The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-18
During the Year 1901 1t Cost the
Municipality sg7 $50 to Maintain
the Parks of the city.
THE FALL CREEK BOULEVARD
RECOMMENDATION MADE TO THE
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
Detailed Report of the Condition of
Each Park i'm the System
Municipal Affairs.

and engineer Of the Park Board. yesterday
submitted his annual report. II includes a
detailed account Of the improvement COM
pleted last year and recommendations Of
importance and general interest for the
consideration of the board.
Mr. Powers report shows that II cost the
city Of Indianapolis s97.525 to maintain it's
park system during the year 1901. The ap-
preparation in all was SOS. 425. and the bal
ance now on hand is $500. The superintend-
ent calls the attention Of the board and the
mayor 10 the fact that a good portion Of the
1901 appropriation was expended in paying
for improvements finished in 1900. and the
funds left were not sufficient TO continue
much permanent Improvement. On the
whole. however. the work done in 1901 was
satisfactory.
In general the permanent work completed
during the past year consisted of the
grading of lawns. unsightly banks and hill
sides, the grading and crawling of roads
and the construction Of walks and neces-
sary buildings.
In planning parks" says the superin-
tendent. each individual location Is treated
according TO it's varied conditions. for no
two parks may be treated alike. nor nearly
alike. In the study of a park the plans are
laid Tor many years ahead, and each years
work.. If the funds permit. marks a step
toward the final completion of the work. AS
the work progresses and the ideas OF the
designer gradually become evident. the pub
lie can see and appreciate the study and
care such things require. All our parks
snow the results OF progressive work. espe-
cially the newer ones; and we think from
the great number OF persons visiting the
parks during the past summer that the pco-
them"
MUST WORK FOR FUTURE.
In his detailed report the superintendent
says: "The work of making a park is an
immense study. and all that is done is done
with a view to the future. twenty to fifty
years hence. The growth Of the trees and
shrubbery, the creation Of a romantic land
scape, the designs for all permanent i'm
provements. such as roads, walks. bridges.
dams. buildings. etc. must be made with
but one end in view-that of a harmonious
finish in the future. 1t is a constant study,
one Improvement suggesting another. and
together they go toward making up the
proper condition. In the care of parks
much depends upon the wOrkmen and those
in charge of the individual parks. for very
few men are capable. either by natural in
stincts or by training. to care for such
places. not 10 say anything Of directing
laborers how to do after having had their
orders. In no instance has a change of
employees who were interested in their work
been anything but a damage 10 a park.
and il is several months before a new en-
ploye can be trusted to follow out his di-
IecliOhs without close watching. Some
times one emplcSe Is capable OF keeping
up a small place vhD would be utterly at
sea in a larger place. 1t is not always the
man who loves a flower or a tree who can
look after a park, but more often IL is
the man who scarcely knows a flower from
a weed who obeys instructions to the let
ter and Keeps mis- place in good shape"
In MS recommendations to the board the
engineer says: The question of a boule-
ward along Fall creek will be taken up and
Will De prosecuted vigorously. No more
fascinating drive could be had about the
northeast section than one along Fall creek
from Capitol avenue TO the fair grounds.
II will cost something TO build this drive
way. but IL will be money well spent. This
will probably be the beginning Of a system
of boulevards which this city should have.
ana IN outlining Such a system L should
say, after years of considering the matter.
that a chain of driveways should be built
up Fall creek to the fair grounds. west
wardly TO Riverside Park, through the park
and back into the city.
MORE SMALL ARK NEEDED.
"Our city needs more small parks about
like the present squares in congested parts
of the city. In such places they do more to
better the general conditions than do lee
lures. laws or anything else.
w are badly in need of a water system
in Riverside Park. and. as our trees must
be watered for some years to come. the
task OF present watering is a great one.
during the past summer the water was
hauled a mile before reaching the park and
often another mile inside the park"
of Garfield Park he says: 1T has grown
In beauty 10 a great degree. many of the
trees planted during the last six years
showing good growth and adding much to
the landscape. The bicycle path leading
TO the park proper was completed. All the
stone work for the handsome new shelter
house is completed. and the structure is
ready Tor the steel and the roof. The
greenhouse for the entire park system are
located here. and last year they produced
a large number OF plants and aovyerS
One large house iS Devoted aDffraIvr 70 r,io
Ing palms and tropical plants. and during
the chrySanthemum show in November
many of these plants were used 10 decorate
1omhnSon HAL The children'S play
ground has been very popular. and the
swings and maypoles were much in use
The work in Military Park during the
past year consisted generally of cutting
sprinSling the " and grass. removing
dead trees and planting new ones. The
tobogsan slide this winter has proved more
popular than ever before. and with II a
small shed has been erected with a stove
inside for the comfort OF those who use
the toboggans. The stone base OF the cam
non ball monument having gone To Dieces
another one was built. The most ponuIor
sport for the children who use the park is
playing round the maypOles. of which the
park has four a number of young trees
died from the effects Of bOrers and dry.
weather. but all the shrubs planted in the
fall OF 1890 thrived we'll.
\ BEAUTIFUL SQUARE.
ohhfNASN1 SAAAAt says the SuDerlD-
tendent, lis one OF the most beautiful
squares in America. This square is not
planted as the other parks are. with shrub
berry. etc. but is planted solely during the
summer with tropical plants. making truly
a tropical garden. The walks were edged
and the walks and lawns kept in beautiful
condition.
st Clair square was also kept in excel
lent condition, and IL required much work
on account OF the hot. dry summer. The
lawns were moved. raked and sprfnkled
the latter being done almost constantly
during the season. The State owns this
square. and the city occupies il BY reason
OF permission 10 do so, given by the Board
OF Trustees OF the Blind Asylum several
years ago. Late in the fall the present
trustees ordered a part of the south end
or the improved square 10 be fenced In for
a place 10 store coal without a notification
10 the board or 20 myself. partially Destroy
ing "a line OF shrubs which were planted
along the fence line. The present location
OF this fence mars the park.
FLETCHER place is a small triangle. but
i do not know OF a spot In the city that is
more admired. The Oriental plane trees
which We're planted five years ago have
grown as fast as the Carolina pOplars. and
are the hanGsOmest lot OF trees in the city
In Spades place the improvements are
progressing slowly. An appropriation OF
q 40 WAS made for tho uaur.traun.,t -