St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-26
PARKS AND PATHWAYS.


parkway. The communication is as fol-
lows:
PARKS AND PARKWAYS.
In considering the question of parks and
parkways with reference to the future
wants and necessities of the city, am so
deeply impressed with the value and i'm
portance of one section which have here
tofore recommended, that at the risk of
being thought impertinent 1 feel impelled
TO lay before you a statement of the reasons
which have served to convince me that you
viii hereafter very bitterly regret your
failure to secure it if you suffer the present
opportunity to escape.
The section to which l allude is that
which L urged upon your attention last
year, lying between Lake and Thirty-ffth
streets on the north and south, and Bloom
lngton and Yale avenues on the east and
west, including within its limits Powder
Horn lake and the region Immediately adj
Jacent, of which the lake receives the water
shed. The whole area is about $50 acres,
OF which the lake comprises some thirty or
forty acres. The surrounding region is
generally very level, and the lake is sunk
50 deep below the average surface that its
presence is not suspected till the visitor
looks down upon it from its abrupt and
beautifully rounded banks. The water is
pure and transparent, and its shape from
which it derives its name) is such as to
afford most favorable opportunity for pic
turesque development by tasteful plant
ing of its banks. The natural feat
ureS of the whole area are such as
to adapt it at very small cost
for the formation of an exquisitely beauti-
ful park OF perfectly unique character
since its chief attractions will be so secluded
that they will not be discovered till the site
is actually entered upon.
ITS PROSPECTS.
Its situation is such that it must of neces-
sity in very few years be included within
the densely peOpled limits of the city, and
the time is not distant when, if taStefully
arranged as park, it will constitute one of
the chief attractions on the line of the Sum-
init avenue and Thirty-fOurth street boule-
ward, which, as l conceive, is destined to
become the most picturesque and beautiful
OF the future thOroughfares between st.
raul and Minneapolis. OF its natural adap-
tations for purposes of improvement as a
park can hardly find terms to express my
appreciation. All the most costly work of
park construction has already been done by
nature, and requires only for its compile
0iiS hiClO VI
planting and construction of roads and paths.
But on the other hand the very features
which so admirably fit it for ornamental
improvement are such as to make it GER
tain if not SO improved it will become an
offensive region which will be avoided by
all whose means enable them to secure
better location. No individual or company
could afford to gain control of the whole
area, and such control is absolutely essen
tial to its preservation from pollution. If
not secured to the public, it will certainly
become the receptacle Of the drainage and
rubbish of the dwellings on its banks, whose
backwards will abut upon its shores. The
banks themselves will be SCARED and
scanned by excavations, and the final result
VIII be that as measure of sanitary pro-
lection the city will be forced to devise
means for its abatement as nuisance, and
it needs but glance at the Topography of
the surrounding country to show that such
abatement will be enormously expensive.
1T WILL GIVE CHARACTER.
If secured and improved as park it will
at once give such character to the whole
surrounding region as viii insure lucra-
tive return to the city treasury by the greatly
increased value it will give to taxable prop
erty in the city, l could cite innumerable
instances in proof of this from the expert
ence of other cities. but with the recent exper-
fence you have had L need only to point to
the evidence afforded by the improvements
you have already made and their effect
on the values of adjacent property.
Its common to cite the failure to secure
Nicollet island as an eminent instance of
stupid want of foresight. l venture the pre-
diction that if you suffer the opportunity to
escape of securing the area around Powder
Horn lake, it will be but few years before it
will be regarded as far more fragrant in
stance of blindness than the former Nicol-
let island would have made beautiful park.
of which the city might justly have been
proud, but there was no danger of its becom-
ing an oflense if not so improved, and no
such stimulus was required in that quarter
OF the city to give value TO adjacent prop
erty.
STILL PRoBLENIATICAL.
The Thirty-fOurth street boulevard. as I
understand, has already been secured from
the river to Bloomington avenue.
Whether it will be carried farther west
seems TO be still problematical. but in any
event no more appropriate or fitting ter
minus for that portion could be devised than
the construction of park. for which so adj
u.
could not fail to be the nucleus of so ele-
CANT section of the city as to attract vast
numbers of pleasure-seekerS from ST Paul.
In the report made last year by the New
DIRK legislature by the commission TO So
lect and locate lands for public parks it is
stated, and clearly proved by figures, that
by the creation of the Central park the CITY
has actually received ST., 600 900 over and
above the cost of the land. the interest ON
the bonds and all costs of construction.
maintenance and improvement up to date,
besides owning the tract now valued at
$500, 600, 600. And similar to this has been
the experience OF every great city (includ-
ing AlnneapollS), In which the experiment
has been tried.
For the reasons, therefore. that a park is
greatly needed in that section of the CITY:
that the land around Powder Horn lake is
so admirably fitted for the purpose by ma
ture that it can be constructed for compare
lively very small outlay; that it will give such
character to the whole quarter in which il
Is situated as will insure very lucrative
return TO the city treasury, while If not so
improved it will certainly become a nuisance
the abatement of which viii necessarily in
VolVe very large outlay, feel it my duty.
IN return for the honor YOU have done
me III employing me as your professional
adviser, to lay before you this plain state
ment OF my own convictions. and to re-
quest. in justice to myself. that it may be
placed on your records, whatever may be
your decision.
REALTY PARAGRAPHS.
Summer Dcings i'm Dirt--Notes of