The daily gazette., 1883-05-26
DailuaAA Gasete
WTIMINaToN. is,Ail.T1fURDAYl. = NAY %.
A Few Words About the Proposed Public
Park

Park,
Now is the beginning Of the season whep
the people of Wilmington will realize the
advantages Of public park or rather the dis
advantage OF no public park. Thesweltering
heat of simmer will bring to their minds
very forcibly the loss which they sustained
by the failure of Council to accept the offer |
of the Messrs. Bancroft and the easy terms |
by which the Law property could have BEEN
secured; aud many of them while enduring
the agonies of a temperature that reaches
almost beyond the nineties will doubtlessbe
almost ready to declare that Council made
a mistake when 1t refused to rush
precipitately into the project for
public park. In such condition argument
with them upon the subject would be as Use
less aud as cruel As an attempt to reason
with drowning man about the high price
Of lumber while he was perishing for
plank. And, therefore, we propose to say
few words right now about the supposed ad-
Vantages aud the certain disadvantages, at
this time, of public park at the place and
upon the terms proposed by the Messrs
Bancroft aud the holders of the Law pro-
perty. We have already expressed our
opinion to the effect that Council was
wise in hesitating to take any action
in the matter for the present. and
we think little examination into the mat
ter will convince our readers that this
opinion is well grounded. In the first
place, as we pointed out some time ago, the
proposed site of the park is sufficiently far
,e -.
cal use at all to those who stand most in
need OF the advantages of public place of
resort of that character. 1t is for the poorer
classes who, are of necessity housed in the
heart of the city and who cannot enjoy the
advantages of leafy shades and fresh air
except at an expense tnat only the wealthy
can atord-it is for these that a
city should provide its public
parks. In point of fact the Bancroft park
would for years to come be practically of no
use at all to that class of our citizens to
which we have just referred. 1t would
doubtless prove very pleasant pleasure
ground for the wealthy who could afford the
time as well as the money-though the lat
ter would be small--necessary to its enjoy
ment, but for those who are bound down by
the iron necessities OF daily labor it would
be as inaccessible, except on rare occasions,
as any other of the luxuries of life which
they find beyond their opportunities or their
purse. lew public squares, properly
shaded and attended to, and within easy
reach of the working classes. would
be worth all the money they
would cost, considered alone from
sanitary point Of view and without
any reference to the certain enhancement OF
the pecuniary value to the employer of his
workmen through the inVigorating in
fuence of quiet hour or so spent each day
in wholesome atmosphere and outside the
pent up sweat boxes into which so many of
the best of our city dwellings are converted
during the hot months of summer. To be
of any use public parks must not be far away
from those who are most expected TO enjoy
their advantages and be be ehted theresv.
lus that one needs to make the prospect OF
several miles walk to public park All en-
joyabie one. And the children of poor parents
for whose benefit public park is mos
needed " ould be debarred from its enjoy
ments as etfectually as though it were 10
Gated among the Jersey sand hills. We ART
heartily in favor OF public park, but W.
are considering this proposed one from tn,
standpoint Of availability, at present, fo
those for whom it is declared to be NOR,
particularly intended-the working classe
and their families, and we fai
to see that it would be O
sufficient benefit to them to warrant tn
needed expenditure to secure it. Only ol
Sundays could they make any pretense O
using it; and even then with our presen
transportation facilities in that direction
1t would be practically beyond their reach
But, were this not so, many through
religious scruples and the influence of th,
churches would refuse to avail themselves
of the opportunity that the one day of leisure
In the week would give them for such pur
poses Not until people learn to use Sunda,
as 1t was intended to be used-as a day OF
recreation and rest instead of for the observ
ance OF straight-laced notions about public
worship-will it be possible to make IT. {
day Of profitable pleasure and recupera
ton to the tired toilers of the week
With reference to the cost of the park
though the price is moderate and the term
easy, it should be remembered that the cit,
is already heavily in debt AMI running be
hind daily at very unpleasant rate Thes,
are the facts that we should remember dur
ing the coming months of torrd weather
and consider whether or not it would have
been wise to burden ourselves with addi
tional taxation for the purpose of securing
something which we could not enjo,
at present except at an expens,
which few of us are prepared t.
bear without the feeling that we wer
paying dear for our whistle If it be pro
posed, merely to secure the ground for the
park for future development and use, the1
we think IT would be wise to take the neces
sary steps tp that end at ouce But our un.
derstanding of the matter is that the project
will involve the immediate expenditure O
about 900, an expense that the city il
not in condition to hear at this time.
THE MORNING ORGAN again reveals its ie
norance of local affairs by declaring that
has Halways understood that the editor n