The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-03
TO DECIDE TO-DAY,
Council to Pass Upon the Retention
of EstiII Park.

of EstiII Park.
A special meeting of the City Council
will be held to-day at noon for the pur-
pose of comforting with the Park and
Tree Commission in reference to Estil
park, for which no appropriation has been
made in the city budget for this year.
Mayor Meldrim, after giving the subject
due consideration, has expressed himself
strongly in favor of the retention of the
park by the city, and it is expected that
he will express himself on this line at
the meeting of Council to-day. This be
ing the case there is a strong probability
of an appropriation for the park being
made by Council. which will mean its re-
tention by the city.
Considerable interest has been aroused
among the citizens by the discussion OF
this question of the retention of Estih
park. we'll known business man. IN
speaking of this matter with Morning
News reporter yesterday, said: Il do not
understand the attitude of Council in ref
erence to this matter of Estin park. North
ern cities in which 1 have lived and which
/ have frequently visited since becoming
resident of Savannah, manifest great
interest in this subject of parks and fire
quently large appropriations are made for
the purpose of acquiring lands for parks,
and in addition large sums Of money are
spent in beautifying these parks and max
ing them attractive to the public. one
important feature of this matter has been
overlooked in discussing this question OF
the retention of Estill park. Those who
oppose the retention of the park have as
sunled that because we have enough parks
within the city limits for our present needs
that It is not worth while to go to any
| expense for the purpose of maintaining adj
Ciitional parks. Did 1t ever occur to them
that we want some attraction outside OF
the city, some place where the citizen and
! the stranger can go when he wants to
| for away from town? The first thing
stranger asks when he arrives in the city
| is Where can 1 go?' What is there to
| see?' Well, what Is there for him to see :?
| Our city is very compact. and he can
take it ali in in half an hour, in an
| hour az furthest. His next question Vs.
| Where shall I go? You tell him Thun-
derbot Well what does ne see there?
| Nothing. He rides out, takes drink and
( comes back, and he has seen all we have
| to offer hum. Thousands of tourists come
| TO Savannah every year. The majority Of
| them remain only short time
| because we have little to offer them. If
we had well improved park south of the
| city it would be a, place to which we
| could direct them. Why, there is EstiH
| park we would say, take drive out
! there Such a drive would occupy a
morning or an afternoon and the attrac-
| tons of the park taken in connection with
! our handsome county roads would be. an
| inducement to additional drives. If the
park were properly improved with car
riage drives and bicycle paths it would be
a great attraction to the citizen as well
| as the stranger. We have splendid county
| roads now, but they do not lead anywhere
| Taken in connection with a modern inn
| proved park they would be more gener-
| ally made use of by our citizens. /. do
| not know of another city in the country
| that would deliberately give up a valuable
park which had cost il nothing to begin
| with and which cost II but little to re-
! tain, and that little to be expended in the
| way of improvements. The large subur-
| ban park is an institution of modern city
! life which no city of Importance should
| be without. Look at Grant park in At
lanta Every visitor to the city goes there
| and .he residents go out there by the hun
! dreds on the week days, and by the thou
! sands on Sundays. A few years ago Bos-
! ton made a large appropriation for the
| purpose of purchasing outlying lands and
| converting them into park. On my last
| visit there l found a handsome park
! much 1fequenteu py the clliNShS anu gen
| orally resorted 10 by strangers. BY all
means let US keep the park. Properly
| improved it will be source of delight to
! our citizens and great attraction to Wis
| istors to the city"
| This is only one of many expressions Of
| a similar character on the subject 1t is
| likely that the members of Council have
heard expressions somewhat on this or
| der and doubtless these VIII have their
| influence in affecting the decision which
| they will make to-day.