The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-04
WHATCOULD BE DONE
By a Public-Spirited Advisory
Board on Parks.
HONOR AND FAME THE REWARD.
What Better Monument to . Citizens
Memory Than His Work In BcAurt.
flying His Native Citys

The mayor has row sen. all Of his nom
nations 10 the city council that do not
come under civil service rules with the
exception o. the park and boulevard ad-
risory committee. This is a body OF five
members. who shall take Office. as stated
In the rev charter. on May J. SO there is
plenty OF time for the mayor TO make his
selections, ard he may need il in order 70
get exactly the right men FOR the position.
as the Inducements held out for such ser
vice are in 10 way allurfng except to the
true patriot with a strong local pride The
charter reads.
The committee shall serve without COM
peEsatson or expense TO the city. and II
shan be Its duty to exercise inspection
over and annually 20 report 10 ard advise
the city council in regard TO the rnainten-
anee. extension. ornamenta;ioa and i'm
proFenent OF the city parks. drives, bou-
ieyards and public places"
THIS committee is rot a new thing but
is the extension and Improvement upon an
excellent plan adopted during the last ad-
ministra;ion. that appointed an advisory
committee 10 the city council for forfnu-
laiinS plan Of the city boulevard system
These advisers were l. y. Halter chair
man: T. H. Dempsey. c. T. Conover. ]. J.
Mciilyra. J. L. Taylor. and ". ID. Wood
secretary. F. N Little. then chairman Of
The parks committee of the house OF dele
gates and a quiet enthusiast on the sub
Ject OF beautifying the city. believed this
advisory board to be OF great usefulness
and influence, although the general public
heard little OF what II did and had proba-
bly, forgotten its existence. Mr. Little
therefore went before the charter commits
sion and asked TO have the idea OF an ad-
vtsory board, not on the boulevard system
alone but on the general ornamentatio
OF the city. formulated and Incorporated in
the new charter. and this was done Mr.
Little was on Monday evening appointed
superintendent OF streets and its ex-officio
member OF the board OF public works. and Is
therefore placed In position in which he
may still assist in identifying the city.
Cieveiand's Parks.
one OF the most beautiful cities in this
whole country. with the pretiiest of parks
and parked streets. is Cleveland. ana
much Of the ornamentation that is SO much
admired by visitors there is the work OF
similar advisory board. To quote from
the second annual report 1894. OF this
board: The agitation In favor OF includ-
Ing in the municipal establishment OF
Cleveland a system Of parks and bcule-
wards which should afford .She residents
or the city needed pleasure grounds and
breathing space, as well as visitors an op-
portunity OF grasping the beauty and i'm
before anything definite or tangible grew
out Of II. a large number OF public-spirit-
ed gentlemen OF the city finally took the
matter under serious consideration
What BOARD Could Do.
Everyone has OF course heard the beauty
OF Cleveland extolled in the most enthu-
siastic terms. and the response in this case
Will be that Cleveland is one of the wealth
lest cities OF the Union. while Seattle is
well. what's the good of an advisory board
when its recommendations cannot be
carried out for want OF funds?
As matter of fact there is a great deal
that an advisory board Of local patriots.
In whose unselfishness the public
has confidence could do. that would
not be done. or done as well, by any paid
organization. Such a board would be in
touch with the people. and the latter
would feel that through them they also
could make suggestions. and thus a gen.
eral interest in identifying their city
would be awakened and maintained
There IS question Jus; now for in
stance. what shall be done with the IN
paved triangle forming the center Of
Pioneer place. letter appeared In the
Post-Inteliigencer making a suggestion,
and Immediately Il was followed by sew
eral others. l. A. Nadeau has talked 10
several about his particular Idea OF what
shall be done with this space. which is to
adorn II with such plants as would i'm
press the visitor. especially In the winter.
with the mildness and rare excellence OF
this northern climate. This shows the
general interest felt In such matters. II
Is a minor matter. OF course but IL Is ius.
such minor matters multiplied all over the
city, that will make II the admiration of
strangers. II more announcement could
be given to the adornment OF prlyate
grounds. the general beauty Of the city
could he added 70 just az adequately. ard
IN far more effective degree than anv
efforts In that direction at the expense OF
the municipality. In the nursery AZ CITY
Park there are nearly a3n0 trees. shrubs
and vines. over S.naa perenniais ard nearly
loo,ooo plants. These the advisory board
could present TO citizens for the adorn-
nent OF their homes and thus an e-r,f--
aEenent and powerful incentive would be
given tn this direction. and pretty lawns
and Strawberries would he the rule and
not. a. row very often. eases In streets Of
neglected sqpaior.
For the Househoider
How the interest would grow from, This
point on Is readily 70 he seen The house
holder. having his grounds in such neat
ness ard beauty that they have become a
matter OF personal pride. would wish the
stree; IN front Of II 70 be in harmony This
would probably lead to all the residence
streets being parked. The roadbed proner
could he cut down 20 thirty feet. leaving
sixteen foot s;ria'on either side for park
i0c ard sidewalks. The width % the road
bed would 10 amply sufficient. and a road
bed ~ thirty Instead OF fgtv feet. would
materially reduce TIRE cost u making and
me cost ~ maintenance. This is given on
Tho authority or g. y Alexander. the re
cert street superintendent
The Cleveland gentlemen. in the reu1rt
.as q
which they decided O. he the one hes,
adapted for achieving tAe ends si-ned AZ.
had As i-s pri0cl-ai feature a large mari,
on The 1utskirrS - The ~t.r tn Each ~ rho
several main sections th~ same % be 50
located that ir case -he fature should 50
determine a1t the reeds Z tire ci-v so
require that such outiytnx uarbs ,,,,f4 IA
readily united ana 0nane-ted i,~ broad
snoothly-pave3 heaievari ear,r Nux thn
rity. thus with 'he parks forsn.as a chain
o, verysure around g."
The Boulevard Plan.
The advisory board that tha ruavo- 81
Seattle viii appoint n.she nick au. some
route that would connect oar pars Tbsv
would he able 90 exert a rrrat Influence
on the PEOPLE along such route 20 .ake an
active Interest IN the work and 20 aonata
little strips Of land wherever such should
- required for maintaining thu contour
81 ~. present houlsvaf3s or foc 1hc max
tnE 81 connections. As g mere sugye stior,
Broadway could be parked and made a
handsome drive All the uav 20 th+ CIV
Vark the same parking aDa avenues az
shade trees running from there 10 aad
through p~nuy park and on 20 rnsa~
rark For AL This comparative Ittia
labor Is required. and " could be done
BIT al a time. the usually most ex persssve
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