Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-31
ROBBING THE PARKS
Five Hundred Valuable Plants Al
ready Destroyed.
COLONEL WILSON'S COMMEN rs
Inadequate Protection is Given by
Congress.
WHO ARE DEPRED ATORS

The public parks and reservations of
Washington are the pride of the citizens
and their beauty and attractiveness are
mainly due to the plants and flowers with
which they are literally adorned. Col
Wilson, in charge of public buildings and
grounds, has devoted considerable time and
labor to the Improvement of these breath
ing places. and has devoted special atten-
ton to the cultivation of Towering plants
within their borders. The same was true
of his predecessors, but it is no reflection
on them to say that never have the parks
been SO attractive as at present.
Robbery in the Parks.
Within the past two weeks, however
acts have been committed which, If al
lowed 10 continue, will seriously impair
the beauty of the flower beds and ultimate
ly impair the general attractiveness of the
parks themselves. 1t is either the work of
vandals or of thoughtless people who do
not realize what they are doing. The
parks are being robbed of thei- chief
glory, the flower beds, and what makes,
the matter worse is that the authorities
are not able to prevent 1t. This inability
results from the parsimony of Congress in
not providing for the adequate protection
of the property.
Five Hundred Plants Destroyed.
that 500 valuable plants were destroyed in
the leading parks, Franklin, Lafayette
Dupont and others. in the West End An
examir alton showed that 200 of the number
had been pulled no bodily, roots and all,
and taken away. and that the remainder
were trampled upon and destroyed by the
antics of dogs, whose owners did not feel
called on to prevent the destruction. a
citizen, whose attention was called to the
fact that his dog was damaging the plants,
SAID he didn't care; there was no law to
preVen his dog playing among the flowers,
and he did not propose to interfere with his
amusement. He was right; the dog was
not amenable to the law, nor was its owner.
but it is to be hoped that the rest of the
citizens are not acCuated by spirit SO
small that they will allow their dogs to
destroy the ornaments of the parks for
their own amusement.
Inadequate Protection.
The human vandals. however, are not
vested with the same immunity. If caught
they can be punished by fine and inIpris-
orment, but owing to the small force Of
watchmen it is not very difficult to escape
their vigilance. 1t has been patent for
many years that the parks have not lad
adequate protection, and appeals have been
made to Congress without the least sue
cess for an increased force of watchmen to
protect the parks themselves and TO pre-
serve order therein. The force is so small
under the law that only few of the
parks have constant protection. This is
partly due to the fact that the eight-hour
law governs the time of the men. The
Smithsonian Park, covering four acres of
grounds, thickly grown with trees and
shrubbery, has two day and two night
watchmen, and their tricks are arranged
SO that one man is on duty all the time
Too Few Wutchmen Allowed.
The same arrangement is not possible in
the other parks for the reasons stated.
Franklin Park has but one Waterman, and
he can work but eight hours IL every
twenty-four. The same is true of Lafayette
Park, Lincoln, Iowa circle and ueighbor-
hood, Thomas circle and vicinity, Wash
irgton circle, Dupont circle, Stanton square
and vicinity, Mount Vernon square and
vicinity, Garfield Park. the White House
ellipse aud vicinity. and the nursery and
green houses near the monument. There is
a day and a night Waterman in Judiciary
square, and Henry and Seaton Parks, be-
tween the botanical gardens and the Smith
sonian grounds, are looked after by two
day and one night Waterman.
Farragut and Mcpherson squares have
but one Waterman between them. Although
il is impossible under the circumstances 10
have the parks under constant surveillance
Col Wilson has endeaVored TO fix the hours
OF The Vatchmen so that they shall be on
duty during the time they are most needed
Bad boys DO most of the flower stealing
but considerable of it is done by otherwise
reputable people, men and women who Seem
TO See no wrong in Gespoiling the govern
ment flower beds