Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1894-07-17
The CITY PUBLIC PARKS.
IMPROVEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN
MADE AND THOSE CONTEMPLATED.

The City's Breathing Spots slowly TAX
ing shRpe-Chief Engineer Wilson Re-
ports Progress, Although tho Small
Appropriation Renders Any Great
Changes impossible.
II there Is one thing more than
another that the city OF Wilmington
should be, and Is proud Of. 10 Is her beauti.
ful parks. For these breathing spots nature
mas done much. art comparatively little.
The act by which ths Park Commits
sion was created passed Ia 1881. places In
the hands Of the City Council
the fixing Of the yearly appropriation for
the Improvement, management and
care Of the six parks owned by the city.
and which are estimated TO be worth
S463.000 This body has seen fit to
exercise considerable economy on this
line and the sum appropriated, $4,000.
has been found barely sufficient to
cover necessary expenses aud permits of
but few Improvements
reporter OF the EVENING JOURNAL,
asked Engineer Wilson, of the Park
Commission, what improvements had
been made recently aud what he con-
templated doing TO make the parks stin
more beautiful In the future He said;
1.-The appropriation is not large enough
to warrant many startling improvements
and barely sufficient TO keep up the parks.
pay salaries OF guards, and make a few
minor additions. In Kirkwood, Eden
and West parks practically nothing has
been done further than giving them a
good cleaning and cutting the grass.
In the north and south Brandywine
parks considerable work was made
necessary by the recent food and this
naturally proved a handicap on us The
damages done by the rains have. how,
ever, been remedied.
Now az to improvements made in
the FIRST place some six conveniepces
have been located between Market
street and the upper end Of the parks
two In the north and four In the south
parks The credit for these, however. Is
due to great extent to the water
commission.
For long time have considered the
need Of benches ia all the parks but
not until lately has the commission seen
st to furnish them An order for one
hundred was filed by PHILADELPHIA
irm, Of which half were placed In the
Brandywine parks and the rest in the
other three. On July 3 the need II more
was painfully apparent. and a second
order for one hundred was placed with
NJ Megary q Son OF these some
twenty will be placed on the drive near
Rockford and the balance distributed on
the north and south side Of the Brandy
wine.
Another convenience which was
deemed necessary was the supplying Of "a.
bles for the use Of luncheon and picnic
parties About dozen we're secured and
placed In favorable positions on both
sides Of the river.
'The park drive, from Riddles road
to Clayton street bridge has been Gin
dered and put In good order for travel
by carriage. While the old foot paths
have been cleared and improved and new
paths cut. Several Of the wooden bridges
have been replaced with stone struet-
ures. noticeably on the south side A
six-feet wide path has been opened from
the Washington street bridge to the
north side picnic grounds, which have
been lifted with tables and benches. on
this path couple Of rustic bridges, the
hrst in the park, have been constructed.
y Just north Of these grounds and
vest OF the boulevard, q baseball dia-
mond has been laid out for uGe of the
boys. IL Is intended to also Law ont
tennis courts, both at this point and
also at Lowering avenue near VanBuren
street. II occasion demands. croauet
grounds will also be provided. Ga the
south side the spring near the pavilion
has been built up aud covered In A
natural way, keeping It clear Of dirt and
rendering 4 attractive. The pavilion Is
well patronized, and on the occasion OF
the picnic Of children from Phladelnbis
June 30, frequent comments regarding
the manner In which It was conducted
were heard. Those are about all the
Improvements mare.
Now as TO those contemplated. or
rather which l would like to make had
the money, have submitted plans for 4
horal park on the triangular lot bounded