The San Francisco call., 1904-12-03
DECLINE OFFER
OF STONE ARCH
Park Commissioners Think
Exhibition Stonework Is
Not Sufficiently Artistic
PRINTING BIDS GO OVER
Special Meeting Called for
Friday, December 9, to
Consider the Contracts

State Mineralogist Lewis E. Aubury
believed the Park Commissioners
would pay the cost of moving the
stone arch in the California exhibit at
the st. Louis Exposition to San Fran
cisco. Mr.. Aubury hid the Park Com
missioners could have the arch If
they would pay the freight on the
stones of which it is built over the
1000 miles of railroad.
But the arch will not grace any of
the entrances to Golden Gate Park, for
the Commissioners were not inclined
tc take the matter under serious con-
sideration. Upon each and ever stone
of the structure is the carved adver-
tisement of the quarry from which the
rock was dug and this proved to be
the undoing of the proposition. The
arch was declined with thanks.
! The meeting of the commission was
called at o'clock in the office Of
President A. B. Spreckels. Those pres
ent were Commissioners Cummings,
Dingee, Lloyd, Sullivan and Mr..
! Spreckels in the chair. After dispos-
! ing of the minutes of the last meet
ing the report of Superintendent John
McLaren was read and approved. The
report mentioned the recent improve
I
building of pleasantly that will add
a new attraction to the city's big play
ground. The domicile of the noun
tain quail that Mr.. Lloyd donated has
been placed in good shape for the
gamey birds that will inhabit it. 1t was
shown in the report that the man
Flood, who said he had lost his posi-
tion because of having reported to the
commission the act of a policeman in
shooting at an elk in the paddock. had
been relieved from duty by his en-
ployer for other reasons. Flood
claimed financial sympathy for his al
/ legged martyrdom.
THE ARCH AGAIN.
The secretary's report showed the
receipts and disbursements for No
vember and after its reading State
Mineralogist Aubury was introduced
and told of the California arch. The
expense of dismantling apd shipping.
together with the cost of re-erecting
the arch here. would cost about $1,000.
Commissioner Sullivan said that he
thought that an arch that would not
be disfigured by advertisements and
which would be built of various stones
quarried in different parts of the State
would be ornamental, but he did not
favor the proposition before the board.
sP1 resident Spreckels agreed with Com
missioner Cummings that the structure
would be too much Of patchwork af-
fair TO be artistic.
A communication from the Califor-
mia Association of Chauffeurs request
ine that less stringent regulations be
adopted regarding the running Of au-
tomobiles through the park at night,
was read and filed.
! The beautiful painting, THE Break
ing Ground" by Rosa Bonheur which
had bee purchased through the ef-
forts of IS. Mary Morse Green, was
accepted for the park museum.
j. NJ. Kyle, on behalf of the new
Stockton High School, wrote to request
! the assistance of the commission in
planting it's High School park. Slips of
plants and young trees were needed
and from the nurseries at Golden Gate
Park donations would be thankfully
received by the citizens of the mill
city. The request was referred to Su-
perintendent McLaren. with power to
act
The Pacific Coast Forest, Fish and
Game Association communicated de-
sire for the support of the commission
in the first forest. fish and game exhibit
ton, to be held in this city from Feb
ruary 21 to March II next. Received
and filed.
! Representatives of the printing con-
Germs that have put in bids for the
right to produce the Park News were
/ heard regarding their claims to do the
: work. The firm of Phillips, Smyth &
: Van Orden has dissolved partnership,
Smyth Withdrawing. The original firm
was the highest bidder, and Quirk &
Co.. in the same building with the firm
first mentioned, second highest. A con-
troversy has arisen over charges
T brought by Smyth that there are too
: close relations between Quirk and his
+, neighbors. Other bidders. including
! Smyth, who is now in business for
himself, are anxious to submit figures
An investigation of the claims and
! counter claims of interested persons
will be made and all concerned will be
heard at special meeting of the board
/ to be held next Friday evening at 8
/ o'clock in a room on the half-fioor Of
7 the Palace Hotel.
DIR. D'ANCONA COMPLAINS.
Complaint by Dr. D'Ancona of the
( use of the bicycle path by pedestrians
will be referred to the park police, with
! instructions to put stop to the prac-
! tice
Hugo Greenhood offered to lend the
! museum a collection of 1000 coins for an
! indefinite period. The matter was re-
ferred to Commissioner Cummings, with
| power to act IL the acceptance of the
offer does not include the acceptance Of
responsibility for the collection.
The contract for furnishing $500 feet
of ten-inch castiron pipe for the new
reservoir near Strawberry Hill was let
to the Crane Company at $40 per ton.
! The other bidder was Christian Frolich,
$43 4S per ton.
Superintendent McLaren will investi-
gate the suggestion of persons living on
the park panhandle that two conve-
/ nience stations be built on the pan
handle. The Commissioners favor one
/ station.
The superintendent was instructed to
have made a foot path on the north
side of the south drive leading to
| Strawberry Hill.
Employees of the museum were or
dered to remove their exhibits of curios
! from the building, as in Commissioner