The evening times., 1896-04-10
SEATS IN PUBLIC PARKS
There Are Only 1858 Evenly
Divided Among Them.
IOWA CIRCLE HAS NONE
Citizens Had Them Removed on Ac-
count of DisOrderly Cat hcrinSs.
Mount Vernon Square Hns B.cn
Cleared of the Tough Element-C"i-
wilson's Opinion.

The pride Of Washington is her parks ana
public squares. They are viewed with
admiration and envy by al visitors to the
! National Capital.
| Their vast domain would make several
| farms IS large : Uncle Sam gives to settlers
| anon ncwly-opencd reservations. More
| than fifty acres are covered with asphalt
| and gravel for walks aud drives. In SIZE
they extend from the small triangular
| plots at the intersection OF some Of the
| streets and avenues to the largest, the Mall
proper, comprising eighty-two acres.
| The most Of these are hi i.hly improve and
cared for at an annual expense to the gov
| ernment Of many thousands of dollars.
| With their streaming fountains, green
| grass plots and shady uooEs, they form t.
| tractiye resorts for The children and nurse
| girls. for the feeble ana iufirm as well as
| for the tired wayfarer.
The total number of Scatsin all the parks
| is 1858 These are divided quite cv";Ily
among the public spaces ia proportion to
| their size. Lafayette and Franklin Squares
have more than others. Iowa Circle Is the
only prominent space not provided with
seats They were taken out several years
ago to NEE, the wishes of residents OF that
portion OF the city, who protested against
heir remaining longer, owing TO the dis
orderly character Of those who frcquentcd
them. u
Some time goan rffort was made Ia have
:hcm replaced. but the same objections were
raised and have prevailed.
The benches i'll Mount Vernon square We're
at one time removed, because ii was SAID
that the element which continually occupied
;hem interfercd with the nurse girls and
their actions We're so ungcntlemanly as 10
make it unsafe for ladies TO pass through
there. Gradually they We're replaced.
Similar objections have at times been
raised against the sctt.cs in judiciary and
other squares
The benches cost the department on 'he
average ahont So each, and every season
about two or three hundred have 10 be re-
paired and painted. This work is now
being done, and is nearly completed, which
accounts for the fact that some OF the parks
nave not their regular number OF seats.
These VIII not he replaced until after the
unveilng Of the Gen. Hancock statue,
which is expected 10 take place some time
during the fore part OF May. A temporary
platform VIII hc constructed about The mon
uncnt, and Col. Wilson, who has charge OF
the arrangements, as well as the supervis-
.on OF the parks, will use the benches for
the participants. After that they will All
ne again placed in the squares, and each
park will then have its full quota.
Every season "A few new benches are
added to the parks, but their number is
comparatively small, owing TO the lack
OF necessary funis. Ii is probable that the
first additions, as sOou as the department
IS able TO make them, will be placed i'll
Smithsonian and Other parks which at
present have few or no benches.
An improvement which is even more
necessary than the increase OF seats IL
hat there should be more lamps. Al pres
mt there are but 4o5 caslights, nearly all
of them with but one burner. which is
scarce one lamp per acre OF ground.
The fountains are being cleaned, and will
be placed in running condition with The
first warm spell.
The workmcn have begun fitting up the
flower beds. and the parks will present Il
more beautiful appearance the coming sea
son than ever before.