Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-24
WINTERS BACKBONE IS BENT
Mildness Of Sundays Atmosphere indicates
Approach Of Spring.
THOUGHTS TURN TO SUMMER OUTINGS
Park Commissioner Cornish Speaks 81
Preparations Made by board for
Next season Of City'a
Breathing spots.

To Sunday, February %, belongs the dis
tinction Of being the first day Of the new
year to show some evidence Of a break in
the long spell of frost and snow. II was
the FIRST day since the middle Of January
that one could walk the streets In safety
without the aid Of spiked shoes and an Al
pine stan, and for this the public is CRATE
full, even II In some quarters IL had to swap
the shoes and staff for a mud scow. An
ethereal mildness' was in the air yes
terday. 1t looked as II Old Sol had man
damused Boreas TO call on his 'Fuf1an
blasts" There were vague hints Of the
time when opening buds salute the well
come day and earth relenting feels the
genial ray"
las a result the streets we're thronged
with people who eagerly seized this oppor-
tunity to get a breath OF the fresh, warm
air. The sanctuaries we're crowded. Street
cars carried more than their wonted bur-
dens Of human freight and carriages made
their appearance upon thoroughfares that
for six weeks had known only the cutter
and the "bobs." The opinion was quite
generally expressed that the backbone Of
winter was broken, but the wiseacres
shook their heads. TITS only sprung"
they said. There's plenty Of time yet for
frost and snow"
The hrst three weeks OF the groundhog's
embargo came due yesterday. This is only
half Of the period over which his shadow
is supposed to exercise its baleful influence,
90 II must be that on February 2 the Omaha
badger came out while the sun was mo-
mentarily under a cloud.
Forthcoming Park Season.
This glimpse of open weather set the
people specializing as to what the forth
coming park season has in store, and on
this subject Park Commissioner Cornish
said:
There will not be any very material
change In the public breathing spots this
summer. The attractions at the best
known parks will be the same as they were
last year, but in some Of the others there
will be improvements. There is Fontanelle
park, at Thirty-sixth street and Ames ave-
nue.. for example; this, heretofore, has been
little more than prairie, and we've been
renting IL for pasture, but this year 1t Will
be converted into golf links. The North
Side Improvement club has asked permits
sion TO use It as such, and the board has
given its permission. 1 understand the re-
quest, was made in behalf OF the north side.
Fontanelle park will be especially desir-
able for this purpose. as 1t is more easily
accessible than the links Of the Country
club, while the ground, which Is smooth
and rolling, is naturally adapted to the
uses Of the golfer. We will plant trees
there this spring and this is the FIRST i'm
provement the park has undergone.
."Eimwood park, three miles west on the
Dodge street road, promises to be popular
as picnicking grounds this season. The
trees we planted there in 1892 have shown
phenomenal growth.
More Like a boulevard.
Central boulevard. between Hanscom and
Riverview park will look more like a
boulevard this year than 1t ever has be-
fore. as the driveway has been cindered,
while along the margins trees have been
planted and grass seed sown.
''The park board is not going to do any
thing in the way OF furnishing music at
the parks. This will be done, as 1t has
been in the past, by the street car COM
pany and by those having refreshment
privileges. They derive the benefit In a
financial way from the music, so 1t is only
proper that they should pay for it. The
board feels that it can invest its limited
funds In some less transitory commodity
than music.
"Riverview park would be popular this
coming season II the street railway COM
pany could be induced to extend its Tenth
street tracks about three blocks farther
south. This Improvement was promised last
season, but 1t failed of %fruition. Riverview
Is the most interesting park in the city, on
account Of the animals there and the beau
tiful natural scenery, but it's too much to
expect the people to climb that long hill
to the tracks after already exhausting
themselves on a hot summers day by walk
ing through the park. I hope this little
piece Of track will be laid this year, but
there's no telling"