New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-04
SMALL PARKS FOR THE PEOPLE.
PREPARING NEW BREATHING PLACES IN
CROWDED PARTS OF THE CITY.

PREPARING NEW BREATHING PLACES IN
CROWDED PARTS OF THE CITY.
Five small parks in crowded part, of the city are
| now under consideration or In the course Vi 'oi
s,ruction Instead Of building houses In the Wilder
ness rs their ancestors did New Workers are touring
down houses TO plant and grow grass ana maze
a breathing place for people who live In s"y'"ie"
tenement houses. .u
| , gang Of men are now working upon the Rutgers
Park which Is at Rutgers Slip Mr. Burns Secre'"r!
n thc Park Department. SAYS it will be coinple'ed
within the next thirty days, in time to Dr. oil SOME
service during the hot months of July and August.
Plenty Of long benches will be the only accommodation
for the present. until the grass seeds have spTo"V'u
and the trees assume the dignity Of sufficient lonase
TO provide little shade.
| The extension of East River Park from Eighty
sixth.st to the Point. on the territory "ihch Is
| bounded east and west by Avenue and the river
| II This NAV be catalogued a small park. VIII not
he completed for a year. The natural advantages oi
the land and the genius OF the landscape sauehei '
con,rving TO make This one OF the pre''e9' po' III
the city, Part Of the expense incurred Dy 'niS "o'"
| is borne by the people. and part by the property
| holders adjacent TO the Site ,s
| Old Five Points. which formerly clalmeu "or'"'
| uid. reputa,ion is TO be made into park For
four wears the Board of Assessments, ana the Judges
| Of the supreme Court who ray the board report
| have been at work fixing the value OF the property
of persons estates possessing lana OF puI"5' III
| the two blocks bounded by Mulberry Bayard ana
| Baxter SIS. The great pile OF records "l eNi"'n'o
submitted By these numerous property Holders III Mt.
re,rv,s office at No. 300 Broadway. Is testimony OF
| the extent the task performed. AT last every one
| who has Ihe smallest monetary interest mas o'c'
.t,fed or given TO understand that IT was the edlct
Of the city that he should abide by the decision "i us
| law makers and the property is ready to he CON
! demned The entire cost of $1.3oO.Ooo VIII iali
unon the city, as the claims Of adjacen; property
holders that their land was not benefited has been
admitted.
| Most Of the buildings in Mulberry Bend are tumble
| down. twO-stOry affairs recking with MIN, III H""H
thirty forty old and given up TO cheap
barber shops fish shops warehouses. liquor shops
Junk shops and similar enterprises while each OF 'he
| four corners accommodates candy shop ana soua
| wafer fountain, where Ice cream comes at cents
| dish and soda water In great bumpers al cents
| glass fruit juices not included. There are lew
tenement houses Of modern pattern. which are so l'
Of Italians and Poles that they are apparently run
ming over" Probably there is not one oil the oluer
buildincs which has not witnessed a murder Ill the
times when Five Points the Mecca OF all American
| criminals. The Mission" came. and converted UT
scattered the criminals for less was heard OF rive
Points murders" thereafter. Then the Italians ana
The Poles came and changed the thieves dens ana
drinking houses into shops and the homes oi Sh"c
string vendors and "pushcart' men, Now II Is Spoheii
o a. the Italian quarter distinction II enjoys WIN
| the rest of that neghborhOOd HEREAFTER IL VIII oe
| Mulberry Bend Park. where the darkeyed progeny
| Of New Works Little Italy may baSk In the sunshine
and timber limbs stifened by the hmahohs VI Il 'i'
| bcrry-st tenement house.
/ The small merchants and dealers who have places
~ husness in the condemned blocks do not view the
destruction Of the buildings over Their heads WIN
| complacency. One Of the soda fountain men spohe
| his mind freely II might be a great advantage. he
| argued. to sit in the proposed park on sunday ana
pf . ma g.
had established his business and secured customers
| Now no would he compelled 20 seek quarters else
| where necessarily at distance. As there were 10
| vacant shops in the neighborhood and consequently
his customers who had been three years In learning
70 appreciate the delicacy and GOODNESS OF his soda
| would desert him.
| The Board of Estimate will appoint two experts 10
consider the value OF Johns Burying Ground dur
| ing the next two weeks. Colonel ;. v X Cruger ana
| : O. Uonghton as experts for Trinity Church Cor
poration owner Of II. JohDs have ALREADY haueu
in their repor,sColone Crugers estimate being 500
600 and Mr. IIouchtons $4,000. 1t frequently
| bappens In instances where property Is TO be con-
| d.mned that the cty's experts make values higher
| than the owners themselves. 81 johnS l. an "lu
landmark. There have been no buriais 'hrr III. Vii
| thirty wears and the adoption Of II as PARK VIII
naks NECESSARY the removal and rcburia OF the re-
| mains AT considerable expense. The pot J., r'rt
anr,lar I'm shape and extends over three bi"hs'
bonded hy Hudson, Clarkson and Leroy SITS \ me
growth of trees supplies such shade as IL wod Take
twenty years to cultivate. ,, . A.. ,oro-,r
| known As Corear's Hook. through special act OF
the legislature II is composed OF three hiock., anu
is bounded by Corlear, Jackson snerTy anu fd fo Inn
proyement and the marbe-yards ana tenement houSS
| which occupy the site will remain undis,urben 10y me
laborers of the Park Department III least uh'i 'he
| Legislature meets next winter.
| >--