The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-15
HAMILTON WILDERNESS
Shocking Condition Of What
Was Once a Lovely
Pleasure Ground.

Some years ago Hamilton Park was one
of the most beautiful places of recreation
in this city. Its pleasant shady walks,
fine trees and green verdure made 1t very
popular, and on any fine summer day or
evening the park would be rowde with
pleasure seekers young and old. Child
rem delighted to revel in the beauties OF
the park in the day time, and in the even
ing the freshness of the scene had the
effect of drawing thousands of poor tired
laborers and t~heir.families who were glad
to escape the hot and unhealthy air OF the
tenements. The park was to the poor
people in the neighborho0d q god-send.
But all is changed. Hamilton Park is
now only q park in name. From year to
year it has been falling lower and lower,
until now it seems to have reached the
climax of its descent, and it looks more
like a barren wsste than o popular peas,
ure ground. The change has been viewed
with regret by the respectable people IN
the neighborhood.
CHANGED FREQUENTERs.
While at this season, some years ago,
thousands of children, some in charge OF
nurses, Others just old enough to take
care Of themselves. could be seen on al
most any afternoon enjoying and being
benefited by the pure and wholesome air
of the then green and healthy park, the
number who frequent he apology for q
park now are composed of overgroWn
school boys. who pay no heed whatever
to the weather beaten signs to keep OH
the grass, and play baseball, making the
park dangerous to the life and limb OF
children.
But it is in the night that the greatest
change has taken place. Tramps from
all parts of the country and of every
species and nationality occupy the
benches to the exclusion of respectable
people. A few years ago a reputable girl
had no compunction about going through
the park with her escort and sitting, Pc
meath one of the splendid old trees which
are now but a memory of the past, but
now any respectable girl would be
highly insulted if she were asked to even
walk through the poorly lighted desert.
/ paid q visit to the park last night.
The night was not an suspicious one and
not calculated to beautify the park to
any extent. 1t was raining. But just
wanted to see the place in its true colors.
knew all about its frequenters.
THROWN AWAY.
The walks, which, / understand, were
laid about two years ago at a big ex-
pense, are abominable. The quality of
The material used resembles coal dust,
and after q heavy rain storm 1t is almost
as bad as the proyerbial Jersey mud"
Thu cutters along the sides OF the walks
have all been choked up and they are ut
terly useless.
Enclosed in an iron railing in the centre
OF the park is the fountain. No water
has flowed from the fountain during the
past two years, II all because OF a stop
page in the basin which, | am informed,
could be repaired for a few dollars. The
basin is completely filled with cigar butts,
old shoes, tin cans and other rubbish.
This fountain, which was formerly one
of the features of the park, is now an eye
sore.
Oh, THOSE BENCHES.
And the benchesl What ramshackle-
looking affairs they are. They look as If
they had never been painted. They are
actually mustv. There is one redeeming
feature about the benches owever They
are few and far between.
1t seems as IL every tramp In the city
wanted to immortalize himself, as the
benches are all whitfield into initials or
fools names. One of them in the lower
end of the park is known as the Trick
Bench owing to its propensity to col
lapse when anybody sits on 1t. The
tramps avoid this bench.
learned that the reason of the benches
being SO scarce was because they had
been left in the park all winter and sew
eraI had been burned at election fires.
Nothing else could be expected. In
former winters the benches were stored
until the summer season.
The grass is in fair condition, but this
is not through any pains taken by the
park keepers. Several of the branches OF
the larger trees have been blown down
and lie strewn about the grass. There is
no attempt made to enforce the order
about keeping off the grass. AT the diff
ferent corners there is a wire barrier sup
ported by a few sticks, but it is only a
mockery, u pedestrians who are in a
hurry home make a thoroughfare of the
grassy section.
DARK N DISMAL.
H Zine nf the rpn1iaifas nf a wall QnndI1rf-
ed park is that 1t be well lighted.
Hamilton Park possessed this requisite
a fcw years ago. Gas lamps were erected
at intervals, n they gave light enough
to insure safety and propriety of conduct.
Now there is not a lamp in the park, and
in some places on q dark night a person
can scarcely see his hand before him..
This may sound like an exaggeration, but
it is true. The only lights in the neigh
borhood are atJersey ven and Eighth
street, ono in front of the Park Reformed
Church and another on Ninth street.
Ihaye here outlined just a few of the
principal defects of Hamilton Park. 1t
can with little expense be made one of
the handsomest breathing spots in the
city.
Its direct surroundings are excellent.
Nothing but gross neglect and jobbery
have reduced it to its present condition.
The city government has a rare chance to
do the people a service by ~remodeling it.
1t should be properly lit, new benches
should be supplied. Weeds and dead
branches should be cleared away, and the
walks and drains put in thorough repair.
Then, if efficient police protection were
most popular resorts in the city.