The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-15
SEVENTY MEN DROPPED
ELECTION OVER, MAYOR TAGGART
CUTS OFF THE PARK WORKERS.
Large Gangs Employed at "Weeding''
Little of Typographical
Survey Done.

Now that the election is over the admin
istration is growing economical in regard TO
the employment of men on public work.
Seventy of those employed on the Cooper
Miller parks were yesterday discharged.
Park Superintendent Power said that the
remaining two hundred will be kept at work
as long as they can accomplish good results
and after that will be dropped as it may
be necessary on account of winter weather.
When asked what the two hundred men
were doing Mr.. Power replied that they had
been clearing away fallen timber, cutting
out dead wood, building roads, sowing grass
and doing everything possible toward pre-
liminaries SO that the parks might be avail
able for use next summer. He said that it
is now growing too late to do much more
work on the new roads that are being built.
Down at Garfield Park the new eastern
entrance has been planned and the forty
foot serpentine roadway through the strip
of ground $50 feet wide leading from Shelby
street to the park quarter of a mile away
has had the first grading done. On the
south side of the roadway a bicycle path
ten feet wide winds in graceful curves. The
space below the bicycle path and between
it and the road is to be set out with trees,
shrubs and flowers, as well as the space be-
tween the road and the broad walk for
pedestrians north of it, The outer edges
of the entrance way are to be set with
thick shrubbery. AT present there are no
trees on this seven-acre tract, and Mr. Pow
er intends to plant quite number as soon
as the weather is favorable.
1t will take at least two years to complete
the plans for the Miller Cooper parks, but
Mr. Power said it might be possible to get
the plans for the Pogue's run park COM
pleted by spring. A good deal of work has
been done on that park already But little
of the typographical survey on the White
river park has been done. Mr.. Power said
that it will be a long time before details
of this work can be carried out Consider
able thought is being given to the subject
of bridges across White river. Long sec
tions on either side Of the stream are sep
arated because there are no bridges. No
determination with regard to building a
dam has been reached, and it is not likely
that anything of that kind will be done
in the next year, as the necessary money
is not available. Mr.. Power is considering
a plan Of pumping gravel out of White river
for boulevards and roadways He thinks
this will be economical, as gravel can be
had close to where it IS needed.
Some months ago the administration
talked about having a new park law
drafted. 1t was announced at that time that
law similar TO the old one would be about
what was necessary AS the meeting of the
General Assembly approaches the subject
is being discussed again. Mayor Taggart
favors the idea of making the offices of the
five park commissioners saared say at $50
a month. In his judgment the park com
missioners ought to be men who could de-
vote all their time to the work. 1t is the
idea that the Board Of Park Commissioners
should be part of the city government APP
preparations to be made for it by the Coun-
Gil as under the old law.
Mayor Taggart said yesterday that in a
short time the consideration of the water
works purchase would again be taken up
by the city officials.