The herald., 1897-01-22
II Is Inspected by a Number of
City Officials
THE GUESTS OF THE DONOR
Possibilities Of the Large Tract for Park
Purposes Pointed Out
An Eminent Civil Engineer Outlines a
Plan Of Improvement-Should Start
Out Right

The members of the city council, with
the park commissioners. Mayor Snyder
and his clerk, r. A. Todd, yesterday Wis
tied the new Griffith park, as the guests
of the generous donor, Mr.. @. ]. Griffith
The party met at the Tally-Ho stables
onSBroadway. at 2'oclock, where convey
ances were in waiting, and from there
proceeded to the park. They were driv-
en- all over the large tract and the possi-
biIities for ornamentation and develop
ment for park purposes were pointed out.
The party was handsomely entertained
by Mr. Griffith, returning to the city well
pleased with the trip.
The following gentlemen were Mr.
Griffith's guests: Mayor M. p. Snyder,
Councilman F. M. Nickel, Councilman
Fred Baker, Councilman q. d. Mathuss,
Councilman Herman Silver, Councilman
C. H. Toll Councilman l.. M. Grfder,
Councilman James Ashman. Councilman
Edward Hutchison, Councilman E. l..
Blanchard, City Attorney w. r. Dunn,
City Engineer j. Fl. Dockweiler. City
Clerk c. Fl. Hance, City Treasurer w.
A. Hartwell. Mayors Clerk r. A. Todd,
Park Commissioner G. II. Stewart. Park
Commissioner r. j. Waters, Park Com
missioner W. II. Workman, Park Com
missioner M. Teed, Secretary of Park
Commission Mend,enhall, Superintendent
of Parks Carey, Sheriff John Burr Su-
pervisor w. l.. Woodward, Supervisor
r. f. Wirsching. Supervisor f. S. Field,
Supervisor A. f. Davis, Supervisor
James Hanley, Clerk of Supervisors C.
w. Bell, County Surveyor e. T. Wright,
H. w. Patton, Capital; b. c. Truman,
Greater Los Angeles; G. A. Dobinson,
Investor; l.. e. Mosher, Times; I. II.
LeVeen, Express; Telfair Creighton,
Herald; w. III. Burbank, Record; War
rem Wilson, Journal; julius II. Martin.
w. l.. Thompson, Charles Silent. Alex.
Campbell j. A. Graves, Charles Forman,
A. w. Francisco and Freeman G. Teed.
In connection with this visit the follow
ing letter from Mr. Marsden Manson.
the eminent civil engineer, to Mr. Crit
fifth, outlining a plan of improvement
for this great park, Is of more than pass
ing interest:
This great park tract can be improved
along one of several lines. 1t may be
laid out on the general plan of initiating
to a greater or less degree the mode
adopted In large and celebrated parks,
and in which political gardening" may
be practiced in the manner usually fol-
lowed in our large public grounds.
Successive landscape gardeners" or
architects" may carry out the'r ileas,
and from time to time the errors Of
former administrations may be corrected
by subsequent treatment.
The curved and "serpent!ne" lines
of beauty may be laid Off, and an Eng
lish oak planted here. an Irish y+w
there, and European larch opposite,
until the general run of park and land
scape ornamentatiou Is more or less ef-
fectively carried out.
The line of systematic Improvement
which I beg leave to suggest Is totally
different from any of these.
First-The unrivaled climate OF
Los Angeles permits of wider range
of plant life than can be had in any eX-
listing great botanical garden-being
farther south than any except the trop-
ical gardens in Java.
Second-The great ranges of altitude,
soil and exposure extend the range in
cldent to the latitude.
Third-The park practically confrOnts
the great Pacific ocean, whose shores
and islands present q wider and less
known range of plant life than any Other
region, and the plant life of this vast
territory has never been collected for
systematic study at any one point
1t, therefore. appears advisable TO set
apart this great park as d Vast botanical
garden, in which shall be systematically
collected the types of plant life indigo
nous to the lands drained into the Pa
cif1c ocean.
Such collection once started on
proper lines would soon become unique
in the world and of vast interest not
only to the people of neighboring COM
munities but to the world at large.
Whenever the study of the flcras of the
Pacific attracted the student the great
botanical garden at Los Angeles would
;nn lit 1nn trir,
thoughts would turn.
In time the division of economic bot
any should be supplemented with coliec-
tions of the fabrics and productions into
which art and science transform the
products of the vegetable world for
the use of man. The grouping of the
plantations can be supplemented by
suggestive names OF drives, walks and
subdivisions, which should correspond
with the localities from which the plants
shall be obtained.
The development and conservation of
a water supply should receive prompt
and careful consideration, and in this
connection 1t must be borne in mind that
the afforesting of the slopes is the surest
mode of conserving the rainfall.
After conceiving the idea herein out
lined of making the Griffith park
vast botanical garden exclusively de-
voted to the cultivation of types of life
Indigenous to the lands drained into the
Pacific ocean, / feel impressed with the
necessity of consulting with the trained
botanists at the university of our state
at all stages of the development. Their
with the projected develop
ments will not only bring to bear the
and skill of highly trained
specialists, but broaden the relations
which can through them be established
with the cOntributory states and ma
tions. In addition, such connection will
aid and hasten the establishment of
those functions of the university which
can best be maintained in and adjacent
to Los Angeles-and no more desirable
site for college of botany could be
selected than in or adjacent to the bo-
tanical garden herein proposed.
In consulting with Prof. Setchell of
the University of California learn that
there is already a necessity for extend
Ing the botanical work Of the university
to Southern California, and that such
extension has been considered in con-
nection with other lines of work which
might embrace the establishment of un-
dergraduate departments and of a col
lege OF botany in the southern part Of
the state The coast of California has
also been studied In reference to the
establishment of q laboratory for the
study of marine life. San Pedro pre-
sents marked advantages, being partic
ularly adapted to both arctic and an
tarctic types of marine life.
In conclusion. the further look into
the possibilities of systematic work
along broad and well conceived lines
the grander becomes the tangible fu
lure of your muniHcent pift ard +,a