Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-14
A "TIP" IGNORED.
How Luke Sharp Attempted to Procure
Information about Parks

England is often referred to By
Americans as land of tips. This is as
unjust as if an Englishman were to
refer to this country as the land of the
tlpsy. | know many instances where
tips have been refused, and one of
these | always have felt little sore
about, and think still my English friend
took a mean advantage of the inno-
cence of a stranger in a strange land.
This is how it came about. Detroit, as
all the world knows, bought an island
of about 500 acres with the intention of
making park of it. Being in London
al the time | thought | would gather
together little information about the
excellent and extensive parks of the
metropolis and send it over to the
Secretary of the Detroit Park Com
mittee.
| was walking through the beautiful
Temple Gardens of the Thames en-
bankment with my friend, the English
man, when we naturally drifted to the
subject of parks and ! said to him:
Il want to find out what | can about
parks to send to Detroit. How had
better set about it?"
THAT depends on what you want to
know about them. First try and con-
centrate what mind you have on the
particular class of information you
want, then perhaps I can help you"
| want all the information there is
on the subject | was thinking of going
up to the British Museum reading room
and asking the attendant to bring me
the books they have on parks
''1hdt'S good idea; brilliant idea.
When the assistants pile around you
the two or three tons of books they
have on that subject, l suppose you'll
expect your friends to get up relief
party and dig you out :"
what would you do?"
"Well, wouldn't begin with all the
books the British Museum has. Now
here are the Temple Gardens, one of
the loveliest parks in the world. I'll
introduce you to the chief man, and
you can interview him..
There's Hyde Park, for instance;
that's a sort of typical London park
How could [ find out what l wanted to
know about that?"
write to the Ranger"
''rll do that Say, hadn't | better
offer him a tip of some sort? A half
crown or so? Would't he answer my
letter the mere readilyp"
This seemed to strike nv English
friend as a grand scheme. He looked
at me with admiration, and it was so
seldom that advanced any ideas that
quite met his approval that could not
help feeling gratitied.
you've got the plan at last! That
would be just the thing. Do it delicate
ly, you know. Use little diplomacy.
just intimate in an offhand whole
souled manner that you don't mind a
half-croWn or so, and if that don't fetch
him nothing will. "
II suppose a letter addressed The
Ranger of Hyde Park, London, would
reach him all right"
Eyes, that would do it.
When got back to the office / wrote:
Ranger of Hyde Park:
DEAR SIR am DESTROYS of obtaining
what information | can about Hyde Park,
| its cost annually, cost of construction, num-
| Der or people employed, etc., a. q | thought
| perhaps you would be good enough to mail
| me any pamphlets that you have in ref
erence to the matter. L shall be glad to
pay postage and any other expenses, and if
you would do me the favor to accept half a
crown for your own trouble L snail be
obi ged to you.
Your obedient servant,
LUKE SHARP"
waited day after day but received
no reply. Every time we met my Eng
lishman expressed surprise that the
Ranger had not jumped at my half
crown offer. He seemed to have told
all his friends and mine about the mat
ter, and when they met me they seemed
grieved that the Ranger had not writ
ten. They always inquired. [ never
saw people so anxious to help person
on. At last the man whom [ consider
entirely to blame, said to ne, as we
met on the Strand:
''By the way, did it ever occur to you
TO find out who the Ranger of Hyde
Park isP''
'No," 1 answered. ''Do you know
him?''
mot personally. He is the Duke of
Cambridge, head of the British army
and uncle of the Queen. "-DetroH Free
Press.