The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-01-12
THE "NELLlE TREE"

6om00taG. story C00noceo0 Win OnO %
the Elnns Of Prospect Park.
People who are accustomed to visit
ing Prospect park, IS well as the Of
ficials and employees of Brooklyn's
great pleasure ground, are wondering,
says the New York Tribune, what has
become Of the little silver plate which
marked a tall, graceful elm tree in
small valley on the Flatbush avenue
side cf the East drive. The plate bore
the name Nellie" and there is . ro-
mantle story connected with it. The
tree itself is one of the landmarks in
the park, and the driveway which
passes it runs through what is known
as Battle pass. During the summer
time it is one of the most beautiful
trees ir the park, and thousands have
admired. its graceful foliage, and for
many years attention has been attracted
to the tree by the plate which it bore.
The name referred to Miss Nellie
Howard, who some years ago was
reignine, belle on Columbia heights.
Her friends and admirers were counted
bv hundreds, and her ACCOMPLISH
ments and beauty made her leader in
social circles. Mrs Howard and Nellie
were in the habit of taking long
drives in the park when she was
girl, but she never passed the tree with
out speaking of and ad1niring its
beauty. Her affection for the old tree
ripened as she grew older, and almost
every bright day in summer she would
insist upon driving around to the tree
and spending q few minutes beneath
it's spreading branches. When Nellie
went to Europe about ten years ago
she visited all the capitals of the old
world, but in all the interesting sights
she saw in all her new experiences she
said did not forget the stately elm IN
Prospect park, and in every letter to
her mother made inquiries about it.
When she was about to return home
she was stricken with fever while in
Rome and even during her illness her
throughts were constantly with her
stately and silent friend in: the park.
and her last words to her companions
were about the happy hours she had
spent under its branches. Ncllie's
death greatly shocked her family
and friends in Brooklyn, but her heart
broken mother felt herself drawn more
and more to the old elm in the park,
until she became convinced that the
spirit of her departed daughter haunted
the tree. This feeling finally led her
to apply to the park commissioners for
permission to set 3 plate in the tree.
This permission was granted, and in q
short time the plate was placed in posi-
tion, and the elm has ever since been
known as the Nellie Tree" This be-
lief of the affectionate mother was .
great solace to her, and at frequent in
tervals she journeyed to the tree, where
she believed her daughters spirit had
found resting place, and passed q
silent hour under the branches her de-
parted loved one thought SO much of.
Now the plate is gone and no one
connected with the mark is able to
give any solution OF the mystery OF its
disappearance. The general opinion is,
however, that the nails which held it
to the tree had become loosened by the
combined influences of the weather
and the growth of the tree. and the
plate dropped OF and has been carried
away by some one, who neglected to
return it to the proper authorities OF
the park.