Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-30

she purchase of lands, about fve-sixths mas been devoted to parks within the linn its of the city. There are several reasons, however, apart from the difficulty of find ing unoccupied tracts why tho commits sion has not confined itself to such To- cations. It is mistake to suppose l that the laboring people derive but
 There is positive benefit to them both aud morally in being drawn oc- sionally away from their narrow and crowded city life into the broad expenses and free air and inspiring views which na- ture supplies in the country, even if it be at the cost of some little bodily effort. Even such bodily effort is unnecessary at present in order to reach most of our sub urban parks; and it soon will be unneces- sary as respects all of them, as street car lines are extended and established ready to transport thousands of weary laborers daily to the broad seaside or the breezy mountain top for rest and rec
 reation. For sanitary purposes alone, spacious suburban parks are indispensa- ble to every large city, so that even if our population should cease to grow the com paratively small sum which has been used by the park commission for outlying parks is abundantly justified. But when the rapid expansion of the city on all sides is consid- cred, when we know for certainty that in a very brief period these now outlying parks will be in the midst of thickly set tied streets, the importance and value of their acquisition is more strongly apprci- ated To illustrate this let us recur to the changes that have already taken place in New Haven within half a lifetime. In 1840 the population of New Haven was about 14.000, and outside of the nine original squares it presented the ctr vii
 Barber's Historical Collection, published in 1888, thus speaks of the state hospital building, which had been erected a short time previously: f'It stands on an emin- ence, southwesterly from the densely part of the city; commanding an excellent view of the town and harbor and Long Island sound. together with the distant ridge of hills which appear to skirt the horizon on every side except that bounded by the wa ter'' Fair Haven is described as "a fourishing village situated about two miles east of the court house on both sides of the Quinnipiac, containing about l, 1000 in- habitants. At that time the region be- tween Olive street and Fair Haven was practically open country, except for few houses scattered along the banks of Mill river, which went by the name of Gainesville. Whalley avenue and Dixwell avenue above Broadway were country roads, with only here and there house, all the way to Hamden church. From Wooster square, or the New Green, as it was then called, to Brewsterville on East street, there were hardly twenty dwell lings. Beyond "Halleck's castle," at the Cedars, and on both sides of Howard ave- nue to Oyster Point, stretched wide, un- occupied plain of more than sixty acres, which, even as late as about thirty years ago, was offered to the city for $30, 900 for public park. The offer was refused be- cause the location was so far out of town, and the park commission has recently bought about ten acres in the least valu- able part of this same land for $48, ,000. Fifty years in the future are no longer than fifty years in the past, and those of us who well recall the appearance of New Haven in 1S40, re- alize how great the changes that even @ generation brings. These changes are now going on more rapidly than ever before, and the time is close at hand when the city will push it's crowded streets across our bordering rivers and up our encircling hillsides and along our now unoccupied seashore. Our children and grandchildren will reproach us if we neglect to provide for their necessities while we have the opportunity. It will always be possible to buy up blocks of buildings and to make public squares and breathing places with in the present city limits by the payment of sufficient money. The city of New York is doing this now in it's most crowd ed portions. But the broad acres of hill side, the forest groves and the long stretches of sea beach which now exist, if once leveled and denuded and wharfed over are gone forever.
 The value of park, both for health and pleasure, is proportioned to its dimensions and the great difference in area obtainab1e for the same expenditure as between city squares and suburban parks, is an ad- ditional reason for a timely purchase of | the latter. Thus for $126, ,000 so far ex- pended by the park commission within the city limits present available space of barely sixteen acres has been which cost 5000, hardly two acres have as yet been created by filling. The Chapel street park cost $25, 1000, and here | there is about the same available area at present existing. The park at Oyster Point, which cost S4S ,00O, contains possi ply ten acres, including three or more of marsh. Clinton Avenue park in Fair i Haven was extended by about two acres at a cost of nearly $7,00O. All these expen- | ditures were judicious, because in the | course of years these parks will grow l into dimensions sufficient to justify their purchase and the equally large sums that must yet be spent to expand them.
 But twenty or thirty years hence, when
 the now suburban parks will be well with
 in the city limits, our children will in
 comparison more applaud the foresight
 which has secured for all time at Morris
 Cove forty acres of upland and half mile
 of sea beach for $15, 1000. Fifteen acres of historic hilltop with beautiful
 grove and splendid and widespread
 landscape at Beacon Hill for s5.O0O
 and over 200 acres at West Rock, includ- | ing Judges Cave and miles of drives and
 mountain scenery which even East Rock
 park cannot surpass, for about S1O,00O.
 While on this subject of cost it may be
 interesting to compare the amount of e1-
 penditure and the result accomplished by
 the Now Haven park commission with the
 expenditures and results in other places.
 Albany has spent $1,500,000 for 105
 acres of public land, Boston $6,000,00(
 and proposes to expend s3,0OO,0 ,0O0 more
 Worcester possesses 1,2S1 at cost of $1 200 per acre. Rochester is negotiating
 8 loan of $900, 1000 for park purposes and
 Hartford inspired by our example is talk.
 ing of borrowing $500, 1000 for the exten-
 sion of it's park system. These are only 6
 few of the examples of the way our sister c1t1es are pressing forward 1n competitor
 and we ought not to be behind. New Haven now leads the list in the right to the name of Park City," having got the better of our successful rival, Bridgeport, which has been heading the list. Boston boasts of an acre of park for every 200 in- habitants, New York one to every 375, Chicago one to every 274, we an acre for every 100. Many of the cites have their park grounds occupied by the wealthy, but we have almost no private villas sur rounding our parts and the fine locations are left as they should be, for the people,
 Every part of our city has it's own large pleasure ground. Can we imagine finer | drive than that beginning at the old light house and extending through Fair Haven to West Rock, with glimpse of Maltby park and through West Haven to Savin Rock-the proposition of ex-Mayor Lewis and may he live long to see it completed! Hearty applause
 There are also many places which are eye-sores now, but which may not only be I removed as such, but converted into the most beautiful surroundings of the city West Meadows will form one of the finest parks in the vicinity and an adornment to the city for all time to come. The ex- penditure will be amply repaid by the value to the city as an attraction, not to mention the beauty, means of recreation and sanitary benefit. Extravaganza should be discouraged, it is true, and all things should grow slowly and naturally.