The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-24
rortura&a,v Helena has Made no Half.
Way AtteM pts and tho cpportu-
nifty Ia y Great One.

N0f C0HIWAuk pub uCktoStON AA'A '~J 49, |
the other, only waiting to be wakened py
the touch Of genius into the beautiful gem
that she should be and could be. l believe
Helena has never heard of the astonishing
landscape architecture. That's where
I am away ahead Of sister Helena. even II
The girls are scooping all the prizes nova
DAYS. have had the rare good fortune TO
bs intimately acquainted with the mar VINO
by his single efforts made or created
the Renteel profession, Landscape arohitso-
ture. from what had been a common. .
very common, occupation. Landscape gar
OF coutse he must die to become
That's history. Here's q
man who could take these hills. Rulches
and valleys in hand, and by gathering in
the abundance of beautiful and unappre.
oiated raw material thinly scattered over
this bleak region, give you . city that
would be indeed = gem Of the Rockies, and
the pride of America. Why. think OF
it. YOU have many crack teams
and fashionable t%urnouts, but no
roads fit to drive them over. But then
there's no use IN specifying. Helena SIMPLY
hasn't been treated right; that's all: Her
growth ia stunted and stllteds she 10
GEM herself, but her setting is disgraceful.
However, there ia the satisfaction OF seeing
that no half way and ridiculous attempts
at "bsautifying'' have been made as IN most
of the cities. Nothing having been done
there are no bad examples and no quafIels
TO hamper a good beginning when a start
10 made. Take the old Of Boston.
She had been for 800 years admlrlnR her
pet landscape gardeners and tree planters,
when she suddenly awoke to the presence
of this great, modest and profound srtiss IN
New York. She sent for him.. and after
froa{ur nth him for a WAR or two. irving
~ model him over again as a sort OF saorl-
fee for going to him. she placed her land
scaps improvements in his hands. He
found, running through the very heart OF
the city, a fonl. misunderstanding slough
called muddy river, q continual pesthole,
kent contaminated by the filth and refuse
from the harbor, washed back and forth by
the tide. 1t began at the best and most
fashionable point in the city. and spread
ing it's revolving self for miles through an
otherwise accessible and attractive region,
destroyed the value Of many square miles
of land, In fact, it lowered the value Of
ever ilch of property in Boston. You can
now drive for five miles and more over the
most charming parking in the world
which has taken the Iplace OF this same re-
voting slough. A railroad that helped the
slough disngure the place is go ingeniously
and effeotualiy screened or concealed from
view. that although only q hundred yards
away. you do not know 1t.
You can continue this drive for twelve
miles, through the several parks OF the city
and back into .own the other way. All
this has been done in the last ten years in
old Boston. II has been simply the making
of the place. Boston was a blind. struR-
Cling, conceited old town, such as Helena
may eventually become, until that master
mind, with the simple profound laws and
principles which he has wrested from ma
ture, taught her what there 10 in heaven
.-I no,tl that her rhiInaophv had mot
dreamed Of. Let no one suppose that l am
speaking with q selfish interest. am not a
landscape architect. and Frederick Law
Olmstead. now at the age of Il, has on
hand works which will require another life
time to carry through to their ftuit and PEI
lection. No, you could not induce him to
undertake the slow but educating and
unique task Of developing the wealth OF
quiet hardy beauty that belongs to this
town. But the principles and IDEAS he has
nodded could be applied. Every outcrop Of
rock, every knoll, Rulch, irrigation ditch,
listing would be made to do its proper duty
in his scheme of improvement, if
he undertook to produce q sys-
tenn of parks, parkways, boulevards,
bridlepaths and driveways here. This man
is the greatest thinker Of his day, and far
and away the grRndest artist. Go and look
upon Franklin park in Boston. With itt
magnificent sweeping drives, it's wild pic
turesque crags and Lodges of rock, its g ace
full and exquisite lawns and groups OF
ehrubbery. and its glorious backgrounds
1t is absolutely and perfectly beautiful.
The mind that conceived 1t il the greatest
artist of them all. Tue. II ia a little hare
to reconcile ~onesself ut the outstnrt to hi
contempt and neglect of the hot hous
flowers and fancy productions of the land
scape gardener. He calls them "mopstros
itiesh-tLat is, they Il e such when used gu
lA -
long. In short, dear Helena, there is u
art of beauty waiting for YOU, which 10
stranger to your pretty conaeryatofies. you
eeometrical flower beds and you- fine ne
electric roads. He Is a slow, stolit. plot
ding old fellow, but would make you a ma
cot of a partner through life,
Another little stab, M. Editor. TIL
time at yourself. There is a mine of ed
cation and information that has pannt
out in that same Boston town in
way to make you green wi
envy. The correspondence colum
The people there are continually at
They get no end of amusement and intere
ON IL. If Miss Constance johnson in b
rambles discovers a strange plant, aha d
scribes and asks about 1T IN tho inqul
column. Then il Miss Eunice Hardcast
il fu ther along in her botany ttan M
Constance she gives the sought for info
nation in the next issue. If some Catho
turns protestant he talks about ii In t
same column. If John Brown falls throu
rotten side walk in front of Jones' hon
he opens mp in the column Crowded.
course, he is not hurt aud don't sec his W
to a little damage suit. In a word.
sorts of questions and subjects of inter
to all or a part of the community are
bated IN these Lunmlng columns. 7
Saturday Transcript, for instance. the b
newspaper in Boston, is half filled W
these inquiries and replies. II is the !
of the paper. | know of one entsrprisi
reporter whose business it is to fill his sh
of space by keeping up with the times q
writing such inquiries fsigned. say I'VE
tas'') as will provoke discussion and int
est the reading public. 1t would seem Il
a new. thriving and disc iminating CO
munIty like this should have no end of 8
jects needing this free and good-natul
debate. Let the fun begin.
ANDREW AYE