The herald., 1897-03-15
A PARK CITY

To set apart and improve tracts of
land for public parks is generally con-
ceded to be one of the first duties which
a city government owes to it's citizens.
To give its poorer citizens breathing
place and its Weather citizens and visit
ors a resort for pleasure driving is usual
ly the first substantial work of a
municipality, after grading streets and
building school houses. Such work is
an absolute necessity in large cities,
where a congested population makes
fresh air and the sight of green trees ana
flowers a luxury to the poor and de-
light to the rich. And though the pub
lie parks of the east are only comfort
for seven or eight months of each year
large sums of money are expended on
them, and they are considered as neces-
sary for public comfort as sidewalks ana
street car lines.
The city of Los Angeles has less need
of public parks as breathing places for
overcrowded people than any city in the
United States, although We are now as
abundantly supplied with them as any
city of half mil1on population. We
have less need of public parks than
other cities, because our peculiar ell
mate makes it possible, and advisable,
to make one graIi park of the entire
city, outside of the strictly business CEN
ter. We can grow as fine blue grass
lawns in Los Angeles in January as can
be seen in Central park, New York, in
June. We can grow roses and hello
tropes and fuchsias in February which
will rival the most fragrant and beauti-
full production of Chicago in midsum-
mer. We can grow palms-date palms,
dragon palms, fan palms-along our
sidewalks in such profusion and grace
all the year round as will rival the best
productions of eastern hothouses. We
can make of the whole city a grand
park and flower garden by a little con-
certed work on the part of our citizens,
SO that our own people and the stranger
within our gates need not go to West
lake or to Elysian park to see the beau
ties of nature which these semi-tropc
skies make possible, but they can see
them on every hand.
We have already -embowered cot
tages by the hundreds, even in midwin-
ter; let US have hundreds more of them
We have already stately mansions, sur.
rounded with magnificent trees and
towering shrubs, and trailing vines; let
us have scores of duplicates of them
Every man owning lot and house in
this beautiful city owes duty to his own
family. no less than to his neighbors and
to the tourists who throng our streets
annually, to plant trees and flowers;
and, having planted them, to intelli-
gently care for them, so that they shall
become things of beauty to all behold
ers.
Every great city in the United States
has some speciality for which it is fam
Gus, and it's residents make boasts OF
that one thing. Whatever it may be.
Los Angeles is famous as city of beau
tiful homes and rose gardens. Let lis
be so proud of them that we will coa-
tinually improve them in quality ana
quantity so that we may continue to
rival in this line. The Herald wants to
see more tree and flower planting this
year than has ever been done before in
Los Angeles. Plant especially palms and
roses, to both of which our climate
is peculiarly adapted, and our streets
will in a few years resemble one grand
park, the delight "a tourists and the
home Of contented and prosperous
people.
And then let US have fine parks also.
There can hardly be too much of all
these good things.