New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-26
THE BROOKTTN PARK.
Boston, March q, 1852.
SOME BITS or INSIDE HISTORY

THE MYSTERIOUS PROCEEDINGS CONCERNING TIE
FASr-SIDF LANDS.
There Is n mystery attaching to Prospect Park in
Brooklyn which the ordinary citizen of that town
finds it difficult to unrayel Among all the changes
that have taken place, the Park Commission has
continued TO hold ITS own, and J. S. I. Stranahan,
the president whom the iIreverent style the Ma
glcian," pIacidIy points TO the State law under
which the Board is organized, and trinmphanily
deies disturbance OF late, n good deal of curios-
ity has been excited by the attempt to sell the IA
nous East-side lands" adjacent to Prospect
Park and the sudden cessation of that
attempt, ana toeIg hint are that hc Pe" sale
was stopped after few lots had been disposed OF NJ
fair prices because the bids made and accepted had
fixed a market value. and spectators intended 10
Lax their wires accordingly Whether tlJs runor
which has been clrrUla ell abOut Brooklyn Tor sew
eral weeks is absolutely true not, nobody knows
except the persons Immediately Interested but IS
infect If much comment. In the report or the
Park COMMISSIONER dated January ], 1881; IL was
rccIted ttat Though the condition OF the real estate
market IN 1850 did not encourage an effort ~ sell
the East-side lands il was Thought that ., the
attention of capitalists ana others hav1
ing money TO invest wouid be attracted
to this property, which. purchased at rasnnable
prices, could not fail to prove desirable invest
Iaent' The lands were put upon the market cary
this year. in order to start a boom "--rra estate
values in Brooklyn having advanced an average OF
10 to | , per cent since The previous spnng; and II
the sale vas suddenly stopped after few Q! The
The East-sile lands, forming part of the grounds
originally taken for Prospect Park, comprise an
area Of ~ acres exclusive of TIE Reservolr which
occupies | - acres. and are bounded by tlathush
and Vanderbilt -aves, W Iren-st, and Washington
ave. terminating on the soath at the dividing
line between the city OF Brooklyn ana the
town Of Flaibush. They were long ago abandoned
for park Purposes but the shIewd manlpulators
who governed Brooklyn affairs did not fail 10 fore
east the probable expansion of tn" cry, the nitro
duction of rapid transit, the completion OF the East
River Bridge and the inevitable increase OF popula-
ton and taxable valuation, and they Kept the East
side lands in their own hands. They reckOned with
reason quotation from the report of the Park
Commissioners Tor the year To- serves as an Illus
tratiOn IN point:
'Uuring the progress of work upon the park in
the early years of its construction no change was
effected in the prevailing features of the Eas-slde
property. The first considerable work consisted IN
opening the eastern parkway from the Plaza 10
Washington-ave., Involving the removal OF 23l.o0
yards OF material above the established grade.
Following upon the commencement 81 tins work III
1871, and its completion III 1873 1uIther
quantities of material were removed from
Time to time. . At a later date the yarlo1
and persistent opposition TO the proposed sale OF
portion Of the lands was measuraby overcome by
The Commissioners and with the approval OF the
public generally. steps were at once taken looking
to The carrying our Of their pan of sale. The
projection OF Sackett-st, otherwise known as The
Eastern parkway entalled AZ once the necessity
for cooperation of interest between the city
authorizes and the PARK CO.nmisslonlI. A hitch
occurred in the financial transactions which fol-
lowed. The Park Commissioners went straight to
Albany, and got, as usual, special legislation IN
their favor, leaving the Mayor and Common Council
of Brooklyn pOwerlcss-or, as the Commissioners
say in their report Of 1879; The GOmIns-
sioners sought and obtained relief The
subsequent history of the transactions
involved III this tangle peculiarly interesting.
AS examples OF the il which public affairs have
been transacted in brooklyn.
On November 49, 1874, the Common Council
passed "A series of resolutions the effect of winch
was TO POSTPONE indefinitely the propose sale of
the lands. still the sackett-'t extension went
on and il represents to-day one of tn, most Oner
Gus burdens under which Brooklyn labOrs The
Park commissioners claim report for 1879, page
AZ hat they are III " no way responsible" for the
that improvement. but they express their con.
tdence that IT will ultimately bnng substantial
reward to It's owners This cOusulnuaIiou is We Y
devoutly wished for by the people Durdened by
heavy taxes and heavier assesslnents
" hen the bridge Is completed ana some practical
rapid transit scheme l. N operation brooklyn Will
become virtually, If not actually, part II New
Y0rk-the East River 10 Ice only ar the thames Is TO
the TWO parts of London, or the Sclno TO faTIS. A
aTive from Murray Hill over the bridge roadway 10
Prospect Park and down the Parkway 10 toney
Island viii be lot Only easy, hui delightful and
this facility of intercourse between tn two Giles
will push Brooklyn real estate IN the frospect fark
region up 10 a high notch. And the men who con
troll certain interests IN Brooklyn are shreWd
enough t. discount all tins prospect, while the tax
PAYERS stand 0pen-mOuthed ard wonder what
is meant when mysterious movements
or equally mysterious stOppagcs occur.
Meanwhile Prospect Park is IN a very shabby state:
The Commissioners say the cause of the neglect OF
10 Is the lack Uf appropriations The walks are badly
cracked, the TOidways ont OF repair anu the trees
cbOhed with uudcrDruSh; Wild CROWNS prevail,
tLe flower beds are neglected. and There is a general
aspect of decay Central Park ls bad enough, but
l}rooklyn's park, which has the advantage OF Cen
tral PARK IN magniiiconce OF forest TIMBER, Is u
match aud more than match Tor IT,