The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-19
PROTEST BY PROT. BISHOP.
Destruction of Fine Trees i'm the East
 Haven Cemetery Condemned.

Destruction of Fine Trees ina the East l Haven Cemetery Condemned. l The following letter of protest has
 of East Haven:
 To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
 of East Haven:
 Dear Sirs--I beg to call your atten-
 tion to the destruction that is going on among the beautiful and valuable trees in the cemetery of East Haven and to most earnestly ask you to prohibit a ] continuance of the same. Some of l the finest of the trees were Wantonly cut down, and others were mutilated | by unnecessary looping off of the l branches, two or three years ago, and now I notice with surprise that the | havoc has commenced again. It can- not be right that your honorable body should yield to the perverted feeling or downright ignorance capable of such barbarism; it should rather be your study to educate and lend to higher level. Tn the communities where the best taste prevails, we see landscape architects making every effort to pre- serve the trees in their cemeteries; while at East Haven fine old pine trees that could not be grown in fifty years are being slaughtered, and no move is apparent to replace them in any way. Even apart from the shade and orna- ment, the value in health of the pine I,t n1 ot traction to your cemetery was an i'm portant feature It is well known that nothing is more healthful than the bal samic air passing through pine trees
 There is no danger from the trees to the monuments. This is clearly proved by the fact that the gravestone of Jo- seph Bishop in my own family lot, dat ing from one hundred and thirty-nine years ago, stands by one of the largest of these trees, and remains to-day in almost as perfect condition as when it was first placed. All that is needed is, from time to time, judicious pruning of the weaker branches. East Haven had in it's ancient cemetery feature to be proud of and though so much harm has already been done. it is not too
 
 erable monuments on the southern slope of the ground, some of them dat ing back to about 1735, should be re- deemed from their present state of ne- gect It would hardly seem in these times of especial interest in traditional and historic matters, that such an ap- peal would need ito be made. An ur- gent requirement. also, in order to shut out the disgraceful aspect of the shab- by back lots and guildings along the eastern side is a quick set or evergreen edge, to the cost of which I should be glad to contribute.
 I venture to address you as one con- nected by blood with many of those laid at rest in what was presumably meant to be a shady rural retreat, and not a glaring, treeless waste; as a descendant not only of Bishops, but of Hemingways, Morrises, Tuttles, Thompsons and others of the original settlers of East Haven. Hence I feel that I speak as with a certain personal right and certainty with no small per sonal interest. I shall be greatly oblig- ed to learn that the destructive at tack upon the trees that cause this pro- test has been abated, and more en- frightened policy determined upon, and put into such shape as to be permanent.
 am. with great respect,
 Very truly yours,
 WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP. Sheffield Scientific School of Yale Uni
 versity, April F, 1899.