Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-11-22
FINE PARKS OF BOSTON.
ARE UNRlvAlleD By ANY OTHER
SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.

The largest and foremost OF the ual-
ural parks is Franklin park, in
charge OF the Boston park commits
sion. 1t has an area Of nearly
square mile, and, like nearly all OF the
other features Of the Boston park sys'
TEN. was designed by Frederick La"
Olmstead. 1t is reached by several
lines of street cars and also by IA beau
tiful parkway drive.
This drive is over the great Boston
and Brookline parkway. the first OF its
picturesque type ever designed IN any
city. A portion of 1.-THE left bank
OF the Riverway and part OF Ohm
sted park-lies in Brookline, and was
constructed by that town. Its con-
nection with the heart OF the city is
by Commonwealth avenue, formal
feature of the park system. The vail
GUS sections of this parkway are called
Charlesgate, The Fenns and the Fen
way, the Riverway, Jamaicaway and
Arborway. On the way to Franklin
park it traverses Olmsted park-which
includes Jamaica pond-and also the
Arnold Arboretum.
The Arnold Arboretum and Bussey
park, as it is officially called is
unique feature Of the Boston system.
1t is the greatest tree museum in the
wOrld-a strictly scientific collection or
all the temperate zone trees and shrubs
that will grow in this climate-ar-
ranged, moreover, in thoroughly
natural manner, while classified in reg
ular botanical sequence. 1t includes,
also. the famous Hemlock HILL re-
markable relic of the primeval forest.
The Arboretum is department OF
Harvard university, and is jointly ad-
ministered by the university and the
park department, with Prof Charles
S. Sargent as director.
Chief among the magnificent wilder
ness reservations OF the metropolitan
system is that of the Blue hills, with
an area of 1853 acres, and including
a wild, mountain-like range, Ave miles
long. the highest point being 635 feet
above sea level. 1t is best reached
either by train to Readville station,
and carriage from that point or by
electric cars to the centre Of the range,
by way of Milton Lower Mills.
The second great wilderness reser
walton is that of Middlesex Fells. with
over 5000 acres OF wooded rock hills.
among which lie several beautiful
lakes. Its central feature, the historic
Spot pond, now a distributing reser-
voir for the metropolitan water sys-
tenn. is the finest existing example of
the landscape treatment of great en-
gineering water works feature. This
has been done in way that has great
ly enhanced the picturesque charm Of
landscape always one of remarkable
beauty. 1t is the work of the younger
Olmsteds, the Olmsted Bros, success
sors Of Olmsted, Olmsted 4 Eliot, as
landscape. architects, advisory to the
metropolitan park commission.
The third largest wilderness reserva-
tion is the Lynn woods, comprising
over 2000 acres. established by the city
of Lynn, and still in charge of the To-
cal park board, though feature of
metropolitan character.
A fourth wilderness reservation is
the Stony Brook woods in Boston and
Hyde Park, notable for beautiful Wis
tas of the neighboring Blue Hills
range. 1t has an area of 463 acres.
A remarkable feature of our park
system is the number of oceanside and
seaside reservations, comprising many
miles of publicly owned shore. First
is the great metropolitan reservation
Of Revere beach, nearly three miles
long and costing over $1,OOO,OOO. Here
is the largest and finest ocean-shore
bathing establishment in the world. 1t
is administered directly by the metro
pOlitan park commission. Revere
beach is reached by the Boston, Re-
we're Beach G Lynn railroads ferry and
steam cars and by street cars from
ScOllay square subway station. The
design whereby the beach is so admir-
ably adapted to popular needs is the
work of the late Charles Eliot.
Other metropolitan seashore reser-
vations are those of Nantasket, Ma
hant beach, Quincy shore, Kings
beach and Winthrop shore. Ad-
ministered by the Boston park
department are the seaside feat
ures Of the Strandway in South Bos-
ton. and connecting the Marine park
and Castle island at City Point. with
the great pier and the Pleasure bay
as features. More local in character
are the waterside pleasure grounds,
Wood Island park in East Boston and
North End beach with its recreation
pier.
Unique features Of the metropolitan
system are the three great river res
ervations, whereby the greater portion
of the banks OF the principal streams
entering Boston bay-the Charles, the
Mystic and the Neponset-are reserved
for public recreative uses, thus assur-
ing hygienic conditions, as we'll as per-
manently beautiful character, for the
main lines of surface drainage in vast
metropolitan population.
ne pIluClpdl Improvement OF tnlS
character is that Of the Charles, where
much of the work projected by Charles
Eliot has already been carried into
effect. This includes the romantic
Hemlock gorge at Newton Upper Falls,
and the famous boating ground be-
tween Newton Lower Falls and Wal
tham-the greatest fresh water boat
ing resort in the United States. 1t is
reached by train to Riverside station
on the Boston & Albany, or by cleo
tries to Norumbega park to Auburn
dale or to Newton Upper Falls.
On the lower banks of the stream
notable improvement is the great met
ropolitan speedway in Brighton, near
Soldiers field. In Cambridge nearly
the entire banks Of the stream have
been taken by the park commission Of
that city for recreative purposes Com
pleted features here are a large por-
n ~ thn a..