New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-07-03
CONDITIONS IN PARKS.
Central Park Lakes Not Cleaned
Within the Memory of Man.

.r,oesn't Il seem surprising that up TO fifty years
an this city took action toward owning its
ov-o parks?' asked William r. Wilcox. Commits
s,oner Of Parks IN the course Of talk on Parks
and Fairgrounds yesterday beiore the woman 3
Municipal LeaguA
.-7r,e fact that we had Union Square and Madi-
-, square" went or the Commissioner, els due
- these plots OF ground having been originally
,o4ters fields and later training grounds. We also
- -zorupHtns Square. because that had been an
- ,srsss ground What have today Speak
t-g ~ Manhattan only there are now about fifty
r~r,s and squares which the Park Depart
rnsnt has Jurisdiction
.gTT5e next awakening after the Central Park
,,,-chsse fifty years ago. came in the los, with
- ..-,,isition OF Riverside Park: then in the
ssrlv sys came the Bronx acquisitions. SO little
rs rrblic sentiment educated at that time that
Mayor Cilroy only twelve years ago. actually
commended the sale Of the parksi Under Mayor
strong began the first movement toward equipping
=. ,onrested lower East Side with parks Then,
e result o. the passage OF the Small Parks bill,
Ezaz,ntou Fish Park Mulberry Bend Park and
S-,-lss-s Hook Park were bought; but during the
10 wears OF the Strong administration not e
snele park was opened: and IT seemed, TO use the
lords Of Genesis. as II darkness rested upon the
face o. the deep, 50 far as the Park Commission
vas concerned
The first park TO which turned my attention
rpou becoming Commissioner" continued Mr. Will
cox was William n Seward Park As consider
,hs+ the ideal OF the small park, 1 viii tel you
about Il Though containing less than two acres
IT cost about 100000 10 purchase the land and
destroy the buildings. and then between $4,000
and $4,000 was laid out IN improving the land
F--s- We encrcled II with e good sidewalk and
good iron fence. Then We placed the park features
the grass trees and shrubs-around the exterior,
with a broad path running around on the inside
Iris arrangement allowed the park proper 10 be
enjoyed both from the outside and the inside over
one-aalf OF the space is given TO Fairgrounds, Of
which there are twO-one for boys and girls
equipped with gyunastic apparatus, pavilion run
mig track etc; the other, fitted up with small
svtnEs sand gardens etc for the smaller children.
2e1lo-tg q 49,. -5fi Contain the -1,biio
proud Whel u IS competed Ma Co--a-A e-Le 1919
hfty plunge and shower baths On top there is 60
v-Sred mothers OF tne district can come with their
bs 5eg This can be inclosed and heated IN winter
add that this playground In Seward Park can be
flooded IN winter f2- skaung pong ID -, 49,. .,.
going 70 DC al Thomas Jefferson Park One-hun-
Gred-and-terth-st- and East River. where We have
bouEht hsteea acres IN e crowded Italian neighbOr
hood, and 81 TomPkins Square. Corlears HOOK and
as a t RfE East as f RTsr and
we are going TO cover these Fairgrounds in
gravel or dirt not grass No matter what the
po95s-e6 With s-sss ~ section where large nun
bers Of children are going 10 use it and keep it
covered with grass. The grass is bound 70 wear on
and then what will you have left? Mud. Il is a
great deal better 10 build gravel playground in
This summer there VIII be seven Fairgrounds in
the public parks This Is the first time in the his
tory OF the city that Fairgrounds have been
work which We have ii hand s the placing OF seats
n the parks We shall place about two thousand
new seats this year. and by the time my two years
% o11ce have expired nearly 90 per cent viii have
been added 70 the seating capacity Of the parks
About sc go VIII be expended this summer IN en-
lErg1ng, repairing and building comfort houses. In
Contra Park the lakes will have TO be cleaned
These lakes have not been cleaned within the mem
ory q man. suppose Il is not generally known
that Il Central Park the comfort houses drain into
them Il demoralZng that such a state OF
things should exist IN this city
one q the members reported that a chfdren's
street cleaning league IS 70 be started the West
Side between TwenUy-uiurh ana Thirty-fourth SITS.
The Board q Education viii start similar leagues
n the vacation Fairgrounds and the Street Clean
ing Department viii pace receptacles for refuse at
street corners 70 facilitate the work
The August meeting OF the Wornan's Municipal
League viii be held in The Bronx.