The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-18

the rhododendrOn trees near the park
lodge and talked with enthusiasm over two
great clusters of the deep crimson flowers
then unfolding their beauty
But Mr.. Stow never enjoyed them
again." added Superintendent McLaren
yesterday. HE died without seeing his
favorite flowers, which he used to watch
every day in the year when they We're in
bloom. And that was why we plucked
them and why they were laid beside him. -
From all Mr.. McLaren says of the dead
statesman w. w. Stow, the Park Commits
sloner, was very different man from w.
w. Stow, the political manager of the
Southern Pacific Company.
Golden Gate Park was evidently his re-
Taxation from cares of trying career, and
hobby in which he found much sincere
! qualification.
"His great hobby, of course, was the lake
| which bears his name,' continued the
'"The first big Improvement he took an
interest in after being elected chairman
| was this feature of the park.
| "In the beginning it was designed as
a reservoir, which was badly needed, since,
/ if the pumps broke down, the small reser-
voir could not supply water for more than
day or two. The plan was for reservoir
on the east side of Strawberry Hill. When
| that was finished we began to think OF
| boats and making an ornamental sheet OF
water-a lake answering the purpose of a
reservoir as well. He watched the work
very closely from day to day until it was
completed. The cost was about 60,000
but only for Mr. Stow the park would not
have that beautiful lake.
1.-The aviary took a great deal of his
time, and he delighted in it, too. You
would find him there at all hours of the
day, watching the people who took an in
terest in the birds, and taking delight in
| seeing them amused or interested. If he
heard visitors asking about birds he would
/ volunteer the names and have a pretty
story to tell about them. The squirrel
| house was his entirely. Ii he couldn't see
the squirrels five or six times week some
J thing would surely be wrong. 1t might be
raining heavily when he would be at the
Office here.
"'Well, I've got to see my squirrels, he
would say, and then he'd walk off in the
rain with his pocket full of nuts. He kept
a bag of nuts here for his pets.
HE was beginning to take a great in
terest in forestry-in the trees of the park
! thinking of an oak grove and adding to the
collection of native California trees pines
cypress, fir, spruce, chestnut oak, oak
| juniper and Others from the Sierras.
! He wanted to get herd of mountain
sheep for the parkSthose fellows with bis
horns. The idea was to turn them loose il
| a big paddock at the rocks near the prayer
! book cross Trails were to be cut in the
| face of the rocks, where the wild sheer
could be seen climbing and jumping like
in the mountains. 1t would be move
sight and we shall do our best to get the
sheep to carry out Mr.. Slows plan.
II told him one day that waterfall
could be built on the hill and it would bt
| an attraction.
! How much would it cost? he asked.
said about $25, 900. Then I'll hunt some
body up who will pay for that, he an
swered. In forty eight. hours he had Mr.
! Huntington on top of the hill and got the
money He was always thinking OF suct
schemes as this for the benefit of Colder
Gate Park.
! Concert Valley was selected by him a.
| the best place for music concourse. He
built the new water works, and had elab
crate plans for improving the ground be
tween the aviary and Strawberry Hill anC
the forest west of the hill. When tn,
water company was allowed to lay mar
on Stanyan street, across the panhandle
they had to give 25000 yards of loan to tn,
park for the privilege. Then he got a four
inch water pipe from the Almshous,
when an artesian we'll was dug there, ant
SO secured a large supply that enters tn,
lake without pumping With very few
exceptions he was here every day in thu
year. Certainly he left his mark on thu
park.
''But outside of that he was CONSTANT,
before the Supervisors on park business
and it was he who got the tax limit raise,
from 6 to 10 cents in the Legislature