchase money
is required, as it already belongs to the
city. 9th. Amagniticent view Is afforded
the visitor from It's heights. 9th. Tim
provement would beautiiy the city.
Last autumn made several visits TO the
hill for the purpose OF studying its advan-
tages as site for a park, and talking to
several prominent citizens on the subject,
found them all favorably impressed.
The hill is easily reached by all persons
living north OF the creek, while 1t Is more
accessible TO those living south Of 1t even,
than is any other site named, except that
near Forty.eighth street, Of which | pre-
sumo no one has seriously thought. In
the way oil improvement, would suggest
briefly this: Terrace the hill on the west
and south sides. so as to make it easily
assembled from Tenth and the streets north
of It, and also from Fourteenth street;
widen and improvethe Twelfth streetroad;
grade the roadway running along the ridge
OF the hill this is about so or 60 feet wide;
row OF trees ten feet from the fence on
each side, the same extending down the
hill to Twelfth street, and northward To-
ward the toll house, would, in few years
give the city splendid avenue, such as
many cities in the old world are proud Of.
An old Latin proverb says; "He who
begins hath half DONE" l propose there
fore as a beginning, that our city Council
at once direct the city surveyor and an
appropriate committee to have the top OF
Wheeling hill graded and prepared for the
planting Of trees, and that in the spring,
when tree planting time has come, that
this committee fix day and invite our
! citizens TO repair to the hill, and contribute
| In the protected mark one or moro trees
aud see that the same are properly planted.
l have no doubt that our good people
would literally respond to such an invita-
ton, and that thus in one day hundreds of
trees would be planted, park would be
iuaugurated, and in few years, by a
yearly moderate expenditure by council,
We would be made to rejoice at the pres
ence in our midst, or rather OHr our midst,
Of thing OF beauty" which would be
"a Joy forever" KELrIE.
Il