Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-28
PLEASANT PLACES.
What the Peoria Park and Drive
System Affords.
%. ]. sEARLE's OBSERVATIONS.

A suecessfal and Profitable Scheme Which
Comes Within the Range Of Rock Islana
and Moline Possibilities. and which
Should BE- Taken Advantage or.
On the return yesterday Of States
Attorney c. J. Searle from Chicago,
whittier he had gone from Peoria,
where he, in company with others of
the Joint committee and other citi-
zens from Rock Island and Moline,
had inspected Peoria's park system,
an ARGUS representative called upon
him to get An expression of his
views derived from his trip. Mr..
Searle was the only Rock Island
member of the committee accom-
panying the party. and he said: Il
was very glad I went. for We re-
ceived princeIy treatment by the
park commissioners and other off
GERS, and n%otwithstan aing the oddity
Of inspecting parks in zero weather,
we had q royal good time. We
visited Glenn Oak park, Peoria's
only completed park. containing 100
acres and located just outside the
city limits on bluff ground, $50 feet
above the river (.bout 100 feet higher
than our bluffs) and overlooking the
city, giving q most magnificent view
of the Illinois river valley-blufs on
either side and the city nesting in
between. While the park commits
sioners, as / think very wisely, de-
cided to establish q system of parks.
four in number, around their city,
thus giving ready Gee to all parts
of the city. and intending evenu-
ally to connect their parks by boule-
wards, they also wisely adopted
the plan of completely flashing one
park before undertaking the i'm
provement of all at once. so that the
peop'e would be deriving almost the
full benefits of their improvements
as they expended their money. They
improved Glenn Oak park in less
than Is months, an unprecedentedly
short time. The surface of the park
is for the most part very broken, and
diversified by field and valley. 81.
though they had q little over II
acres of level land, which they
utilized for q play ground, foot ball
base ball, driving park and a fiu'
half mile bicycle track. all very
worthy and popular features. They
built, at q cost of $25, 600, q very fin,
pavilion, much finer than the pavil
Ion recently burned out at tn
Watch Tower. There we we're re
ceived and did, with o zeal born o
exercise and good, cold, fresh air
partake Of a splendid repast, as thu
guests OF the park commissioners
Another highly interesting feature e
Glenn Oak is the palm and ferl
house and attached green houses, il
general design and appearance pat
termed after horticultural hall at tn
columbian tair. 1t was quite
pleasant transition from zero OUTSIDE
to the moist tropical climate inside
seemed as if we had been suddenl,
transplanted to equatorial regions
and this feeling was intensified b,
inside appearances, beautiful an
stately palms and ferns, banana
orange. lemon. fig. pomegranat
bearing, pepper and other tropics
trees. eccentric and handsome OF
chides in full bloom, tropical an
luxuriant moses and ivies, q beau
tiful pool fed by rocky cataract
covered with strange flow ering waite
plants. in which darted hisher an
thithsr the always attractive gol
fish.
Pleasant -Recolleotions.
1--WE saw the remains of tn
flower beds throughout the parl
which We could judge had bee
very fine aad ornamental, an
which will soon be filled with tn
plants, they are already propagatin
lin the aforesaid green houses. The
, also have provided q running strear
and fresh water lake by means Of q
artesian we'll at small cost. and i
general have fully supplied the Who'll
park with elegant shady drive ways
walk. and bicycle tracks, picni
icrounds and the like. making it q
lin all an ideal place for good, mora
healthy enjoyment and recreation fc
the people. and by the way. thi
park is so located that it can b
reached by electric street cars frol
any part Of the city for a scent fart
"There are three parks: Bradle
containing 1856 acres; Madison. 9
acres. and South park, 10 acre.
The Bradley park tract, worth abou
e3. 900 per acre, was donated by Mrs
Lydia Bradley. q very wealthy. chal
liable and public-spirited lady q
Peoria, whose benefceut exampl
might perhaps be followed by som
of our weslthy and public-spirite
citizens. 1t 10 their design to MAX
the leading Characteristic feature
Bradley park, water and aquatic q
fractions. They got their inspir,
ton from the Worlds fair, . Ion
and broad valley permitting the fol
NATION of o chain of beautiful lake
having . combined area Of about
acres. taken in connection with tt
surrounding bluffs str ngly resent
ling the world renowned Court
Honor From the completed draw
tings of this park, We could see tbs