Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-27

OI
natural resources for making our parks /
heyond the conception of livers in an |
Eastern cline, our City Council not only
refuses to do so, but, on the contrary, in
their meeting of August Goth actually
considered favorably the proposition OF
one of it's members to discontinue the
Nicholson ditch, which means nothing
more or less than shutting off the water
from that pretty little lake at West Lake
Park, and making a breeding spot for
malaria out of the greatest natural ad-
vantage the city possesses for making the
most lovely spot in California with so
little outlay as to hardly be noticed.
West Lake Park is at present
the only one that allows OF
rapid improvement without much
outlay, and as private individuals have
now in the treasury Of the city about
$4,000 for this purpose it would seem that
the city should at least refrain from OBJ
structing. ii they do not see fit to i'm
prove. The park is very conveniently
situated, being at the junction OF Alva-
RADIO and Seventh streets, and just at the
terminus of the cable system, and
more lovely situation could not be asked,
being on high, undulating land, COM
manding a view of Santa Monica and
the mountains that even now, though
unimproved, calls thousands of visitors
to it every week. The park contains
about thirty. five acres, fifteen of which
are on the lake, so that but very little
money is demanded to make it very at
tractive. The City Council and Board
of Public Works not long since resolved
to give the public.spirited gentlemen
that subscribed and paid the $4,000 above
referred to like amount to be laid out
in improving the park, and contract
was let to Mr.. Burlingame to grade q
driveway about the lake, for half OF which
these citizens were to pay, and now with
an inconsistency hard to believe and i'm
possible to explain this same Council pro-
poses to pass an ordinance whereby
the lake about which the driveway
| is to be constructed is to be done away
with. Is it economical to eXpend several
thousands OF dollars and then make the
expenditure of no avail. The HERALD
was the prime mover in the setting apart
of this one spot for park, and in 30 do
| ing was alive to the future wants OF our
people and city, and it is to be hoped
that you will continue in this good work
and through your powerful paper expose
all attempts to take away from us this
fairest of our jewels, and in fact the only
one that can Immediately be made ef.
fective. Our other parks, with the ex-
ception of the Elysian, (Which must take
many years and much larger city to
beautify) do not contain above four
acres, and being situated in the center
of the city do not offer the invitation to a
day in the country that the West Lake
Park would. Why should We depend
on the seaside resorts to furnish
a pastime for our citizens
when thousands would stay at home
and spend their money here if they
could have this lovely spot made more
tempting with the trees and flowers, of
which we can in year or SO cluster ex-
| tensive and beautiful varieties as would
make our visitors know thAt nothing is
| impossible in glorious California? l can
| Council who seem to have our city in
terests at heart knew what they voted
for when the discontinuance OF the Mich
olson ditch was considered and would
respectfully request that they visit West
Lake Park before deciding the matter.
The thirty-fve acres contained in the
West Lake Park offers the best opportun
| ity for growing and displaying of the
numerous and beautiful varieties of trees
shrubs and flora which adds so much tc
the attractive features of our city, and al
soon as the driveway about the lake il
completed then the other roadways and
paths should be attended to, 80 that ali
may be in readiness for the planting ol
trees and flowers and otherwise beauti.
flying the park as soon as the winter rains
approach. OBSERVER.