San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-09
SCHMIDT TALKS
About the Parks as wei as Himself.

About the Parks as Well as Himself.
To the Daily Light, ~
Great misapprehension having been
created In the public mind, and an in
justice done me and my former CO.
employees es city gardeners under the
present administration, which, II left
without correction, may conduce to our
injury. respectfully solicit the priyi-
lege of using your columns in our vim
dication.
On the Sd Of April last was appoint
ed city gardener and took charge inn
mediately Of the parks of Main and
Military plazas, which found in exc
cradle condition. Without any assist
ance whatever / gave attention to both
parks, trimming hedges, bushes, cut
ting grass, and doing all the other
work necessary to be done therein.
AS soon as I had succeeded in putting
the above park In good shape, I was
instructed to trim the hedges in Travis
park. having now the assistance Of Mr..
Mills, and was subsequently ordered
with him to San Pedro springs, where
we were engaged three and four weeks.
No dissatisfaction was expressed by
either the mayor or the chairman of
the park committee with our work so
far However thefplaza parks, being
left during this time without attention,
had again reverted into bad condition,
I respectfully submit that the work
done by myself alone and by myself
In conjunction with Mills up to the
day Of our discharge was all that could
be reasonably expected of a force so
inadequate to the ground TO be COW
cred.
When Mr.. Mahncke took charge of
the parks as chairman OF the commit
tee he informed the public through the
Express that he had discharged several
gardeners and put on competent one,
and that the beneficial results was i'm
mediately apparent-permit me to ask
how he could discharge several when
there were but two employed? Also
what in fact constituted the competent
one employed to. take the severals
placer. The zone" is found to be seven
which, with the two already at work
at the springs aggregates nine men.
In addition there were two horses en-
ployed and four or five. prisoners put
in requisition every day for the work
formerly attempted to be done by my
self and co-employe. The competent
gardener Represented by the fourteen
or fifteen men above referred toy en-
ployed by Mr. Mahncke, / find to be
constituted as follows: / pot marker,
and brieklayer, 1 stone cutter, halter,
1 ex-soldier, 1 farmer, ] clerk, bar
tender, Mexican.
Even with such a gang it would not
be unreasonable to expect a better ap-
pearance in the parks than during our
employment, but I most strenuously
deny that such is the case and defy
the production of disinterested evil
dence to prove the contrary. On the
other hand can produce substantial,
disinterested citizens, capable of form
ing an opinion on the subject, that the
work now being accomplished is ut
terly unsatisfactory as compared with
that done by us, small and inadequate
as was our force. If aSse gentlemen of
the city hall will for the nonce confine
themselves to the truth this assertion
cannot be denied even by them.
In conclusion. Has His Honor pro-
vided for all his friends that he has
found it necessary to permit the en-
ployment of supporters of his erst-
while opponent, Mr.. Elmendorf, or is
it that he thinks there is better timber
in the latter than in the former, for
we know it is the proud boast of His
Honor that he never forgets his friend?
1 will also say that some of His Hon
or's friends will never forget him.
The employment Of Mr.. Elmendorf's
head gardener is virtual acknowledg-
ment that the parks were all right
when Mr.. Callaghan took charge. Re-
spectfully. A. SCHMIDT.
INTERESTING MARINE STATS