The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-14
THE PEOPLES PARKS.
What is Being Done to Make Them
More Beautiful.

Tenth Annual Report of the Commits
sioners.
The annual report of the commissioners
OF cemeteries and public grounds follows
and should be read by all Portland citi
GEMS who are interested in the improve
ment of their city. The report makes 8
showing highly creditable.
To the Honorable City Council of the
City of Portland:
The Commissioners of Cemeteries and
| Public Grounds have the honor to sub
nit herewith their tenth annual report
for the year ending March 81, 1895.
| There was appropriated for the Use oil
the department. of Cemeteries and Public
Grounds the sum of SIS, 600, viz:
Public Grounds, 81, ooC
behring's Oaks, 4,00C
IS, o0C
There was special appropriation o.
one thousand dollars Isl, 000), for CON-
plotting the work at Fort Allen Park, and
it was used for that purpose.
There was also a special appropriation
of five hundred dollars (S500)s for paying
balance due on the new receiving tomb
at Forest City Cemetery and the amount
was paid to E. G. johnson the contractor.
There was also special appropriation
of one thousand dollars ($1, 00O) for Pub
lie Grounds This appropriation was
transferred to the appropriation for Gene
teries and Public Grounds, and five hun
bred dollars {$500D of it was used to
build new fence around the old Eastern
Cemetery. and part of the balance was
used in grading on the Western Prone
nade ~ s.ase
An itemized account of the disburse-
ments of the appropriations placed in our
hands will be found In the Auditors Re-
port, showing the amount of work done
and the cost of same.
Nothing denotes the march Of progress
more positively than the increased atten-
ton given to the health and comfort of
the masses. and happily the result is the
lsame whether it be viewed from the
standpoint Of philanthropy or civic
expedienoy. Auth critics have always
held that parks exert large influence on
the health of crowded communities. and
there are few cities of Importance in the
civilized world that have not had parks
and public recreation grounds for the
gr eater part of their existence. But these
larger parks are usually situated in To-
calities of comparatively light popula-
ton and the surroundings have been alb
sorbed by the class for which the park,
theoretically, was never intended 1t has
been taken for granted that the attrac-
ttions of the park. would draw that part Of
the population most needing such a
change to it wherever its location.
Our public parks are in a certain sense
very diverse in their characteristic feat
ures, Notwithstanding the fact that the
chief efforts in their establishment is to
| impart to them those qualities which like
unto nature herself shall give sense of
| rest, Iefreshment and pleasure to such rs
may pass within their borders. Their
diversity of course comes from the genius
in their design, the ideal worked up to,
and the quality of care AID management
| bestowed upon them in their develop
ment. 1t is on these lines, that such sue
cess in bodybuilding is SECURED as to re-
suit in certain parks attaining a reputa-
ton away beyond local recognition, and
becoming objects of attraction to be en-
| joyed by all coming within their reach
from every quarter.
There are two kinds Of parks one is a
| luxury, and the other necessity The
paving of business street. where prior
to paving the wagons would become stuck
in the mud is municipal necessity. The
transforming of q street into beautiful
driving boulevard, is municipal luxury
| likewise the creation of park that will
| be available asa breathing spot to the
| residents of a crowded locality, is abso-
| lutely necessary to the preservation of
healthful conditions in the city, while
the requirement and improvement of
| large tracts of land that are not available
as breathing spots to the residents of the
crowded portions of city, Is not always
such.
Park making, aside from the scenic
effects to be accomplished, is largely
matter of ordinary municipal house fur
nishing, just as is the providing of suita-
BILE highways, or the planning Of sewer
system, or the furnishing of sufficient pro-
lection to life and property. 1t is, there
fore, a matter to be treated by each
municipality with due regard to the local
need for parks, the local facilities for
procuring grounds suitable to supply
that need, and the financial ability Of
the citizens to pay the price which must
be paid for the requirement. improve
ment, and maintenance Of such grounds.
just as the industrial revolution of the
past 80 or 75years has centralized human
ity into large cities, so must we now
gather the beauties, advantages and bless
ings of inanimate nature into small DOR
tions of those cities. A park, then, must
be something that will furnish to these
COMBINATIONS of population, lin pro-
portionally condensed manner, the essen
tials of life in the country, !. e.. fresh air,
trees, grass, and flowers, and the greater
this density of population, the more
urgent the necessity for parks. ss-s
The history OF the park movement In
American ciries sho rs that civic decora-
tions attract culture and refinement.
wealth and plenty. Park cities are cities
to which money tends. Thousands of
people establish their residences in such
cities because of the added pleasures of
life and of the opportunities to display
their wealth in finely situated houses and
in rich equipages upon the park drive
ways.
DEERING OAKS.
The work done in Deering Oaks dur
ing the spring and summer has been such
as was necessary to put in condition for
use. The Commissioners have given
much thought and study to the treatment
of the walks and drives in Deerina Oaks.
and as the use of them becomes more each
year they require more attention to keep
them in good condition.
There was some permanent work down
in Deering Oaks such as the grading
around the new stone bui lding built in
1894. The grounds around this building
hava been completed and it's appearance
Is thus very much improved. The Com
mlssioners expect the coming summer to
commence work on Grove street, also on
Portland street, with view of making