Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-09
ST. PAUL BREATHING PLACES
Beautiful Little Parks All Over the
City.
SEATS BENEATH THE SHADE.
Where Talking Age and Whispering
Lovers Can Rest in Summer
weather-Nature with Her
Hair Combed.
Oasis I'm the City.

st, Paul had parks mere ana tnere, Dub no
park system or park commission until Feb
ruary 25, 1887. Since that time Prof II. w,
s. Cleveland and board OF commissioners
have done great deal toward giving the
sanity city an adequate number OF breath
ing places. Members Of the legislature from
the city get the legislature to pass bills for
the issuance of bonds for park purposes, and
the citizens are taxed n small amount an
nually to provide for the retirement Of these
bonds when due. The park board Is COM
posed Of eight members, who hold weekly
meetings. The largest park in the city, and
that to which the board is giving most OF its
attention, is that at Lake Como. 1t is To-
catsSs.bout four miles from the center OF
the city on three lines of railways. 1t sur
rounds the lake. and contains over two
hundred and fifty.six acres. Two years ago
the city was bonded for $4,000 for
this park, and about $4,000 OF this
amount has already been expended.
The city workhouse is temporarily located
on the southwest forty acres of Como park,
and the inmates are utilized in beautifying
the grounds. During the year they have re-
opened the gravel ridges near the west shore
OF the lake and have filled and reclaimed
about two acres Of unsightly low ground that
was formerlya part of the lake. BY cutting
away the ridges splendid boulevarded
driveway has been built along the shore OF
Jne DGHuUltul llltlG n CuiIiaHO So''
course, 100 feet in diameter, on the hlghest
point in the parlr and commanding extensive
vio,ps In different directions, was graded and
surfaced. The gravel taken from the banks
has been found of an excellent quality for
surfacing, and large quantities have been
used for that purpose. An iron road roller,
weighing 5000 pounds, about three feet in
length and made of three similar sections or
short drums, mounted loosely on q revolving
shaft, has been kept continuously at work,
compacting first the roadbed and then the
gravel surfacing. To make the gravel retain
an unbroken surface under carriage travel u
finely divided stiff loan was placed beneath
the top soil. This also insures freedom from
seed Another course of loan Is mixed with
the gravel and this, when rolled, becomes
cemented together and forms smooth, hard
roadbed that is almost impervious to water.
Surface water IS disposed of through French
drains made by digging pits ana trenches and
filling them with waste cobble stones picked
from the surfacing gravel. In the vicinity OF
the principal park entrance, 740 feet OF vitri-
fed pipe drains and eight catch basins with
iron gratings and side inlets have been con-
structed to receive and convey to the lake
the large quantity Of surface water that
seeks an outlet at that point. To relieve the
baroness of the borders Of the drives ma
tive plants were selected and transplanted
from the adjoining woods to tire borders to
the extent of $500 shrubs and 800 trees.
Among the shrubbery selected were cherry,
dogwood, honeysuckle, roses, plum, thorn,
SulluCk, Hd2cl. ulueT WulIc
linden, etc. 1t is the intention to allow the
woodland borders to run up thick with un-
dergrowth except at few points where
openings will give views to partially cleared
ground fifty feet or more away. or the
trees planted in groups IN Como park are 100
large evergreens, including white and Nor
way pines, spruce juniper and arDor vitae,
fifty smaller evorgreens AGO dccduous trees,
chiefly white maple. but Sn. inc including
sugar maple. In tho parlI nursery there are
550 small spruce trees and a great deal of
shrubbery of different kinds. The season
few Of the $500 trees planted in the park
have been lost.
The building of flower beds has not yet
been begun to any considerable extent. A
temporary propagating house, l1x4O feet in
size, and located as a lean-to against the
southeast end of the old white farm house in
park, has been built Here it is intended to
cultivate bedding plants for the summer dis
play in the park flower beds, vases, etc.
The other parks of the city are still
handled by the council committee on parks,
but will be turned over to the park commits
sion in a short time. Enumerated they are
as follows:
Summe Square, containing 0.75 acres, To-
Gated at Summit and Nelson avenues.
Holcombe Park, O.4O acres, at Laural
avenue and st. Alban's street.
Crocus Place, 0.05 acres, Crocus Hill.
Carpenter Park, 2O4 acres, at the intersec-
Oakland Park, 1.S3 acres, between Pleas
ant avenue and Oakland street.
Webster Park, LA acres, at Pleasant
avenue and Nebster street.
Irvine park, 3.5S acres, at the intersection
of Walnut and Franklin streets
Rice park, 1.62 acres, Fourth and Wash
ington streets.
Park place, O.40 acres, ST. Peter street and
Summit avenue.
Central park, 2.29 acres, Summit avenue
ODDOSitG Minnesota street,
Smith park, 2.O3 acres, at Sixth and Sibley
streets.
Lafayette square, O.so acres, Tenth and
Grove streets.
Van Slyke place, OLE acres near Maryland
street.
Sunshine place, 0.l2 acres, west Of Chats
worth street.
lie Roy place, 0.l3 acres, west of Chats
worth street.
Foundry park, @. .95 acres, east side Of Arun-
del street. north of Como avenue.
Lewis park, O.S5 acres, north OF elevator B.
Stinson park, l.23 acres, Park and Mary
land avenues.
Lyton park, O.32 acres, Park avenue.
Stewart park, l.36 acres, south OF Geran-
Hum street.
Lockwood park, 0..3 acres, west of Forest
street.
Skidmore park, 0.39 acres, east of Ear
street.
Clifton park, O.45 acres, opposite Mound
street
i$dnRlOTu QUO uCTes, uOTuH VI tue
Northern Pacific station.
Hampden park, 2.75 acres, south of the
Manitoba railway.
Merriam park, IN acres, south of st.
Anthony avenue.
Hiawatha park, containing forty-nine
acres, on the east bank of the Mississippi,
opposite the mouth of Minnehaha creek.
The general park fund and the bond fund
are kept separate The original general
fund amounted to 5000, 900, and Sl97 ,6l2 still
remains unexpended. During the coming
year it is the intention OF the board to expent
at least 500, 900 in beautifying the parks o.
the city.
Prof. N. S. Shaler, of Harvard, delivered
an address before students Of that college
concerning the opportunities of career fol
college men in practical geology and mining
He sand he considered the outlook for geolo
gists in this country TO be very good. State
and United States surveys employ about
1900 men, whose salaries range as high a.
5000 year. The first years pay is about
$50 u month and field expenses. The salary
of q mine superintendent in the eastern
states is usually g. 900 TO So 900 ally ear, and IL
the Rocky mountains it is often 5000
AT Harvard the commencement speakers
and their subjects have been announced, as
follows: "Itallan Humanists," IL. IL. Darl
ing, Troy, N. y; "rhe keynote of Keats