The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-26

PARK LESSONS
FOR BUSY men
SET BEFORE RETAIL DEALERS,
ASSOCIATION LAST EVENING.
Park Board Members Were the As
sociation's Guests, and They Told
Their Hosts Some Things About the
Parks in Minneapolis and Else
where.

\ d y : < 3
Members of the Minneapolis Retail
Dealers association went to school
last evening with the park commits
sioners as instructors. The latter
were guests of the association at its
regular monthly dinner at the Nicollet
house, and as a result of the func-
ton, the merchants have not only
become acquainted with the park au-
thorities, but know much more about
the parks Of Minneapolis than before.
w. L. Harris, president of the asso-
citation, cOmp1imented the park board
for it's efforts to beautify the city, and
called attention to the fact that it had
never been connected with; a scandal
Mayor ]. G. Haynes said that in his
travels he had noted ts.at Minneap-
oils was known far and wide as a
beautiful city Still only the founda-@
stion had been laid, and the city would
eventually rank with the most beau
tiful cities of the world. The mem
bers Of the association were COM
fairs, and their course it was said,
should be followed by all citizens,
who had a duty fully as important as
the officials of the city.
A. S. Adams, president Of the board,
spoke of the relations between the
park board and the city council. Or
dinarily' they were amicable, but oc-5
ence, as, for instance, when the al
dermen fixed the stage of water to
be maintained in Lakes Calhoun and
Harriet without comforting with the
park board.
DR.. w. w. FolWell outlined the or
ganization and growth of the park
system, reciting the difficulties in the
way Of getting a good start. The leg
| islative enactment of 1888 was a COM
| promise measure The provisions for
acquiring park lands were exhausted
| by 1889, and but for the certificate
and assessment plan proposed that
year by Edward! Stevens, the city
would have been unable to secure
some of the finest park tracts, such
as the Minnehaha and the east and
west river bank parkways, Loring,
| Powderhorn and others. AN outline
| was given of H. w. S. Cleveland's
original plan for the Minneapolis park
system, which was being followed.
Fred L. Smith, vice-president of
| the board and chairman of the finance
committee, talked figures and showed
that about s3.000,000 had been spent
in acquiring and beautifying 1900
acres. Beginning with this year, the
/ board would be in better financial
condition than in the past, and ex-
pected more tangible results.
Harry w. Jones discussed the mat
| ter of entertainment at the parks.
| ADJUSTMENTS had been attempted only
at Lake Harriet and Minnehaha. He
advised that they be discontinued at
the latter place on account of the at
mosphere of sentiment which per-
vaded& the whole place.
/ Charles M. Loring, father Of the
i parks - gave a general talk on parks
! in otherEcities. The first was the ia
4 nous Commons inisBoston, which be-
4 came lpuhlic playground in 1884,
h and REMAINED without a rival until
1851, when Philadelphia \ created a
public park. Park builders were not
This was true in this city, as there
had always been opposition to, park
4 enterprises.