Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-06-16
Judge Emerson's Grounds Not Open
to the Public.

IRONTON. Mo. June 18th, 1892.
Ed. RegiSjcT-Perhaps the public in
Arcadia Valley is sufficiently interested
in what follows to justify lie in asking
you little space for it in the REGIS
TER.
On my return home from Columbia
a few days ago | received letter from
n respectable lady, in the following
words, emitting the name:
s.ARCADIA, June Sth.
Wr. EmerSOn-I hope you will excuse
this libc. " of writing, but | always
thought you to be Christian gentle
man, and have been surprised that you
would allow crowds of young people TO
90 in your park on Sundays and act as
they do, very badly, girls and boys,
women and men lying around on the
grass, and laughing and screaming.
Plenty Of mothe.s would be shocked if
they knew their girls and boys acted
that way, and you are to blame for al
lowing it. The example is bad and it
is very wrong and doing harm.
Yours, truly, --."
To which | wish to say:
1st. Ny grounds are not a park. :"
They are not public. They are simply
my pirate '.dOOr-yard" or lawn.
ID. I did admit the public to them
for about eight years, under very limit
ed restrictions, and / am glad to say
that during nearly all that time the
visitors. young and old, acted, so far as
know. very properly. During my
official absence from home, matters
grew worse. and complaints Of rudeness
came to me. of no serious nature, how
ever. But this gradually increased,
and the visitors multiplied so that all
privacy of home was lost, and my fam
lily virtually crowded from the lawn
into the house. Thereupon | put up
notices on the gates that the grounds
were no longer open to visitors. This
had but little effect. and I was forced
to IOcL tho gnteS, contrary to all my in
stincts of hospitality and propriety. !
was shocked and mortified at being
Obliged 10 DO so. \ few months later
the locks We're removed from the north
gates and notices put up as to restric-
tons, but they We're often torn off, and
the grounds invaded as before, forcing
Us often to do police duty, up to late
hours. This spring all the gates were
left unlocked. and / hoped that there
would be further occasion for complaint
by ourselves or anyone else, for | stu
cerely desired to leave the grounds
open to visitors.
Sd. | wish the public to know that
we have always disapproved the con-
duct complained of by the lady in her
letter, and, when known to us, have
promptly stopped it, and have, OF
course, given offcnse by doing so.
1t must be evident to all considerable
people that we cannot at all times con-
troll the actions of visitors on the
grounds. If we close he grounds to
visitors we will give offense. And it is
equally true that if we allow matters
to proceed a. they have for the last
few weeks that offense will be given.
1t is also certain that we cannot spend
our time in watching and controlling
these matters. Under all the circum-
stances trust the good people will not
blame me If We absolutely close the
grounds.
And, accordingly, all persons are
hereby notified that Sylvan Lake
grounds will not hereafter be open to
visitors, except to come to the spring
for water, or call at the residence. or
old soldiers of either army to visit the
monument. Respectfully. yours.
J. w. EMERSON.