The herald., 1898-12-25
Ciendora, December "a, 1903.
Sixth Ward Park

To the Editor of the Los Angeles Herald:
In your extensive report on Sixth Ward
park matters in your issue OF December
18th you awakened much curiosity in regard
to the location of park in that portion OF
the city. l would like to use some of your
valuable space to give some OF your
about a subject in which the whole city is
directly interested, as they participated in
voting $4,000 to be set apart for the pur-
chase of park in that locality. To better
place the matter before you, deem it i'm
portant that little history of the Central
park. on Central avenue, known as the Key
sor property, be presented here.
Soon after that portion was taken into the
city few petitioners asked the council to
purchase the Keysor park for city park.
The matter was brought before the council,
and Mr.. Keysor's proposition to sell it to the
city for $4,000 was accepted by the council
without a dissenting vote. The council in
structed the city attorney to examine the
title. He reported to the council that
he thought that park had already been dedi-
Gated to the city, and recommended that the
city proceed to quiet the title. Suit was
brought in Judge Van Dykes court, and the
decision was against the city. Before the
trial counclmen best informed were salts
fed that the decision would be against the
city, as all the evidence and equities of the
case were with the defendant. Referring
to the dedication Judge Van Dyke says:
From loose expression in some cases de-
cided in our supreme court, there seems to
be a little confusion upon the subject of dedi-
cation: that is, certain acts would be said to
amount to dedication, when in fact it was
intended to say they amounted to an offer
to dedicate"
In summing up the decision, he further
says Property cannot be taken for pub
lie use without compensation, unless the
owner is willing, and this willingness should
be manifested by clear and unmistakable
acts. Parties are not to be done out of their
property by doubtful implications, no mat
ter how greatly the public may be incon-
venienced"
You will see from the above quotations
that Judge Van Dyke, with clearness of cx-
preston characteristic of his decisions, left
no chance for beng misunderstood in regard
to his sentiments as to whom the title was
still invested in. The appeal from his de-
cision was delayed by the council as long as
it could be delayed, and they availed them
selves of the limitation of time to appeal.
When the matter was left to the council
man of the Sixth ward to decided he ordered
an appeal to be taken, and stated to differ
ent residents soon after that his only object
in doing so Tin fact, he expected the city
to lose the suit, was to tie up the property
so Mr.. Keysor could not dispose OF it until
the city could avail itself of it by purchase.
1t is little singular that this is the only
councilman at the present time who Is
known to prefer the change of the locality OF
the park.
This park site comprises about seven and
three-fourths acres OF land. Streets are
laid out upon four sides of it, and the street
work all completed on Central avenue at
cost of nearly $l2OO. At the time that this
park was projected by the Los Angeles and
Vernon Street Railway company, in 1887.
they proceeded to ornament it by setting out
various trees which are in thrifty condi-
ton there today. 1t also has other orna-
mental trees which have stood for twenty
five years, which the city would avail itself
of without cost in case this location is
adopted. The opponents of this site claim
that it is too small 1t would seem that the
policy of the city should be that outlying
arks should be as small as consistent with
the use for which they woud be needed, in
order that the city might not BE- called upon
in the future for large expense to keep them
up. As Mr.. Teed remarked before, the
park board, at its last meeting, the Sixth
Street park, at the corner OF Fifth and Hill,
accommodates more persons during the year
than any other park in the city, when the
area of it is between three and four acres.
This Keysor park, known as Central park,
being offered to the city for $450O, net, there
remains $500 of the appropriation to put it
in order and improve it, and as estimated by
lie park board, it will be all that would be
required for the next two or three years.
In considering the other location which is
proposed, on Ellis and Stanley avenues, it
D ,ould be known that it is now over "a mile
and half from the extension OF the San
Pedro car line. There is no street work
done, and it has laid out streets only on the
front and rear. There would be over 2400
feet of streets to be acquired and worked,
and over 5000 feet of street work to be done,
before it would be surrounded by streets,
which would involve an expense OF moi less
than $4,000. There are no cross streets
plated at the p resent time, and it would
seem as though the location of such site
would be of a speculative nature. Manager
Wood of the Los Angeles Street Railway
company was visited by committee OF gem
tlemen, and was asked il he could give any
encouragement about their line being en-
tended further than Twenty street in
case a park should be located on San Pedro