The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-23
EAGLE ROCKS SUMMIT,
Charming Park Built By
NeWark's Commissioners
on the Crest Of the Hill.
SOME OF IT'S FEATURES
Description of the Eyrie' the
Former Home of Llewellyn
Haskell.
SOME OF IT'S FEATURES

IT Is one thing to build a public PARK
where nothing that could possibly be con-
strued as park-like existed before, ana
another to establish a park on a spot
where Nature planned one ages before
any park system was so much as dream
ed Of, says the Newark Sunday Call.
AT Branch Brook there is now a public
breathing place where not long ago
were rows OF more or less squalid houses,
a bare n uninviting hollow with a
muddy pond at the bottom. At Eagle
Rock there was a park ready-made ana
one which the people could come to with
pleasure and rare enjoyment from the
very start. As it takes all kinds OF peo-
pie to make a world. so it may need all
sorts of parks to make a park system,
and two parks more widely separated in
point Of location. outlook and general APP
pearance could scarcely be found.
The superb situation of Eagle Rock has
been known and recognized for genera
tions. and long before the white man set
foot on the shores of the Western world
the indian was wont to stand upon the
craggy bluff and gaze off over the splen-
ola StfttCn v A guilty = % hON N'SN
therefore. that Eagle Rock Park is a
success; in fact. 1t would almost be nec-
essary to raze, the height to the level
of the valley to destroy fits attractive
ness and popularity. 1t is now over a
year and a half since the Essex County
Park Commission hogan to acquire the
property. n since then the spot has be-
come a more general point for pilgrim
ages from all the cities and towns in the
neighborhood than ever before. A Cali
man spent two or three hours at the park
on Tuesday and was impressed with the
number of people who were moving about
the place. coming and going. strolling
through the woods or lingering upon the
brow of the great height. gazing of at
the hundred and one points of interest.
The fitness of the place for a public park
comes in on one the longer he stays
about the grounds and causes one to de-
clare that whatever else the Park Com
mission has lone it has c~ontrived wisely
and well in securing this ground to be
the peoples forever. Herc one may get
a cool breeze on the hottest day. True,
the Rock itself and the few acres imme-
diately about 1t may be subjected to the
attacks of the fiercest of the suns rays.
but only a little distance away are the
thick shady woods. forest Businesses,
where the sun never shines and where
the wood thrush. the robin, the yellow
bird and even the fire bird are at home
to all comers.
Since the Park Commission acquired the
property it has been in charge of Super
intendent Higgins. His father settled on
Eagle Rock seventy or SO years ago and
he himself was born and brought up
there. He consequently knows every foot
of the ground and is familiar with all Its
traditions. Mr.. Higgins harnessed his
sober old horse and took a Park Com
mission officer and the "Calls man on a
drive over part of the property. pointing
out all the interesting bits of information
as he did the charioteering. For a year
and more Mr.. Higgins has been busy
clearing away the underbush from the
woods and has made very creditable inn
provements. All the small growth. de-
cayed logs. unsightly stumps, etc. have
been removed from most of the woods,
and one may now see for long distances
into the greenery and get a good idea of
what the place is like. Nearly all trees
that grow in that section of the coun-
try are to be found at Eagle Rock park.
Their are Jour kinds of oak, three kinds OF
birch, chestnut, cherry, apple, cypress,
poplar. beech, tulip, elm and maple. be-
sides many more. There are huckleber-
ries galore. too. and down toward The
western slope they are to be found in
quantities just now. The writer saw an
abundance of wild strawberry leaves
which betokened a fine harvest of these
rare sweets of the wood at the proper
season. Then there is an abundance Of
sassafras. and picnfckers who care for
the herb may take great pleasure in gath
ering the ender and fragrant roots. The
roads through the woods are not yet what
they ought TO be. although Superintendent
Higgins has improved them very ma-
terially.
1t will be easy for visitors to the woods
back of Eagle Rock to get temporarily
1oss, for the points of the compass seem
fairly to play tag with each other. The
signs on the trees will therefore be Of
great value, although one might wander
in the woods for hours and not come out
where he started from. 1t is possible to
take an hours slow drive about the
woods, too, without retracing ones way
but little. It is the Intention of the Park
Commission to leave the woods very much
as it found them. Settles will be placed
at inviting points and there will probably
be tables. etc, for picnickers. The trees
will nave to be hinned out, and beyond
this and the building of a number of
paths. the Strengthening and improving of
the roads. little will be necessary. AS for
the trees. they are entirely too thick, and
Superintendent Higgins thinks that If
four out of every five were cut down and
remove there would still be too many
the full growth of the trees is interfered
with. the branches are in many places
thickly i%nterlaced and as a consequence
there are scores of poor, sickly trees, the
earth not being able to furnish proper
nourishment for such a large company.
One of the chief attractions at Eagle
Rock Park. however, will be the "Eyrie,'
which stands a little distance back from
Eagle Rock itself. and which has been
viewed with curiosity from the outside by
thousands. The 'Eyrie'' was the home of
- IL 81 -