Daily Republican., 1889-01-09
PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
TAe pRIvG W the saANDv-
WINE.



II ths CITY Council makes the snnAul
appropriation Of tl0, ,o0) for the improve
meat OF the city parks this year, and
there Il no reason u believe II VIII Eot, .
great many needed improvements will be
made. With what little money the com
m,esioners have had they have made dur
ing the last year notable and permanent
improvements. The park grounds on
either side Of the Brandy wine, have been
cleared up and graded paths and walks
have been made up and along steep In
clines and declivitlrs and around blufis
and knobbs, making II much easier for
persons Wishing the park 10 20 from one
N scr =, :. tho o'her without mucn u.,nvS,- ,...-
All the ola, dead, unslehtly and serubi,y
trees, have been cui down aud piled up
Into cord wood ready for removal, and
still ~ general rule therc are too many
trees lcft on the ground.
This, however, issno great objection, az
they can be thinnod out a. they become
decayed. The survey and the laying out
Of the grounds into walks, drives and
plots, have been very much delayed. This
ie big job, and Of course contemplstes
the topography and appearance Of the
parks many years hence, and though all
The work contemplated IN that survey
will not be completed in one year or ten
years, nothing will be done except In con-
sorance and harmony with those plans.
The most pressing necessity At the
present time is drive up the Brandywiue.
0 mmencing vt Market street bridge and
extending indefinitely up, towards Mt,
Salem Church. The calculation Il for
AhAt drjye 10 be $50 feet Wide, which will
coach and wagon way with vide Eldiii
walks. An Argument for this drive u
that person cannot take drive In any
direction outside the city that they VIII
mot 10 compelled 10 cross come railroad
at grade.
The drive up the Brandywine would
pass under the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
At the high bridge aud thereby avoid all
ing this drive nearly or altogether up tc
Mt. ealem Church has n / been given
up but on the contrary 10 gainins
| force.
The Bancroft Brothers, It is nderstocd,
are ready at any time to donate q drive
$50 feet wide through their property, bul
there Is some hesitation on the part oi
the owners to give more than 100 feel
through the Kentmere tract. The ad.
yantagcs OF such n drive can hardly bs
estimated.
1t would at once open up the way sol
erection OF the finest residences al III,
way from Crooked Run through Kent
mere, Bancroips tract and the Highland,
| TO Mt. Salem.
There are many persons who, In the
face OF these projected Improvements, will
say that they are all for the bepfilt Of
the wealthy, who can afford lne turn.
out, A second thought will ahoM thai
this is ee.fsh end contracted view. Nc
Improvement can be made OF this kind
that will not be more of 4 correspondiDa
benefit 10 the masses OF the people. The
wealthy, Of course, will enjoy their costly
turnouts, but there Will be many Other
ways In which the masses win enjoy
themselves also Fairmount Park is
fair exempllheation OF that
The frat permanent improvement, how.
ever, to which the Park Commissioners
will devote themselves will be the grad.
Ing OF Kirkwood Park, In tho east part OF
the city. 1t lie intended, as soon as there
Is some money to spend, TO grade 1t, lay
IT out 10 walks and plant Il with shade
trees, there being no trees upon it like
there are In other parks OF the city.
The erection OF free bathing houses on
that part Of the park bordering on the
Brandywine is contemplated during the
coming summer.
| Everything, however, must be meas,
ured by the appropriations made for park
Improvements. The more money the
more improvements, and then the tax
payers say the more money the more
taxes. This Ia all true, and Of course nc
improvements can DO made In direct op-
position to the will Of the people. Fair
mount park was not finished In q year,
is not finished yet, neither will 1t be fol
many years to come, and the same
gradual rule OF Improvements will apply
to the parks Of Wilmington.