The Butler weekly times., 1895-06-06

THE "NELliE TREE"
Romantic story Connected with One 81
the EiIDs of Prospect Park.

the IiIDs OF Prospect Park
People who are accustomed TO visit
ing Prospect park, as well as the Of
ficials and employees Of Brooklyn's
great pleasure groand, are wondering,
says the New York Tribune. what has
become Of the little silver plate which
marked 4 tall, graceful elm tree in
small valley on the Flatbush avenue
side Of the East drive The plate bore
the name Nellie" and there is rO-
mantle story connected with IL The
tree itself is one oi the landmarks in
the park, and the driveway which
passes il runs throagh what Is known
as Battle pass, During the summer
time it il one ot 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 10 Miss Nellie
Howard, who some years ago was a
reigning belle on Columbia heights.
| Her friends and admirers were counted
| by hundreds, and her accomplish
mcntS 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 a
| girl, but she never passed the tree with
out speaking OF and adIniring 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 few minutes beneath
| its 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
Thoughts 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
spcnt under its branches. Ncllic's
death greatly shocked her family
and friends in brooklyn, but her heart
broken mother felt herself drawn more
I
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 hel
to apply to the park commissioners fol-
permission TO set a plate III the tree
This permission was granted, and in {
short time the plate was placed in posi-
ton, and the elm has ever since beer
known as the Nellie Tree This be
lief of the affcctionate mother was ;
great solacc to her, and at frequent in
tcrvals she journeyed to the tree, where
she believed her daughters spirit hat
found resting place, and passed ;
silent hour under the branches her de
parted loved one thought so much of.
Now the plate is gone and no on
connected with The mark Is able T.
give any solution of the mystery Of it
disappearance. The general opinion Is
however, that the nails which held
to the tree had become loosened by tn
combined influences of the weathe
and the growth of the tree, and tn
plate dropped off and has been carrie
away by some one, who neglected t
return it to the proper authorities c
the park,