The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-21
uo1k the Blackstone improvement So
sItty Is Trying to Get Dona
II WANTS TO BEAUqIFY THE CITY
11Ans for Splendid Bouievard Right
Away and Eventually for Msgnih-
cent Park to Extend From the Red
Bridgs TO the City Of Pawtucket

This Il an era OF "improve msnt " So
oisties, associations OF business men TO
develop cities, towns, sections Of cities or
1ocslitiea There are such organizations
that represent several interests In this
city, and several that are doing needful
work In the i'm mediate suburbs.
Among them 10 the Blackstone I'm
provement society, which has only been
IN existence n few mouths. but which
has among its members many influential
cisizsns OF the easterlv part Of Provi-
dence. and has accomplished consider
able work. It was organized primarily
Cor the purpose OF securing a satisfactory
layout OF Butler Avenue boulevard. "a ! .y-
out more In accord with the intention
Of its original protector and with
the wishes OF those who hsvS paid the
assessments upon the same than 1t was
feared would result from the lines upon
which the city had begun work.
It has presented to the board OF al ier-
men pssition asking that the tautologi-
ca1 and clumsy name CT Butler avenue
boulevard be changed To Blackstone bou-
levard, and It has secured q change In
The width Of tho roadway that 10 q great
Improvement. Unfortunately the society
was born too late to prevent he adoption
OF the present grade OF the avenue.
Perhaps 1t could not have done
%. anyway. for this grade may have been
3 necessity Of the situation aud the society
modsstly admits that 1t does not accom-
plish the impossible. Yet realizing how
much more beautiful is curved road
way with gently rolling surface than
one OF straight lines and
angles. it seems pity that the
changes OF grade could not have been
made By easy curves rather than abrupt
Anelea This gospel Of straight lines has
already deprived the Inhabitants OF
Peovidence VI larger number of beauti.
full trees that cannot be replaced for .
eensratiou. Both on North street and
Butler avenue. the axe Of the straight
eyed road-builder has been busy. and
among the victims were magnificent
oaks over 200 years old.
Mo Tears 60 shed.
But the society does not intend to waste
time crying over the past Having at last
rot 10 eyes open It means to look out for
the future, and vill labor to secure for
che abort extent of Butler avenue, NJ
least, parkway TO correspond In some
decree with the miles Of beautiful rural
drives which other cities 20 wisely con-
alder necessary.
Ikis also the purpose of the society to
secure river road from Red Bridge TO
Pawtucket, to see that Blackstone park
q properly cared for, and that those
carrying on building operations In its
neighborhood are restrained from indulg-
Ing in such idiosyncrasies as hlling up
its glens with cart-losdS Of waste mate
rial.
Dear to the heart Of this society II also
che hope Of someday securing the " hole
west hank of the Ssekonk, from Red
Bridge to Pawtucket, for park pur-
poses. and with amazement doth 1t
regard the apathy of the city fathers
which exposes all this beautiful territory
% the Danger Of dsgensrating into the
same condition Of offensivsness rs has al
Bssdy ovsrtaken the ater-frontAgs on
this same river below Red Bridge.
The society Is the friend OF improve
nsht and encourages the laying out of
grass plauts and the planting of shade
trees on the public Highways. but its
especial objects are those already named
The Omcsrs.
The officers are rs follows: President.
Alfrsd Stone: vice presidents. Charles
GJVtNuS4s AokoosAhO OOhVss etGaohICfs
Arthur l.. Almy; secretary, Prescott o.
oflcsrs ex-officio, Robert i. Gammell,
william w. Rickard. Henry b.
Gardner. Asa T. Stoweli, Joseph
Eanigap, Abraham A. Gray;
ei1b-committee on southerly portion OF
Butler avenue. Charles Fletcher. w. w.
Richard, A. II. St0wsli; sub-com mmittee
~ rnpthavlw Of n.tlo
Robert L Gammell. Alfred Stone. Rsth-
bone Gardner; sub-committee on Black
stone park. Augustine Jones, Herbert +.
Hinokley. Henry c. Armstrong; sub
committse on Irving avenue. Hiram How
ard. John w. Rounds, A. A. Gray; sps.
o(a) committee on control OF psrkways,
William r. Tillinghsst, Timothy Nc
CArthy, z. Chafse.
The Last Meeting.
The last meeting OF the s5ciety was hel d
last week. Some time was spent in
studying and discussing several large
drawings Of Blackstone park, the pro-
posed river rosi from Red Bridge to
Pawtuckst and the new Butler avenue
boulevard.
The president made strong plea for
proper and artistic layout OF the bou e.
ward, ~ we'll as Of the other property
which the city has already acquired or
ought to acquire in the neighborhood o.
the Seskonk river. 1t was the unanimous
opinion Of ths meeting that
the central portion OF the
new boulevard should be treated
- parkway and not a. . highway, and
the executive committc was authorized to
secure he services OF landscape gar
dener Ia order to advise a. TO the best plan
for its layout. to submit to the cIty au-
thorities to show the public. The ex ecu
tive committee was also authoriz sd to
sign the name OF the society toa petition
for the building OF wall on the portion
OF The Boulevard bounding on Butler
Hospital ~ the grade OF the avenue 10
considsrsbly above tho hospital grounds
d md - nosx lslt L. a. a..,x.-...- - L.