Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-11

reports made by Mr.. Saunders to the Conn
missioner Of Agriculture long before the
ri he ee
ties; though In many cases such investiga-
lions may finally have been instituted with
out knowledge of the fact that they had
to say. too. that some of these early sug-
gestions remain still to be acted upon and
will yet be carried out as the operations of
the department are still further extended"
Mr. Hyde spoke of the propagation which
had been conducted by Mr. Saunders in
fruits, etc. and the wide influsnce of these
experiments and study upon fruit growing
In the United States.
His Birthplace.
Mr.. Saunders birthplace In Scotland Is in
the central low lands, not far below the
Firth Of Tay, In Fife 1t is St. Andrews,
the oldest university town in Scotland. Mr..
Saunders life history is closely connected
with the history Of horticulture and land
scape gardening In the United States. The
father Of Mr.. Saunders and his grandfath-
ers for some generations were also gar
deners. During Mr.. Saunders youth his
father was gardener to a gentleman who
lived for the most part in India, where the
Saunders family occupied his residence,
and as boy William worked In these beau
tiful gardens. He was early matriculated
at the different colleges. among them the
Madras, and finally at the divinity college,
where he had a deal Of Greek and Latin.
1t was intended to make of him O minister;
therefore his mind was stored with liter
ature which impressed itself upon his hor-
ticultural papers by many an apt quota
ton.
Young Saunders rooms in the divinity
college looked out upon the cold fog hung
ocean over to the Bell Rock ten miles dis
tant. Here 1T was that he planned to run
away and to apprentice himself to gar
dener, because, he said, Of the insincerity
of his comrades. He felt that he could do
y,nnr for hx, IL
among men. His giving up the ministry
was a great hardship to his mother. who
never forgave him, although she lived to
be more than eighty years old.
Going to London, he became acquainted
with young man called Meehan. at the
great Kew Gardens. Mr.. Meehan has since
been Mr.. Saunders friend and coworker In
horticulture For many years they were
phia, where Mr.. Saunders designed for that
city its most beautiful parks Fairmont and
Hunting, while Mr. Meehan added a thou
sand acres to its parks.
Clifton Park Planned.
Mr. Saunders first great work was the
laying out of Clifton Park, an estate of
some 400 acres belonging to John Hopkins,
the founder of the university bearing his
name. This was the finest residence in
America, but is now in the heart Of the
city of Baltimore. Many a residence in
hAts@oSipAot ANc"POTt, SulCdSO-iH snort,
south. north, east and west-owes its
artistic beauty to the head and heart of
William Saunders.
The city Of Washington owes him an
everlasting debt Of gratitude. for Mr. Saun-
ders and his associates. Mr.. Smith and Mr.
Saul. have made Washington a perfectly
and beautifully shaded city, with artistic
points not to be equaled in Paris and Lon
DON As an evidence Of the grandeur Of
the character Of this man, his work at
Gettysburg, at Springfield. on the Lincoln
Monument grounds; his enormous work as
parking commissioner. and his artistic ideas
for other things tnnumerabIe, have never
been paid for by so much as dollar in
money. He has never been affected by
that mania for money-gettng