Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-22
Abstract of Annual Report as
Presented to City Government.
Several Excellent Recommendation Are
Made-A Review of the Work for
the Year Ending Nov 80, 's7


mission regarding the work at Elm
park. The report is in substance as
| follows:
Feb. 18th, 1898
To the honorable city council:
In compliance with the statutes of the
commonwealth, the park commissioners
herewith present their annual report fol
| the official year ending November 90th
1897.
At the beginning of the year import.
ant changes were made in the admins.
trative and business methods of the
commission. The offices of chairman
! and secretary, which had been so long
held by the late Edward Winslow Lin.
coin, We're separated, and Obadiah B
Hadwen was elected chairman and
James Draper secretary.
The question of employing a superin-
tendent Of parks was considered; also
that of securing the services of a con-
sidering the limited amount OF
our annual appropriation, and
the wide field over which ii
had to be distributed, it was deemed in
eXpedient to employ such assistance
however desirable it appeared.
1t should be observed at the outset
that our system of public parks is un-
like that of many other cities. 1t COW
ers wide range of territory, intended
in its general scope to provide for every
section Of the city On this account the
intendence is attended with much in
convenience and difficulty
AS the commission saw no immediate
prospect of relief, they decided to take
the matter into their own hands, and as
sumo the personal care and supervision
of the work. This has been carried for
ward without interruption throughout
the year.
While the general plan of work was
outlined by the full board, all sharing
in the responsibility, it was necessary to
delegate some authority to each mem
ber in the matter of employing com
| petent laborers, suitable teams, tools
| and Implements and such other agen-
cies as were needed for the proper exc
cution of the work. The assignment Of
this work of supervision was as follows
| Elm park, Newton hill and common,
Commissioners Hadwen and Hartshorn
University park, Commissioner Had
| Wen
Crompton park, Commissioners Harts-
horn, Draper and Davis.
| North Dodge and Fairmount parks
| Commissioner Curtis.
East park, Commissioners Draper and
Davis
Lake park, Commissioners Davis and
Draper.
Shade trees. Commissioners Draper
and Hartshorn.
| 1t is difficult, for person unacquaint-
ed with the work, to appreciate the
magnitude and character of our park
| system, and only those who are charged
with the responsibility of keeping all the
parks in suitable condition for enjoy
ment by the people, are able to decide
what appropriations are imperativelJ
needed for the satisfactory prosecution
of the work. To make this department
of the public service reasonably efficien
important additions to the working for
ces are needed, as follows:
First, a competent person to act II
the capacity of general superintendent
of parks, who must be provided with {
suitable team. Second, a corps of able
assistants to serve as foremen on tht
parks. Third, a person to act as city
| forester, to be provided with team
and to give his entire time to this i'm
portant branch of work. Fourth,
| suitable stable for the teams, located a
some central point, and buildings for the
storage of the large quantity Of tools
| that are needed in the different lines Of
work. Fifth. an office for the superin-
| tendent, which shall be provided with q
| telephone. and other necessary furnish
| ings.
! The superintendent headquarters
might be established at Elm Park, ano
the other buildings in close proximity
possibly on the Newton hill section
where they would be most accessible
The commission have been obliged fol
many years to depend upon the gener-
osity of the Worcester Agricultural So
ciety, in allowing them 20 store much
| of their property in the buildings on tht
| fair grounds. AS their property is nov
on the market for sale, the question o.
/ the future occupancy of these building:
1 is uncertain. The commission would
take this opportunity to return thanks
! to the officers of the Worcester Horti
cultural Society, for the free use of
room for the meetings of the board dur
ling. the past year.
ELM PARK.
Regarding the work at Elm Park, the
report says:
1t is the belief of the commission tina
the most genuine public expression O
appreciation of the good judgment an<
valuable services of the late chairman
/ Edward Winslow Lincoln, is to try t.
maintain this park substantially as III
! left it, It represents the result of more
| than twenty years of skilled persona
care, without the slightest pecuniar!
remuneration. 1t is his monument. 1t:
distinguishing characteristic is natural
ness. Any park may have its own par
| ticular features, but no other park II
this city can be made like Elm Park
1t has its own qualities and conditions
| of soil, which are not found elsewher'
| in combination to the same degree.
is the oldest park. The people love it;
natural beauties Of plant and tre'
| growth its tangled thickets and oper
| spaces, its waterways and its islands
picturesque with wild growing tree
and towering shrubs
They do not tire Of them as they some
times do of the more formal or Englisl
system of park planting Therefore
with a kindly and appreciative respec
for differing individual tastes, it i
deemed wiser for the present, at least
to continue the work here along tn
well established lines.
INSTITUTE PARK.
1t is very gratifying to the commits
sion to note the continued interest man
ifested by Mr.. Salisbury in the car
and maintenance of this park, whicl
has relieved them in a measure fron
| it's personal supervision.
IF the increasing number of visitor
| to this park each year is indicative 0
the public appreciation Of Mr.. Sails
| hury's raunificence, he must certainl,