The San Francisco call., 1899-04-23
THE PANHANDLE EXTENSION.

= VERYBODY has appreciated any improvement
that beauties Golden Gate avenue as an ap-
l. proach to the park With all their tendency to
differ about matters of public interest the people OF
San Francisco have been cordially joined in their
pride and pleasure in Golden Gate Park. The short
est road to the general good will OF the has for
q long time been found in the donations OF private
citizens or the adornment OF the. park.
1t is proposed now to acquire the property neces-
sary to bring the park boundary down TO Van Ness
avenue by panhandle extension that will make an
ample parked and beautifed entrance to the main
body OF that great popular pleasure ground
AS this will bring the park itself nearer to the peo-
pie for whose use it is established and will in every
way dignity it and enhance the attractions of the city,
ii is to be hoped that the proposition will meet with
popular favor.
Golden Gate Park is itself monument to California
enterprise and initiative. Mayor McCoppin, who had
d provision OF the necessities OF the city in the direc-
ton OF park and pleasure ground facilities, the
real promoter OF the original reservation on the sand
hills which has become one of the noted parks Of
the world But before it was developed very few
people believed that a park could be made this
peninsula When professional opinion in the matter
was sought, Olmsted whose reputation as the ar
chtect of Central Park in New York has since made
him standard authority, gave as his judgment that
landscape treatment OF the location OF Golden Gate
Park impossible Recognizing the desirability Of
exit from the city to the beach, he advised
that Van Ness be excavted and curved to the
beach, to furnish sunken driveway to the
ocean, and he believed that with such improvement
the city be content because the sands of the park
site impossible of treatment make them sustain
the lawns and fora necessary. But the difficulties
then believed to be nsurmountabe have been over
come, and we have park that all the year round is
the most attractive OF any in the world, and the drive
from any of the entrances on the city side to the
beach is through boslly foliage, velvet lawns
flowers and shrubbery that would have charmed
Calypso
The extension of all this as far as Van Ness avenue
will mmeasurably enhance all the charms Of the park
by charging their footing and will increase the en-
joyment of them all by making them more accessible
Older cities have paid heavily for delay in securing
land for parks and pleasure grounds Within few
years New York, already in possession OF Central
Park, Washington square and numerous smaller
tracts, spent nearly twenty millions in securing park
land the Bronx, north OF Harlem River, and ex-
tending nearly to Kings bridge.
Every citizen sees that it would have been
economy if long ago ample tract far downtown
old St. Johns Park or Gramercy square had been
reserved for park purposes so that there would have
been ample facilities for recreation and beautihed
breathing spaces at intervals from Castle Garden to
Central Park But the opportunity passed by and
the Canal-street region the west side and ''the
swamp" were all overrun business property, and
the city driven into Westchester County as the
only possible place for further park extension.
1t is not yet too late for San Francisco to econo-
nlize her opportunity to bring Golden Gate Park
down toward the center OF population by this pan
handle extension With this land acquired and
parked in harmony with the general plan, and Buena
Vista Park already reserved treated its fine alti
tude and slightly slopes will permit, San Francisco
will have park system that will forever outrival any
in the world and that will be beauty and Joy
forever to all the generations OF her people.
The Supervisors are inclined to take the initiative
in the matter and in the collateral necessity for
modern sewer system, and that the people
will sustain them in these enterprises whenever they
called upon to pass judgment upon the propo-
sition.