The herald., 1894-01-12
PARK COMMISSIONERS.
A TYPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF ELYS-
IAN PARK ORDERED.
Interesting Comm unicatIon by superin-
tendeut Le Grand as to Its Value.
Ths Mayor f-equests Work
for Unemployed.


ney. Captain Cross and Joe Mesmer
were present.
A communication was received from
the City Water company with reference
to the connection of water pipes in Ely
sian park with the company's maine.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Pin
ney and Hubbell was appointed to in
vestigate the matter.
A request was received from the city
treasurer asking that all demands for
labor in the park department be 0 KID
by the commission before presen tation,
and that the secretary be present in the
treasurer's Office to identify the men
when the demands are presented. Re-
ceivsd and filed.
A communication fiom P. G. Good
rich asking the commission to purchase
two American bison, was ordered re-
ferred to the San Francisco park COM
mission.
The secretary was directed to commu-
nicate to the fire comm ssioners the de-
sire of the board to have manure from
the different engine houses taken TO
the different parks where the foreman
may direct.
The plans and specifications of Hugh
Todd for new boat house and band
stand at Westlake park were accepted
and the secretary directed TO advertise
for bids as soon as Superintendent of
Buildings Eisen shall have approved
the plans.
The following communication wac re-
ceived from Mayor Rowan:
would respectfully recommend that
you anticipate the work on the parks
that is necessary during the coming six
months so that the same can be per-
formed in the next two months, in order
that those Of our residents who are now
in need OF employment can be furnished
with work for the support of themselves
and their families. IT. E. Rowan,
Mayor.
The superintendent WAS requested to
look over the work and see what can be
done at the present time.
Superintendent LIE Grand presented
the following communication, which
WAS received and filed and Its publica-
tion by the press requested:
At your last meeting a proposition
from surveyors was made to you for the
making of Typographical survey of
Elysian park, the same to be reproduced
into plan in relief made of plaster,
showing the exact elevation OF every
part of that park, the hills, the valleys,
in fact all the sinuosities OF the land.
| could not too warmly recommend
the adoption and the execution of euch
plan, which 10 really OF great necessity
in order to work intelligently and econo-
mically.
Such plan IN this office would give
this board a constant opportunity to re-
fer to it whenever any improvement is
contemplated or going on. At glance
you would see the whole 500 acres and
you would soon be acquainted with
every portion of it.
There should be two such plans, the
first one would show the land without
any improvement, the second should be
the park when complete, and indicating
with appropriate coloring the contours
of the boulevard and other drives. Also
the paths already graded into the plaster
of this plan, with the groups of trees,
the various play grounds and buildings,
water works as we'll as the lakes, water
falls, rockeries, etc.
In making the drawings of a park,
small or large, we must not only take
into consideration, and study in all their
phases, the attractive features already
existing or those that can be created in
side of the park, but we must also look
outside OF its limits, cast our eyes on
the surrounding country far and near,
to see If we do not meet some points of
interest that we could incorporate in
the landscape.
In the case of Elysian park nature has
been very lavish. On the north, south,
east and west are numberlese scenes,
even one OF which would be great fea-
ture in less favored country.
We must make sll of these attractions
a part of Elyeian park. Some will be-
seen from the tops of the highest hills; !;
others through the openings of the
cafions. But to arrive at this the most
prominent points have to be located on
the ground and reported on the map !;
the drives must be designed to lead to
those points where vistss will radiate
toward the main features outside of the
park the groves of trees must be judic-
iously located where they will not be an
obstruction. Their size, growth, color
OF leaves and flowers must be studied,
and the different kinds must be grouped
intelligently so as to avoid too much uni
formity and make whole agreeably
diversified.
The proposition before you will, if
adopted, be the greatest factor in making
this park we'll combined one. 1t is
very scientific, also the most practical
way of working with certainty. If done
at present it is a comparatively easy
work, but later it would not be because
the trees will make the work much
slower. Many of them that have been
set out at so much expense will have to
be cut down to make the roads open the
vistas, etc.
On motion Edward Lowndes was
employed at Sc per day to make a topo-
graphical map of Elysian park, and to
secure his assistants from the city en-
gineer's Office.
On motion Messrs. Croes and Mesmer
were appointed committee to see
about getting telephone for Elysian
park.
The meeting then adjourned.
Bold Bad Burglar.