New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-27


surroundings were urban rather than sylvan
The portion of Hyde Park occupied Dy tlie
Exhibition buildings had never been treateu
as q Mace of public recreation, and Tor 'ilS
nrrnose IL had little value. 1t was green
field because the wood on an old hun'i"s
ground had died and no pains mad Deen
taken to replant 1t, nor Iar!nin
expended to adapt it to the pu,-
noses of a popular pleasure grounu'
II uIa manner. the comparison breaks down
when the Exhibitions at Vienna and DUNN
orc considered. The Philadelphia pleasure
-rorrd "a n tract three times as large as Zen
60, peril living far out of the town, the
o,rootor mart of it remaining as 1t was tOunu
rrbon tbe civ acquired it from the numerous
go. and others who had been
49, Il for purposes quite different
&C.,, +bose for which Central Park has been
e.tad Of 40 much expense. An inspection OF
the Centennial grounds, as they no" APPEAR
vould suffice to convince even rural Fair
Commissioner that 1T would DC VANDALISM "
condemn to similar destructive uses any por-
tion of park upon which $1O,OOO'Ooo mas
been expended.
But even If it should be granted that sue
cessful Fair could be held in the Park and no
where else, the fact should be emphasized that
the value of the Park Is IN large measure
prospective. AS a reservation for providing
rural scenery it is trust for the future when
cannot rightful'y be traded away. The money
borrowed for this specific purpose must be paid
by the city Of the future, and the city OF
to-day has no right to barter anything OF
value for the Park in time to come. in order
to secure any apparent temporary advantage.
These considerations are general, and should
be enforced against invasion. DETACHMENT and
peryersion of every kind. The argument
hardly needs stating, however, as against a
Worlds Fair; for there is no room In the
Park for Fair or any considerable 1racton
of Fair. 1t Is skilful treatment which
gives an idea of its broad sweeps OF lawn
The most spacious of these is smaller than the
ground floor of a single building of the Phila-
delphia Fair, and of the entire 776 acres in
the Park Enclosure only ifty-6ve acres are open
meadow stretches, while the largest tracts are
moro than a mile apart An Exhibition is thus
effectually shut out, even if there were no
difficulties in the way Of transportation and
the like.
And vet it is not encouraging to be re-
minded now and then that there are people
who look upon these green fields as useless
Spaces blanks, vacant lots, waiting to DC
souatted on by some one with SHOW
ar n menagere, or curiosity shOp, OF
flower garden. Neither the drives, nor
tbe walks. nor the arsenal nor the boats,
nor the swings. nor the play ground. as such,
ore the essential constituents OF the Park
Great as are the advantages of the Park
in furnishing baths of pure sunshine for
the bodv and fresh air sifted through and
purified by surrounding foliage Tor the lungs,
the refreshing, trauquilizing Influence OF the
scenery upon the minds OF men. working I'M
consciously through the imagination. Is more
important. People arc beginning to under
stand that the highest value OF the PARK
comes from influences which are sneered
at as sentimental. And these reaches
of greensward are the central sources
ne these influences. The elevations, rocks,
plantations and buildings exist for them,
are grouped around them, and depend
upon them for their meaning. Cover them
with buildings, cut them up with roads, or
dis6oure them In any way, and the Park Is de-
stroved. or ut least transformed into another
and n very incoherent thing. AS the Park has
been designed, these free spaces, with every
sion Of a city shut out by borders of trees,
and because they are the exact antithesis to
the confined blocks in which our daily lives
are passed, furnish the most complete rest ana
refrcshment from the restraint and pressure oil
city life.
General Grant is plainly impressed with the
desirableness of holding Worlds Fair here,
and II Is not unnatural that he should be SUR
nrised to discover that the people of this city
are not vet warmed up to his degree OF en-
tbusiasm on the subject, or ut least that
they have not yet displayed any devouring
eacerness to purchase stock in the enterprise.
He may be correct in attributing a measure OF
this apathy to n general belief that the selec-
ton of site was not n fortunate one, and
the bold advice to change the location instead
of perslsting in blunder, if 1t IL one, is what
might be expected from him. But it would
not be wise to turn from an improper site
| to an impossible one. The Commits
| sion need not be restricted to a
choice between Inwood and Central Park
| If Inwood is so remote, inaccessible, difficult
| to grade and drain, and 30 thoroughly shut
| out from cool breezes as to be an Objectiona-
BILE location, it should be remembered that
other sites have been offered which are not
encountered by these disadvantages. At his
| suggestion the Commission could easily reopen
the whole question of location and settle 1t
| directly upon its merits.
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NO EXCUSE FOR THE POLICE.
The pOlicy adopted by the Police Commits