Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-05
THE SCHENLEY PARK.
Prices Of Adjacent Oakland Property
Increased 250 Per Cent.
Mr.. CARNAHAN's RAsTY FLIGHT.
The Taxes Must be Raised One Mill to Pay
for the Property.
CHIEF BIGELOw's INDIVIDUAL TRUST


The Schenley Park, az announced in the
Sunday DISPATCH, is now an assured fact.
Mrs. Schenley last Saturday signed deed
of gift of 800 acres of her property to the
city for park purposes, and coupled with it
an offer to sell another 100 acres at 3, ESQ per
acre. This property is to-day regarded as
worth nearly 5000 per acre. Controller
Morrow and Chief Bigelow agree in saying
that the prices of property in the locality of
the proposed park have increased 250 per
cent since the announcement of the gilt has
been made.
The gift and sale of the property leaves
Mrs. SchenleY without lot in the Twenty
second ward, where the park is principally
located. Her offer at the price stated has
been outbid several times by individuals.
The whole tract will cover 4l5 acres, and
the condition under which she offers the
ground to the city at 81 ,250 do not include
competition from any other buyer.
Controller Morrow said yesterday after
noon: "I'd like to see you purchase any
property in the Twenty-second ward just
now. You might have had it last week,
but to-day it takes capital to get the
ground"
Chief Bigelow, of the Department of
Public Works, was naturally jubnant over
the success of his pet scheme. He said:
"This has been the dream of my life and is
at last a reality. The park will be estab-
ished, ana there is not the slightest doubt
that the necessary appropriations Will be
made. The park will be within easy access
of the city by the cable cars, and its natural
advantages have already spoken of. The
81 L.. % kha
BeIlefeld church, aud 120 feet wide. am
decidedly now a woman's rights man, as the
first move made for the beautifying Of the
city is made by q woman"
TAXES MUST BE RAISED.
The purchase money must be raised by
direct taxation, mill added to the regular
taxes being sufficient, in the opinion of
Chief Bigelow and Controller Morrow, to
raise the necessary amount. The money can
be paid either in installments OF in cash, as
the city chooses. Both the above mentioned
officials think it would be much better to
pay spot cash.
The first work that can be done toward
improving the park will be, after the city
has closed up the agreement, the employ
ment of surveyors to get an accurate knowl-
edge of the topography of the land SO that
plans for laying it out, constructing paths,
roadways and other Improvements can be
formulated. Until this is done it will be
impossible to say what plans will be carried
out, or how much money will be required
to improve the park.
Mr.. Bigelow was asked if it was not prob
able that some public spirited citizens
might not take sufficient pride in the city
and her new park to contribute something
toward its improvement. Some iron manu-
facturer, it was suggested, might offer to put
up neat iron fence about the park. He
thought not, ana referred to his former
opinion that the ladies took the lead in
Pittsburg progress.
SAY THERE WAS NO JOB.
Mr.. Bigelow said that Mrs. Schenley had
received over 80 letters from Pittsburg
people advising her and urging her not to
give the property to the city. Among the
numerous reasons offered for their oppo-
sition, some Of these people wrote Mrs.
Schenley that the city officials, intimating
Mr.. Bigelow particularly, had property
near to the proposed park, which they were
trying to realize on at her expense. That
was why they took such deep interest in
the scheme. Mr.. Bigelow said that, as far
as that statement was concerned, he does
not own foot of ground anywhere near
enough to the park to be Influenced by its
location, nor did be know of any other city
official who did. The property around the
park had increased in value, however, fully
$50 per cent since the time the Schenley
Park matter was first agitated. He knew
of one tract of 20 acres in that neighborhood
that had gone begging before that for
SIC, 900, but for which the owner declined
$65, 900 few days ago.
Mr. Bigelow said further that property in
the city everywhere was advancing rapidly
in value, to prove which and to show how
easy it would be for him to clear nice big
sum himself, he said he had purchased for
the city last summer few acres of land for
which he paid $50, 900. There was no money
in the City Treasury to buy this land, so he
put it up himself until the city is ready to
supply it. Since making the purchase he
has refused offers of $120,0 900 for that same
land, and could have taken it too without
any breach of honesty, but there would have
been howl about jobs if he had. The
property is still where the city can have it
when she pays what it was bought for.
ANOTHER MAN THwARTED.
Mr.. Bigelow, who may be regarded as the
father Of the park projects in PittsbHrg,
was so deeply interested in the perfection Of
the scheme that when he learned another
person, representing interested parties in
Pittsburg, had started for Europe to dis
suade Mrs. Scheniey from her generous in
tentions he at once notified Mr.. Csrnahan.
This was at midnight and Mr.. Carnahan
caught the A. M. train for the East, get
ting the Etruria, the same vessel which the
opposition's representative sailed upon.
1t was a rather remarkable fact that Mr..
Bigelow received on the next morning
cablegram from Mrs. Schenley telling him
to hold all negotiations off for the present
To this he replied at cost of IS 75, saying
he had no chance to make any arrangements
as Mr.. Carnahan was then on the ocean.
The prompt action of the Chief of the De
partment of Public Works is regarded as all
that saved the park for Pittsburg against
the work of people who saw a good chance to
invest a little money and tried to make use
of it. Mr.. Carnahan returned from Europe
last Saturday evening and he feels as good
over the successful outcome of his visit as