St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-01

beautiful DluUS U6 QJSHgureQ ana tnC
views over the city be INSTRUCTED by
to,secure wild boulevard all along the
crown of the bluffs, but. as usual,
kickers and insatiate hogs were
on hand to prevent anything
being done. Next IN order
came what is known as the Garfield
Park scheme, which proposed to con-
vert four blocks between German ave-
nue and South Robert street into park.
Some of the property owners appealed
from the assessment, and that scheme
was knocked in the head" by the
courts. Then followed a proposition to
locate a park near eX-Ald. YOerg'S
house, where the old stone house stood.
ftinet the aiderman's approval decided
ly, but nobody could be found who was
willing to pay for the land. The bluff
fronts to the west, having meanwhile, in
the main, been despoiled, built up by
residences or made inaccessible, resi-
dents on the bluff south of Concord and
east of Oakdale avenue hit on plan to
secure in the site the latest proposed
park, between Concord and Prescott
streets, three distinct parks, connected
by boulevard, from which most en-
chanting view not only of the city, but
also Of river and valley to the south is
obtained. Three distinct boards Of park
commissioners have declared this site,
which contains about nine acres of
land, the most suitable for park pur-
poses of any in the city. When tine
park board consisted of eight members
and contained such men as Van SIyke.
Hon. II. f. Stevens, Stanford Newell,
E. A. Hendrickson. Lawyer Eller. Mr..
Wedge and Mr.. Ludden. the majority OF
these members agreed, in spite Of Mr.
Wedges (the West side member) oppo-
Sition, that a park should be located
here, but as 1t took twO-t third vote to
pass on it, the proposition failed. When
the next board of park commissioners
was appointed. Mr.. Dale. who repre-
sented the West side OH the board, took
the matter up again and for the reason
that he owned couple of lots on the
east end of Prescott street he enlarged
the original OHe-block park oy adding
thereto the block opposite his lots and
also extending the site through to Con-
cord street. Mr.. Bredenhagen. the
present representative of the West side
on the park board, has changed the
little, ami with his colleagues Oh the
board is convinced that when
secured and improved it will be
the prettieSt park in st. Paul.
Now. swhere does the opposition
to this park come from, that seems,
Judging from your report of last nights
meeting, to exist OH the West side.
There are in every locality people who
are adverse to refining influences Of a
well kept park, and much prefer mud
holes and water pools in their neighbor-
hood, that will enable them TO raise
hogs and geese, and several of these
specimens of humanity were very loud
and pronounced in their opposition 10
any and all parks in last nights meet
ing. A large number of those present
at last nights meeting want park,
but they want it located somewhere
else-nearer their doors or in a locality
where they could not be reached by
assessments. For weeks some of these
parties had been working to get up a
rousing meeting to deuOunce the park;
everybody was invited. whether he
owned any property Or not, whether he
lived near the park or miles away,
where he could never be assessed. Lot
owners near the city limits, that would
probably not be assessed over So Or IS
fortheir lots, were told that they would
have to pay from $500 to $500 lot, and
might lose house and home if the park
scheme should go through; 9TH
tiSi were loiu liia' tiic pain
would only be benefit to
was the only one that favored it. In
this way they succeeded in creating
good deal of public sentiment against
tllet park, especially before the last cleo
ton. and it was turned to political ae-
count with Il vengeance. Politics,
jelouSy and ignorance are at the
bottom of this opposition. OF the It's or
300 persons in the hall lastAnight more
than half had gone there out of curios-
ity. The presiding genius was the
great reform eX-aldermail," who
turned reforner because EX-Mayor
Smith would not allow him to carry the
''open policy" on Washington street to
the extent he wanted it carried, and
ton promised to allow him to do. He
does not own a foot of property that
would be liable to he assessed for this
park, but then-he wants park near
his house-all in the interest of reform.
DIR. Hawkins. one of the main denunci-
atOrs and candidate for health inspector
or coroner, but not the owner of single
foot of property in the ward; E. E. Nc
Donald, eX-chairman of the Republican
county committee, who has lately
moved into the ward, but does not and
likely never will pay any taxes; Alder
man Harry Franklin, another man
who could not be called upon to
pay an assessment, and few
others of the same stamp were there
to farther their political aspirations
rather than in the interest of the
''downtrodden" taxpayers. Add to
these a few hard-W 0rking, but m!sin-
formed people and a few disappointed
Office seekers, and you have the true
composition of the crowd which met at
Martins hall. Of the people whose
property fronts the proposed park and
who would have the heaviest assess
ments towards securing it to pay there
were but two men present and protest
ing-all others, knowing what the meet
ing was for. stayed away. In all there
were but about seventy-6ve lots repre-
scented, which might possibly in the
aggregate be called upon to yield $50,
while the number of lots that would
likely be assessed for this park numbers
over 5000. The opposition is apparently
consisting in senseiess talk and buster.
1t the park board wants to listen to the
latter, st. Paul will never have parks.
Minneapolis knows better how to treat
these ObstructiOnists, and by so doing
has secured beautiful parks. If any
man is benefited by the purchase
(. of parks at price the board of
public works must fix, he is entitled
to it, and the public will be equally
I benefited, and the assessments are levied
according to the amount of benefit Ger
tain property is supposed to derive
from it. The people of the Sixth ward
should beware of demagogues, who are
always on the alert to obstruct improve
o1ments. If it had not been for these
same men the Iqypa wOuId now ha
!. graded and system of railroad trans
fers in operation On the same that
,wonld have enabled half dozen other
railroads TO come into the Sixth ward,
: where we have now but one. But then
somebody night have made some money
out of the operation. Ask these Shrek
ersi once how much they have contrib
-uted towards building up manufactur-
ing In the cIty.or even On the West side,
and you will find that all the assist
1.ance" they give is to cry down the men