The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-04

There was conference in the city
clerks office yesterday afternoon be-
tween the park commissioners and the
members OF the park committees Of Sc
lect and common council. The per-
sons present were Hon. ]. A. cranton
and A. +. Bedford president and Sec
retary respectively of tho park board;
Hon. John Il. Roche and G. u. Wag-
ner of select council, and John Naegli,
Charles Godshall and NJ. j. Cusick Of
the common council.
The opening Of the conference was
decidedly lively.
1t was held in accordance with the
terms of a resolution introduced in
the select council some time ago by
Mr. Roche. The resolution was as fol-
lows:
Resolved, BY the select council of the
city of Scranton, the common council
concurrinE, that the park commissioners
and the committee on parks be directed
to confer with the manager of the SCran-
ton Coal company for the purpose of
obtaining permission to remove the coal
belonging to the said company, the work
being now in progress without securing
such permission.
Mr.. Scranton did not like the tone
of the resolution and he said So Mr..
Bedford did not like 1t and he init
mated as much.
The park commissioners, he said, had
not proceeded without authority.
They secured the permission of the
Lackawanna Iron and Steel company,
which at that time owned the coal un-
der the park land. The commission
ers. he said, had done everything that
could reasonably be expected of them.
MIR. SCRANTON'S OPINION.
Mr.. Scranton averred that it looked
like an attempt to strike an unwar-
ranted blow at the park commission
ers, who have been struggling along
doing their best to improve the park
with little money and less encourage
ment from councils.
Mr.. Roche then explained the pur-
pose of the resolution.
The Scranton Coal company pur-
chased the coal of the Lackawanna
Iron and Steel company and when the
transfer was made nothing was said
about permission having been given
the city to open a small mine in Nay
Aug park so that visitors might get
Scranton Coal company has no official
knowledge that the city ever had any
right to open the mine and therefore
the city is a trespasser the Lacka-
wanna Iron and Steel company not
having protected the city in the privi-
lege extended to it before the transfer
of the coal property.
To get the record in the case straight
and prevent complications in future. if
for no other reason, he thought a for
NAL application ought to be made to
the Scranton Coal company for permis-
sion to construct the mine opening. He
did not think the resolution offensive,
| and he was Of the opinion that any
one who thought so must be thin
skinned.
Mr.. Scranton replied that it would
| be better for the people of Scranton if
| they We're more thin-skinned about the
actions of councils. The trouble with
the city fathers, as he viewed them, is
that they are too thick-skinned. This
was said with some warmth and made
| impressive by vigorous punctuation.
He also said something about persons
who go out looking for trouble invali-
| ably finding it.
LOOKED SQUALLY.
| Things looked somewhat squally at
| this stage of the conference, but the
| display of feeling ended there and har-
| mOny prevailed during the remainder
of the meeting. 1t was decided to
make a formal application to the
| Scranton Coal company for the neces-
| sary permission tc make the opening
and take out such coal as is necessary,
| The proposition to secure the Round
| Woods for a park was next taken up
and in this connection the following
letter from Hon. w. w. Watson, who
recently purchased the Round Woods
and adjacent land, was read:
TO the honorable the select and common
council of the city of Scranton
Gentlemen-The West Side board OF
| trade has expressed to me great de-
| sire on the part of the West Side people
| that the city of Scranton purchase for q
| park the property known as THE Round
| Woods" situated west of South Main
| avenue and south of Round Woods lane
| in the township of Lackawanna, contain.
| ing about twenty-five acres, and have
| also expressed q desire that | address
the city council and suggest that tht
same may he purchased of me-
| Agreeably to this request | will say
that [ will sell this property. about TWEEN
ty-two acres, to the city of Scranton, fol
park purpose only, for the sum of 49,
COO provided this offer be accepted with
out unnecessary delay and provided fur
ther that the city of Scranton will eX
pend upon said property in improvements
etc. at least $l000 per annum.
The terms of payment may be at leas
one-fifth cash on delivery of deed an,
the balance with interest at five per cent
per annum, or bonds duly issued by III,
city of Scranton drawing interest at tn
rate Of five per cent. per annum, will b.
accepted for the remaining fOur-dfths.
I may add that am putting the Roun,
woods in proper condition by taking ou
the brars, weeds, dead wood dead trees
etc, and am willing to complete tn
work 1 will also build a boulevard a
least eighty feet wide from South Mali
avenue, near the centre Of the tract, t
tho Round woods, which will make
fine entrance TO the park
PRICE TOO HIGH.
1t was agreed that the price was to,
high and Mr.. Scranton said he wa
opposed to buying parks that are Ia
tended to boom suburban tracts D
land. He said he has been told tha
the trees in the Round Woods ar
nearly all dead, or are dying, and tha
i'm his opinion the location is not
good one. He would favor the Oran
tract on North Main avenue, whicl
would serve as a park for West am
North Scranton.
Mr. Roche favored a park on tn
West mountain, where land can be oh
tanned cheap and where nature ha
been generous in her gifts. The matte
| was passed without any decision haV
ing been reached.