The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-06
HAVE No Legal RIGHT
Proposition to Rent GriswoId
Park Opposed.
FAIR WOULD RUIN GROVE
Legal Right of Commissioners
tORent it Questioned.

"A reporter for the Eagle asked prom
Inent business man in the city what he
thought about the commissioners renting
the park to the fair association and if he
endorsed the idea of a business man as
published inyesterday mornings Eagle.
He said:
'I read with much regret that propo-
Bition is pending between the fair asso-
ciation and the county commissioners for
the lease for a term of years Of Griswold
park When the bonds were voted for
the purchase of Riverside and Griffen-
stein parks for a city park / voted with
the understanding and belief that the city
was to take from the county Griswold
park so as to complete the park system.
IT is and always will be the handsomest
and most inviting spot in all the river
front, after the dam is built, provided it
IS not desecrated with lot of low board
sheds and pig styes, sheep pens galore
lined up along the bank of the stream,
which if occupied by the fair association
will make the dumping ground for all the
fair And it will take but one year, one
fall, one weeks occupation of the asso-
citation to leave every tree in that park
skinned. And the occupying of the
grounds through the year by horse train
ers, leaving unsightly piles of manure,
hay stacks, straw sta acks, shackly old
carts. traps, etc, don't think there are
a dozen people in the city who will con-
sent to the commissioners allowing the
fair association proposition TO occupy it.
When the dam is built the river will be-
come a great resort once more for boat
ing. sailing, etc, and who wants to sail
along a stream with an unsightly view
that will be presented, which now is
beautiful and inviting? The west end OF
the park is truly lovely and romantic
spot. Think of a young man with his
sweetheart rowing or gliding along the
peaceful, beautiful clear lake of water
in a naphtha boat with a shore line Of
low sheds, scalloped with refuse thrown
from the barns, not TO say nothing
about the aroma from them on warm
night ! don't think the county commits
sioners have any legal right in the first
place to contract with any one to destroy
the property, for there won't be dozen
trees in that park at the close of one fair
week that will have any bark on it that
O horse reach. A fair last four or five
DAYS. That beautiful and restful spot
and drive, the finest in this country,
grove that has taken twenty-five years
Of care and cultivation to reach what it
has, to be absolutely destroyed in one
weeks time, for a small paltry sum. If
the commissioners will lease it 1 hope
the mayor will commence proceedings at
once to prevent it, either by buying it or
leasing 1T, injunction or something. Pub
lie opinion ought to be strong enough
against the proposition to convince the
commissioners not to do it. Griswold
park must belong to the city. A hand
some rustic bridge built 20 connect IT
with Riverside. Then our park system
will be complete entire TO ii from Central
avenue, winding hither and yon TO Tenth
street. making a beautiful, delightful
drive. the finest by all odds of anything
In the state or the west Don't for the
sake of a little money. destroy or allow
the most beautiful spot in the whole plat
10 be ruined and lost to the city. 1 pay
as much taxes as any man in the county
and am willing to pay more still rather
than to see piece of vandalism of that
kind perpetrated on this county. Who is
going to secure the county against dam
ages? Who is going to guarantee that
the fair will pay out this year? The
whole thing seems to me TO be almost a
criminal act to talk about It. ! want to
see the fair succeed as much as any one
can possibly but not at the expense Of
hn Of 10 rlr