Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-04-11
INCREASING PARK Areas

Extension In Sire and Number OF tlie Pleas.
ure Grounds of american Cities.
AT the time Of the acquisition If the
nov and extensive parks in the annexed
district provided for ~ an act Of the
legislature in 1884 aud legally acquired
and paid for in 1880 New York city
had only /, 094 acres Of pask land. com
pared with an area of 5000 acres IN
Philadelphia and 1900 IN Chicago.
among American cities, and 8, goo acres
ia Berlin, 5000 in Vienna, $4,000 in
London and l72. 900 in Paris. Tho insult
fieiency Of New York park area had
led to the appointment Of a special CON
mission for the acquisition Of new park
lands. and these were acquired to tho
extent Of 8,S00 additional acres, at q
total cost TO the city Of So 500 000 OK
elusive of the sums paid fer the smaller
parks in the more thiekly populated
parts Ct tbs town. tho last Ct lhese sites
being at Mulberry bend and GAloaas
Hook. With these acquisitions the park
area oF New YORK. Is !: ! II
a similar increase in the gagiS area e
other American cities has been noticed
recently. Chicago has four parks Of moro
than 900 acres eacli--Jackson park. tho
site Of the Worlds faiF; Washington
park, not very far from it, Lincoln park,
in thenorth end OF town, ard Hambolas
park, on the West Side. Cleveland has ia
a short time increased its park area
frem 200 TO 900 acres by the parehase
Of land for small parks i'll six districts
of town. St Louis has park area OF
2. 100 acres, san Francisco 100, aud
Philadelphia 3,i75. The park area Of
Baltimore, which was 200 acres seven
years ago. is now Oil. including Druid
Hill park. one Of the iinestin The United
States. The extension If tho park sys-
tenn in American cities hes been 80 rapid
of late that only four large cities had On
Jan. more than 900 population TO an
acre of park area within their municipal
limits. OF these four cities, one, Cleve-
land, has already acquired additional
park land; another, indianapolis. has
large part fer the use Of its inhabitants
d little beyond the city line and,
third Brooklyn, has commission, an-
thorized by on act of tho legislature IN
1892 TO acquire land for park purposes.
by the annexation OF the former county
towns Of Kings county which arc now
an integral part Of the city of Brooklyn
1870 additional acres have been added e.
the former $50 If park land, exclusive
Of either the Ocean or tile Eastern park
way. The area Of Prospect park Il 528
acres, ard Brooklyn has Besides. half
dozen snail parks, Of which Washing
ton park Is tho largest, The city Of New
ark is behind other American munich
palities il park area, a tletieie8ey which.
1t is said, tho Trenton legislature st this
years session viii be asked t0eelrect by
the appointment 81 a commission With
authority to buy additional iaud.
One legislative condition which Is IA
vorabls to The extension Of park areas in
American cities is tie practice Of pro-
viding for purchases by The issuance Of
bonds to be paid at i future date. and
only The annual Interest % which is 60
be Dat from the proceeds II taxatio5.
81 this means park luAds mag la seeur-
cd without additional burdens upon the
taxpayers uf auy city, aud tagpagers, it
/ is we'll known. arc not at all reluctant
to incur obligations which others viii
| liquidaie. All over lie United States,
in the west as VOL a. ID the south.
where tic facilities for Iarkmaking are
| perhaps better than anywhere else, the
size and number Of parks are being I'M
creased and lhe landscape beauties of
parks developed and eztendsa. Now
I York sun.