The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-17
u)H 70 BEAUT|FY THE CITY.
uTEREsTrSG POINTS NJ r0RNEn
SUPERINTENDENT OF PARKS.
= o. schwaxerI, in Talk Before
the Real Estate board, Recon-
nends Adoption Of Perman ene

Board was te4ff yesterday AFTERNOON IN
the Chamber 81 Commerce. Of which a
feature was the reading by E. o. Schwa-
rsYi former city superintendent Of parks,
cf paper On parks and the general beau
s,Heation Of the city by well planned
landscape gardening. He urges the ap-
posutrent Of a competent board 10 have
supervision III such matters. and urges
that the present efforts at Improvement
sr this line be abandoned In favor az
4 more systematic work The board passed
two resolutions: one that a general tn
y,a;ior 10 extended President Mckinley
70 visit Seattle during his contemplated
visit 10 the Pacific coast. and another that
the proposed tract iuGexing OK the county
auditors records be open TO competitive
Bidders.
Thu paper by NJ. Gchwageri deals with
. subject Of live interest to the people Of
this city. He said ia part:
public parks aud bes;fesarss in ali lead
ing cities Of modern civilization have az
SGTied one of TIE most Important positions
in their Relation 10 municipal concerns
Various method. Of administration have
been tried and tested The uniform ver-
diet has been that the boards % park
conan. sziOners have proven In he the hest
and most satisfactory, provided. iowes er
thai the men 20 appointed were men pos
sessed 81 certain qualifications. They
should serve without salary or any other
personal benefits.
VI EASk hO0b0s
The boards. aB such shall be non no.
ntical. Its members shall he persons who
have sufficient leisure 10 give ample time
r. thesr assumed reagons. biItles, and they
shall have given evidence OF cultured
taste. practical. sound judgment and large
unseifish interest IN the public welfare
and improvements. Further, such a board
OF gentlemen can be allowed 20 determine
the nature OF a peoples nesds within the
bounds ~ municipal responsibility.
Boards thus constituted have proven
most satisfactory. and cities like R3sfon
New York. Philadelphia. Chicago 81.
Louis Indeed. all who have accomplished
any results worthy Of the name. did the
work under a properly organized board
OF park commissioners. sueh boards in
variably are possessed with that degree
OF Intelligence and culture which gave
them the capacity TO recognize the
real prospective wants and needs OF a
people a. Well as the ability 20 undsr-
stand what class Of intelligence and skill
was necessary 20 enable them 10 discharge
fheir. werk without reprcach to them
selves or diseredit TO the city and people
they represent.
Such boards work 10 carefully censid-
cred, matured and reliable plans, 10 mat
ter what the nature or ciass of improve
fDent II undertaken
Parking the streets.
with reference 20 parking az streets or
Nr.es tree paintings. II such cannot be
Undertaken by the city park department
as think IT should then your TWO boards
should encourage the formation Of "a So
Getty. such az has been formed IN many
cities OF the East and South for such
public improvements
I would again venture the suggest or
snal when the city is about to & ale
such a street II should require that
TIE good soil should be .'aees into
TIE areas allotted for 50 called narksns.
ana MISC cause the removal Of IN. hard
pan from them. Ia be replaced by the good
surface so!i "a depth Of AZ least two feet.
insead of wasting all the surfaee soil SO
ma, no street Is ~ to receive any planting
without enormous and discouragsng ex-
pense &c the properties. Trees cannot live
on hard pan, nor on climate: they must
says good soil and efsecsnal drainage
There are numerous streets situated
Upon very steep side bills which are al
present useless and unsghtiy This matter
have discussed before a former council
passed. ! think. certain ordinances 20 i'm
prove them In accordance with suggestive
study, plans and descriptions there sub
mit'ed either with a winding. easy
grade roadway. or with waiks. some with
ornate banks. lawns and chiiaren's play
grounds. Nothing has as yet been done
with any Of them.
The Present City Park
THE city owns forty-acre tract on the
conspicuous summit OF Broadway hill II
Y me largest area used as a public resort
This park vas cleared under my super
intsndence to rid u of the destructive and
useless growth and thereby save the large
nameer OF natural trees and bushes. sen'a
0, which would develop mere speedy
effect and shade than any uaw paintings
could The open or cleared areas were
rtsa as nursery grounds. so shsi the soil
would thus be worked arh properly pre-
pared fer ire future. AT that tim. al~o
prepared geographical map OF this
ground upon which were Vel IN he 10
Gated this collection ~ natural and vaiu-
abb trees data for thc complete plan
which was also deferred on account ~ tha
Undetermined state Of the plans for the
new reservoir.
'"rhe trees thus left developed no little
natural beauty. which. combined with the
grass areas. AZ also the elaborate nursery
ITSELF. created no little attraction If not
satisfaction. and this has led many no
doubt sincere isvotees 10 the h~su;sfif -
think that this constituted 4 real park for
ct3Ns senlxerS. ard gradually various
harhezArf improvements were introduced.
such as bicycle paths ana foot paths tho
OH nursery reads combined with so~eeiied
driyeways So The temptation continues,
ard ths mischief 'acr.ases from lay -
day oyraudlnr money in work which can
9ct constitute a factor ia the ultimate real
Improvement 81 a public city park. as the
Tea that prevails today may he materially
Changed tomorrow - suit new conditions
or new donations.
''ssatil, has new the following gentle
rer serving As park comm sSS.eners: Her
man chaplin. 7. u f.awmen. { y c. VIII
la1s. \ T. IundhcfS ana Melody choir.
No doubt these gentlemen have been will
ms - serve she citizens WITH ghsiV ia2<-
nsrt ard experience rather than - mere
N.conSfituft a fiEurehead under whtch the
rnh;c IS made 10 iuasiue shat ths rresens
work er purposes of rs~ park DEPARTMENT
are hs.ne conducted wish tNe!e advice and
cunsenf Indeed this committee. II have
been correctly Informed. has been wholly
Ignored ard the superintendent; 81 streets
an, sewers seems 70 determine aad decide
AZ matters relating - the park improve
nnsnts management and Disbursements.
stc. aaA in his sole hands the wssfsre AMI
fu'ere prospects of the cltEs parks rest
and 2 ep-r7
ne,nstatton of the Lakes.
"Yaur attention - also called again -
hc continued devastation ana destruction
e. htaHftfal TREES ana natural srow,e aieng
eur lakes sspeCiai'y on RE shores ~ iAke
N&shiUgfen THIS terrible desYHctian Ls
De resHir ~ Is grefnun3 lack - apqFecia
H1n ~ tssfr real value as standing
TIE cl'Y should pare sn oGtttne D1aa