The Jersey City news., 1901-05-07

About small grand stand draped in
American flags over two thousand people
gathered yesterday afternoon on the new
park site in Little Italy, to witness the
dedication ceremonies and get glimpse of
that dear little lady whose name despite
the Street and Water Board will go down
the generations, Mary Hudspeth-Be Benson.
On the grand stand sat the members, of
the Street and Water Board with the ex-
ception of Colonel Smith, who was not
present, members of the Finance and
Education Boards, Mayor Hoos, Robert
Davis, members of the Woman's Club and
the Training Glass of young ladies from
Public School No. 8, who led in the sing
ing. Mr.. Hauck of the Street and Water
Board, acted as master of ceremonies.
Among the women who attended the
exercises were:-Mrs. A. J. Newbury
Mrs John L. Scudder, Mrs. Hudspeth-
Benson, Mrs. Franklin Whitney, Miss
Louise Edge, Mrs. S. C. Marvin, Mrs.
Spencer Weart Mrs. w. D. Edwards, Miss
Leila Kinds, Mrs. Charles Van Keuren,
Mrs. James Edwards Miss Ennis, Miss
Horsley, Mrs. Holcomb, Mrs. ]. A Dear,
Mrs. Broome, Miss Barlow, Miss Neil
Coffin, Mrs. L. A. Fiske, Mrs. Henry
Harrison, Mrs. G.. w. Clerihew, Mrs.
Charles Browne, Mrs. Limeburner, Mrs
George Judson, Mrs. John Parsons Miss
Ada Fuller, Miss Mary Grimes, Miss Ade-
line Clerihew, Miss Adele Edge, Mrs.
Higginbotham, Miss Ethel Higginbotham,
Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Hall.
In the crowd beside the stand was
large number of Italians as well as some
of the better classes who preferred the
ground for reasons of their own. Nearly
every Italian woman held an infant in her
arms and they were mighty good these
infants, never making a sound other than
soft coo coo now and then as though
they appreciated the fact that Mrs. Ben
son had worked for that park for them.
A squad of fifty policemen had been de-
tached OF keep the peace, but all was
serene. Beyond giving general directions
as to where to go, only one found himself
in a position to do any work and that
was in stopping a runaway horse and not
a very spirited one at that Even the
duty of keeping outsiders off the grand
stand was taken out of the hands of the
officer detailed for that purpose, for
little club woman stood at the foot of the
steps identifying clubwomen in the on
coming swarms.
From the P. R. R. trestle another aud
ience viewed the celebration. Strong men
in overalls and athletic youths who
amused the crowd or gave the women on
the stand heart failure from time to time
by dropping from the trestle to the
ground, here had little gallery all to
themselves.
Tree planting was, of course, a special
feature of the proceedings. Public
School No. had given twenty-seven
trees, and Miss Ennis and Miss Horsley
of that school faculty were on the ground
early to see those trees planted before
the programme opened. These are prom
ising young naples and they stand in
even rows forming what is to be known
as Linsley avenue in honor of Principal
Linsley.
School No gave ten trees, which had
been given it by Mr.. Robert Davis, who
presented three; Mr.. Robert Anderson,
who gave five; Mr.. Simon Meyer, who
gave one, and one the gift of Principal
Brensinger and the teachers of No. D
School This last was named in honor of
Police Judge James J. Murphy. The other
nine trees were named after Mayor Hoes,
William L. Dickinson, Jersey City's first
school superintendent; George Fl. Barton,
organizer and first principal of the Jersey
city High School; City Collector Robert
Davis, Director of Education John j. Null
vaney, former Director of Education
Thomas J. higgins, former Director Of
Education Thomas J. Degnan, Director of
Education John A. Tracey and School SUI
perintendent Henry Snyder.
Then there will be twenty-five trees
gwen by the Woman's Club and the two
given by Hasbrouck Institute, SO that the
park presented much the appearance OF q
erassless orchard
just few minutes before the cere-
monies began Mrs Hudspeth- Benson hove
"a sight under escort Of Mrs. George