The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-30
Valuable Addition Proposed
for Park Property.
Purchase OF the Railroad Building at
EImWood to Be Recommended.
Also of What Cheer Cottage-Advan-
tages to BE Derived by the City.

Broad street entrance and the
big brick car barn with its s., 600 feet OF
land. The price asked for the whole
property is but $4,000, a sum much
inal cost to the railroad company.
The barn, alone, was built at an expense
of $4,000 and it is a most substantial
structure, two and half stories high,
with 16-inch walls and floor area
of 150xSo feet. The land cost in
Cheer Cottage cost $4,000 and the
The lease of the city land occupied by
Union Railroad Company buildings at
Roger Williams Park expires Monday,
April Z, and at the Council meeting that
evening the committee on parks will
recommend the purchase by the city Of
those buildings, and also of the Elmwood
avenue car barn and land, just beyond
the park.
This is in accordance with the sug-
gestions in the recent report of the park
comm missioners, and resolution authoriZ-
ing the purchase, growing out OF that re-
port. The committee on parks met last
evening and voted to recommend the
passage of the resolution.
There are three buildings and one ad-
ditional tract of land that will come into
the possession of the city IL the Council
votes in accordance with the recommen-
dation; tho What Cheer Cottage, the
pavilion together with the improvement ts
and repairs that have been necessary have
brought the lump sum up to about $780,
600, more than twice the amount that the
city is asked 10 pay.
The advantages that would result from
this purchase would be of the greatest
benefit TO the city in the development OF
Roger Williams Park, the greatest i'm
portance of course being attached to the
ownership of the barn. What Cheer Cot =
tage would, however, become a source
of revenue for the PARK fund,
ana would probably be rented for restau-
rent purposes, as it is now, only with cer-
tain conditions, one of which would be
tha; it shall be kept open throughout the
year and to make that possible the heat
ing apparatus of the building will be en-
larged.
For the use of the barn the idea OF the
commissioners and members OF the COM
mittee is that the upper floor shall be
equipped for gymnasium purposes, with
-5wling alleys on the second floor, and
stables, storage rooms and repair shops
| on the ground floor. The gymnasium m
and bowling alleys would constitute an
additional luxury for the thousands who
already derive SO much benefit from the
park and they would be open 10 the pub
| lie for a merely romical sum. But the re-
pair shop, storehouse and stable
room is an absolute necessity
| IL the ideas OF the commissioners and the
| wishes of the taxpayers are to be carrie a
| out and complied with, The menagerie has
outgrown its present quarters and the col
lection ofaniinals already acquired IL but
| n nucleus of what IL Is proposed TO make It,.
| IL the car barn Is bought the horses and
carriages will Ike kept there and the pres
ent stable, near the menagerie, will
| be fixed up for the shelter OF the "hav
| animals" :" 10 which class Baby Roger ard
| Rachel belong, and to which there are to
| be a good many additions. These will
| practically double tho room for zoologi-
| cal exhibits and provide for the beasts to
come for some time. Otherwise another
building must be put up and that would
cost $4,000
A storehouse is needed for the boats
which are now carried over TO the old ice
houses every winter. Those buildings are
| soon to be sold, and a place Is u'edsd for tb :