The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-07
QUESTION IS FAR .
FROM SETTLED
LAKE OF THE ISLES CONTROVER.
SY DECLARED IN ABEYANCE.
Horace B. Hudson Talks of the Matter
Declares That Serious Misconcep-
tion of the Question Leads to Mis-
statements-The History of the I'M
provements-May Prove Expensive.

=. The Lakes Of the isles matter has
Dy no means been terminated by the &C
ton Of the park board Monday evening.
Altho the board withdrew tentatively
let for the lake thru the sewer system,
It is the understanding that this was
for the purpose Of thoroly canvassing
the whole situation before taking any
definite action in any direction. 1t is
possible that the services fa land
anything is done. --.-, -.
Horace B. Hudson, one of the Lake of
che Isles residents, and longtime stu
dent. of Minneapolis public matters, and
particularly of the park system re-
turned yesterday from a short vacation
pr what had been done by the park
BOARD, In relation to the Lake of the
isles matter.
"When l went away" said Mr.. Hud-
Pon, was given to understand that
she whole matter was as good as set
He'd and that no further proceedings
would be taken in the courts or other
wise.
rg "There seems to be a serious mis-
conception of the Lake Of the Isles mat
FER on the part of many, people. This
Rn dsome wholly unwarranted criticism
Dt the park board.
When the city commenced the i'm
grovement OF Lake of the Isles, some
ttteen years ago, the lake had an out
let into Lake Calhoun, and the two
bodies Of water were Of substantiallv
tho same level-as nature had arranged
them. In constructing the boulevard
around Lake of the Isles and along
the southeastern shore of Calhoun, and
III surfac1ng the meadows between lake
and boulevard around the north arm
of Lake Of tho TclaS +os,
level-the same in both lakes, Of course
was determined as the normal, and
all work, was done with reference to
this level. =. ........
height above the normal water level
as to be solid i'll every part, and the
meadows were made high enough to be
passable right down to the waters edge
Each year these meadows have been
moved and have gradually become more
hrm and beautiful, while the trees
planted along the water edge and scat
tered about the meadows have thriven
aud added much to the attractiyeness
of the park.
- Dredging Not Complete.
80 In this, connection it should be dis
tlnctiy understood that the work of
dredalng and formation Of meadows was
entirely along the east side and north
arm Of the lake. The northwest arm
near the Peavey fountain, AMI the west
AM south sides of the lake were never
touched by the dredge, and their pres
ent condition should not be taken as
an indication Of the futility of i'm.
provements at the lake. The original
plan was to dredge this part Of the
Lake, the same as the north arm, and
establish definite shore lines, separatine
firm meadows from deep water.
(, - AL talk of Lake of the Isles hav-
ing become marsh because of 'low-
.ering its level is-well, to say the
lease, an entire misunderstanding of the
has remained at substantially the same
Level as it was fifteen years ago until
the damming of Lake Calhoun last
year. During those fifteen years there
was, of course, some huctuation as the
seasons were wet or dry, but as the
lake is fed by springs it was never in
High Water Creates a Marsh.
=. con the other hand, since the out
let thru Calhoun has been stopped and
the water raised from two to three
feet, large part of the meadows about
the north arm have actually become
marsh. At the same time many
trees have. been killed and the boule-
ward softened in places.
"Another misconception Is that rails
ing the level of the lake will increase
the area and prevent plant growth. AS
to the first point, the banks of the
two or three feet additional depth
makes little difference in the water
surface. The effect in the meadows is
more to saturate and make Doggy than
to produce new water surface AS for
the vegetable growth, two additional
feet of water will not stop it, The
lilies are one of the chief beauties of