St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-25
They Object to the Plans for
Beautifying the Great
Thoroughfare.
Fleischmann's Bid for the
Cremation Of Garbage
Meets With Favor.
Labor Commissioner Lamb
Wants His Department Di-
vopced From Politics.

clly Ielu py the DOaru uHuer ltS lleW
organization. Hiram F. Stevens acted
as secretary, and the full membership
of the board made very long and busy
afternoon of it. When the meeting was
called to order. representation Of the
Summit Avenue Boulevard association
addressed the board upon the matter of
planting and designing the boulevard
extending on Summit avenue from
Lexington avenue to the river.
Fhs = B. aefESaoa FWel was G. w. %SSmpGMisek Msckett e.
DR.. Simonton, James King and Mr..
Marvin. They had called for information
and wanted to learn how the boulevard
would be laid out, and what kind of
trees and shrubbery would be planted.
Supt. Estabrook, addressing the delega-
ton, enlightened its members and eX-
planned in detail just how the boule-
ward would appear for its entire length
when completed, which will not be for
another year. Commencing at either
side Of the property designed for street
and boulevard, there will be a ten-foot
sidewalk. then fifteen feet of grass
plat, a drive forty feet wide. and in the
center of the street grass plat studded
with flower beds, and evergreen trees
serving as border and guard. Lin
dens will be planted along the side
walk, and the whole will be two and
three quarters miles long. The first
two blocks at this end of the street are
partially planted, and will be the only
ones upon which the work OF tree plant
ing and beautifying will be done this
season. The object. in planting the
great length of the boulevard is to
avoid mOnetony Of color effect or de-
sign, and it is proposed by Prof. Cleve-
land. the landscape gardener, to plant
the dark evergreenS III low, level blocks,
and lighter trees in others relieving the
trast, and the high elevations in the
street, commanding broad view of that
great plateau lying along its course,
are to be left without any trees to hide
the view. here the lawns will be made
up of flower beds and low Shrubbery.
The intention is to design every other
few hundred feet differently and plant
such trees and flowers as will give
pleasing and varied effect to the whole.
AS the drive approaches the bridge over
the Milwaukee tracks, it con-
verges into a broad street
and after crossing the bridge, the
two parallel drives come gradually to-
gether, so as to make the drive over the
bridge perfectly straight. This wise
provision has been made to avoid acci-
dents that might occur from vehicles
turning off either drive abruptly upon
the bridge. The railroad tracks will be
entirely hidden from view by the ever
greens, which will be planted very close
together. The members OF the delega-
ton seemed to have called to make a
gentle but concerted delivery of kicks,
and when Mr.. EStabrook finished elucl-
dating the plans Of the commission, the
delegation began to mildly suggest and
cross-question about the injury the
would be to the property fronting
thereon. Mr. King said that forty feet
drives, fenced up on both sides, with
dense growth of evergreen, would be
too narrow and shut out all view of the
residences Oh the property along the
street. Said he:
When the city induced US to give our prop
erty for boulevard purposes, it represented to
us that the street should be 80 or 100 feet
wide in the roadbed; and obscufed as 1t is to
be with evergreen trees and other things, it
will prove serious damage to property, and
the drive will not be what people want. They
don't want to drive up on one side Of the
center plat and not be able to see those who
pass on the other.
The exact and detailed design for the
eutire boulevard has not been adopted
vet, however, and Prof. Cleveland is
still studying the topography of the
country before deciding what to do.
The debate was quite lengthy and the
delegation seemed to be worried quite
bi. about the boulevard. They were
very happy when the commission ad-
vised them to meet Prof. Cleveland and
C.~+ c%n or,d 1coly nuor I, ,,r<,-
posed plauS and offer their suggestions.
If the council would vest the control OF
the roadbed with the park commission,
all present thought it would do much
for the proper preservation and care of
the boulevard. The commission would
then put the whole street under the
same rules and regulations which gov
ern the use of public parks. No heavy
teams would be allowed upon it, and
trespass of this nature
WOULD BE A FINABlE OFFENSE.
To have such control vested in the
commission will be what the boulevard
association wants. and ali interested
property owners will probably join in
petition to the council to have such
bower conferred. The Grand boulevard
in Chicago is under the control Of such
q board, and is kept and maintained by
the city through appropriations, of
which the park board directs the expendi-
ture. A communication from George G.
Harter and A. E. johnson, offering a
tract of land in Ridgewood Park. was
referred to Commissioners Ludden,
Newell and Wedge. The owners Of
the property offer blocks IL, 13 and Is,
and part of block II from lot to II, for
$500 per acre, the tract com
oNx
They offer a cash donation of
5000 If a park is established upon their
property. This is in the old Rfdgewood
park, which lies between the Mil
waulee short line tracks and St. Clair
street and was once designed for a
park by Mr.. Kidd, of New York,
who built rustic bridges and fountain
fish ponds only to allow time
and. disuse to lay them waste.
The new Prospect park project was
taken up and action furthered to where
the matter will be placed into the hands
Of the board Of public works. Upon.a
resolution of Commissioner Wedge,
the name was changed to Mohawk
park. This was done at the request of
a great many prominent West siders,
and to avoid confounding the park with
Prospect plateau and other localities
designated by that name. There is no
better name for the park than Mo-
hawk. Located where it is, it's
name is an appropriate and fitting
monument to the Indian who tramped
about that very spot. The board
ordered that the board of public works
assess the property benefited by the
park, so per cent of the cost Of the park
and improvements-the price paid for
the land being $780, ,00O. This assessment,
it is urged by the commission, should
be as widely diffused west of Ohio
e+root 90 poccihla The mark is a