Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-11

derer of President Garfield, is on exhibi- tion. But it isn't there. Adjoining this on tho east are Seaton and Henry parks, divided by the Pennsylvania railroad tracks and extending to the Botanical gar dens, which lie at the foot of Capitol hill.
 North and west of the capitol, besides the parks named, are Washington circle, Rawlins square, Dupont circle, Scott cir. cle, Lafayette square, Franklin square, Farragut square, McPherson square, Mount Vernon square, Iowa circle, Thom- as circle, Judiciary square and number of smaller but highly improved rcserva- tions. Lafayette and Franklin squares are the largest and most notable of these, being located down town, almost in the business portion of the city, and containing a larger number of varieties of trees than any other equal area of ground in the world. It is to be regretted that one of these trees, the double Towering cherry in Franklin park, one of the sights of the capitol when in bloom, is rapidly decaying and will soon be thing of the past. Colonel Wilson, however, hopes to perpetuate it through 100 slips which he has secured from the boughs and is now training at the nursery.
 East and south of the capitol are Lin coin, Garfield, Folger, Stanton and Marion parks or squares. The largest of these is Garfield park, south of the capitol, con- taining 24 acres, in which one of the G. A. R. camps was located in1S92. Lincoln park contains the Emancipation statue, and it attracts much attention. In addition to these parks, there are in the eastern sec ton of the city 2S improved smaller public spaces and 100 at the intersections of streets and avenues yet unimproved.
 Plenty of Breathing Places.
 ''Altogether, said Colonel Wilson after he had detailed the above and much more information, there are 362 reservations in the city, comprising a total of 404 acres. Of these, 86, with total area of 247 acres, arc highly cultivated; 49, covering 1O7 acres, partly improved, and 170 covering 40 acres, wholly unimproved. Six rcserva- tions of a total area of six-tenths Of an acre are occupied by railroads under acts of congress, and eight more occupied by railroads and other trespasse -@ without right. These parks contain 13 statues. Washington, General Jackson, Lincoln, Scott Farragut, Thomas Dupont, Raw lins, McPherson, Garfield, Henry and La faycttc"
 The colonel talked enthusiastically of the satisfactory results attending the i'm proYement of the reservations and the de- velopment of the park system, especially in view of the comparatively small expense
 
 parks invariably repay the communities that make them. In the case of Washing ton increased revenues have been derived from taxation caused by the rapid increase in valuc of adjacent lands and from the handsome and costly buildings usually erected in the immediate vicinity of the parks. The effect upon the health and morals of the people affected by these inn provcments has been of the most marked and beneficial character.
 Projected Improvements.
 Ut is conceded that our parks, by the manner in which the improvements are maintained, give evidence of more care than is generally exercised in such work, except when large expenditures arc made. It is believed that a smaller amount per acre is expended in their care and mainte- nance than in any other city where park systems are maintained. But while this is a satisfactory condition of things in it. -self,'' continued the colonel, lit is to be earnestly hoped that congress will evince such an interest in our beautiful parks that they will give us sufficient funds to push to a speedy completion projected and necessary improvements in amanner com mensurate with their importance, not only for adOrning tho Capital City, in which all citizens of the country have just pride, but to furnish an example of simple land scape gardening and park ornamentation that will have direct influence in elevat- ing the taste of all visitors, and may thus eventually lead to the transformation into beautiful parks of many pieces of waste ground adjacent to the cities of our coun- try.''
 One of the projects which Colonel Will. son had in mind was the improvement of fbn rnoIaiSnpH PotnTOnc flats and 11Ditino them by grand boulevard through Rock Creek valley and the National park, al- ready established on the banks of that stream, with the Soldiers home, north of the city The realization of that dream will give to Washington the grandest park system the world has ever known.
 J. B. PARKE.