The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-08
OPPOSED To- A PARK
IN CAT SWAMP" LAND
Some Good Reasons
Are Given.

The fact that the Jolnt committee on
public hearing on the petition asking that
the city purchase "Cat swamp" for park
purposes, has aroused q great deal of in
terest-
There may be some others, In addition
10 the SO persons who have signed the
petition, who favor the scheme. but II SO
they are hard to find. and the majority
of the members of the city council are op-
posed 10 the plan.
The general sentiment Is that the pur-
chase Of the land would be a useless
expense for the city. and furthermore
there is a prevailing opinion that there
is no need of park in that section.
The petition which is now in the hands
OF the committee on parks, in substance,
asks the city TO purchase for public park
purposes, about nine acres of land. bound
ed on the south 4co feet by President
avenue, on the east his feet by Elmgrove
avenue, on the north by the land OF
ssyies. Freeman and another 90 feet.
on the west By Taber avenue and the
This is the land which bears in part
the name OF "cat swamp" and the city
Is asked 10 buy it at cost OF 5 7-l0 cents
a foot, which would make an aggregate
cost OF So, 3,oO0.
The petition is signed by John n. p.
Lawton and 81 others. and IL is under
stood that these gentlemen are very
anxious TO convince the members of the
committee on parks that a public park
Is sorely needed In that locality.
There are. however, many persons who
do not see the matter in the same light,
| and II is not improbable that many OF
these will have something to say at the
hearing which is TO be held in the munl-
cipal court room, City Hall. on Wednes-
| day evening next.
SOME GOOD REASONS.
A prominent city Official in discussing
| tho matter this morning. said: IL have
| no reason whatever 10 believe that the
| city council can be induced 10 purchase
I Cat swamp for park purposes. and i
| can sec no real reason why it should do
! So fr
I'm the first place where is the demand
| for public park in thai locality. outside
\ OF the gentlemen who have signed the
| petition. and ] am told that even some
| Of these signed, As $50 many of these Pc
4
about the matter one way or the other.
| Then again. II park should be made
at Cat swamp II would, In my opinion
| be the best place in the city 10 collect
! a varied assortment OF mosquito bites,and
1 very few people would care TO visit the
| spot after dark, at least not more than
once.
THE proper thing 20 do Is TO improve
1, Blackstone park, and when this Is done
| the people OF the East Side Will have a
| beautiful park that will last them for
many, many years.
Then again | believe that the own
| ers or the land would do well 10 hang on
| 10 IL for little while, and l will tell you
| why. main trunk sewer has already
| been built in Elmgrove avenue, from lrv-
ing avenue TO Cypress street and a gang
| men is at work building Elmgrove ave-
| nue..
| "As soon as the work Is completed. and
\ this will be i'm about two months, the
1 catch basins will be built. and all the sec
| ton in that vicinity will soon be connect
4 ed with the trunk sewer by lateral sewers
| and their catch basins.
This will mean that In short time
Cat Swamp will be no more, and all the
1 section win be thoroughly chained, and
| thus become very valuable as "A resideii-
| tial section of the city.
THE city would thus receive revenue
4 from taxable property. instead of putting
| out money for a park that Is really not
| needed, as Blackstone park Is so near