The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-18

Gafk heepinS-dOW tne Il uNuS law
Been Expended the Last Year-othcr
| Topics Fully Discussed.
The commissioners of cemeteries and
public grounds have handed in their an
nual report and it will repay careful peru
sal. We give it entire as follows:
To the Honorable City Council of the
City of Portland:
The Commissioners of Cemeterles and
I Public Grounds have the lonor TO present
herewith their twelfth annual report for
the year ending March 81, 1898.
| There was appropriated for the use of
the Department of Cemeteries and Public
PnhI Ii1a Grounds ron $4,000 90
! Deerino's Oaks 100000
The Auditors report will show how the
money was expended for maintenance
and improvements in each departments.
Operations ON our parks have steadily
progressed during the past season. We
commence our summer work usually in
! April and at that time we employ the
largest number of men, usually about
forty The result accomplished by this
| force is to get our spring cleaning done
| in about twelve or fourteen days, when
we reduce the force to our regular sum-
mer crew. The extent of ground which
is under treatment during the summer is
about 113 acres, including our walks and
drives. The very large and continually
increasing number of delighted visitors
show how thoroughly these walks and
drives are appreciated by them. The com
missioners in looking over their work for
the past few years congratulate them
selves and their fellow citizens upon the
| fact that we have at length, and at no
| great expense, a park system that is in
keeping with the rest of our fair city by
the sea parks where our eyes may be
refreshed by resting upon something else
| than mere interminable rows of brick
and mortar, and whose refining, medita-
tive Influences will be ever teaching us
| that trade is not the whole end and aim of
| life; thai we have in the city of Port
land parks and promenades that are gar.
nished with natural beauty, with quiet
repose among stately oaks, whose lofty
| branches have sheltered our beloved
Longfellow; also promenades where frag
rant ocean breezes will make us forget
the engrossing mercenary pursuits by
which we are too apt to be absorbed and
lead US UP to better things; resting places
| free of access and we'll guarded from
rude intrusion, open equally to rich and
| poor, and contributing alike to the pleas
IRE and improvement of the sick and the
well, the man of business and the man of
work.
| The Commissioner have always, even
at the risk of sometimes appearingsto step
beyond the exact line of their duty, been
solicitous to point out the desirability of
the city's acquiring the land adjoining
the slope of the Eastern Promenade, and
| they take this occasion to add that the
evils of delay are becoming every day
| more apparent. 1t is a well known fact
that our city will have to grow at the
eastern part, as there is at that point the
largest amount of vacant land. This
Il h hos FIJI
than to call the attention of our city gov
eminent to the subject, and to express
the hope that it will receive the attention
which its Importance deserves. A park
enterprise is an evolution, and because
certain lot of land is set aside for park
uses it does not follow that they shall
be Immediately developed
Portland is already widely praised as
beautiful city. May we not wisely adopt
as a principle that by all means public
and private Portland shall be, and ever
continue to be known throughout the
! world as the Beautiful City, and taking
the lowest ground. let me ask, is there
not more money for our city in such a
policy than any otherP Beauty is the re-
| suit Of shaping and arranging materials
and good shaping costs no more than
| bad.
The bottom meaning of the word Cart
is simply ''fitness"
Among the particular things which the
city government may at once attend to /
would name the following: The general
cleaning up of public and private.grounds
All unoccupied lots should be cleared Of
offensive dumpings and offal, and in case
Of private grounds the expense should be
charged on the property. No citizen
ought to be permitted to leave his unoccu
pied, any more than his occupied proper
ty, in such condition as to be an eye
sore and nuisance to his neighbors.
There are some examples of this behavior
in our city which are an aboInination to
gods and men.
behring's OAKS.
The unsatisfactory character of the ap-
proaches to behring's Oaks by its road
ways has been recognized by the commits
sioners from the outset of their undertake
ings, but with the completion of the
boulevard now commenced on Portland
street the commissioners intend the COM
ing summer to build the new entrance at
State street. which they have been delay
ing on account of the unfinished condition
of Portland street at that point.
large amount of work was done at
the Grove street entrance last fall, and
in tho early spring of 1895 the work will
be continued. The stone work is COM
plete, the coping having been put on last
fall; it now remains to build upthe drive
way and sidewalks, which will finish this
work at that point.
FORT ALLEN PARK.
This park received general cleaning
up in the spring. Some new shrubbery
was added, and some permanent and
necessary Improvements were made. A
H.
down the slope by the band stand to the
driveway. There was also an ash walk
laid down the westerly side of the park
to connect with the Grand Trunk yard,
The commissioners hope that the co M
ing summer the city will make a deal
with the Grand Trunk railroad whereby
we shall be able to extend our work on
the easterly side of this park. Measures
have been taken to secure this addition
to Fort Allen Park, as it is indispensa-
BILE in order to retain the outlook from