The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-08
THE CITYS NEGLECT OF
THE PARK EXTENSION
Responsibility for Its Condition Dis
cussed by Col. George A. Mercer.

Responsibility for Its Condition Dis
cussed by Col. George A. Mercer.
Editor Morning News: Whenever I
stop to consider the very long contin-
ued, and, as 1 think, inexcusable ne
glect of the municipal authorities in
their treatement of the extended park,
my feelings, both as an adjacent pro-
prietor and as citizen, are so aroused
that l find it very difficult to express
them in those precise and modu-
lated terms which Shakespeare defines
as the quip modest and the retort
courteous.
But 1 note in the Morning News of
3rd instant that Mr.. Dixon, our acting
Mayor, admits that the extension needs
the better offices of the city, and prom
ises to try and include in THE next
budget an appropriation for it's better
ment. If he can accomplish this, he
will prove a public benefactor, and
will cheerfully withdraw my criticism
so far as he or any other helpful mu-
nicipal officer may be concerned in
this municipal benefaction. Having
been interviewed by the News, which
displays a very commendable zeal for
the Identification of our city-as to
the propriety of the purchase by the
city of the race track. with a view to
future or gradual utilization as pub
lie park. and having declared my
hearty approval, l beg leave to express
my opinion as to the municipal obliga-
ton to improve other parks in our city
limits, one of which at least has up to
oil m
and unkempt. How can we with any
confidence anticipate the improvement
of a new park when existing ones are
so sadly neglected?
When the city dedicates an area for a
public park, the presumption rs that 1t
intends to make it answer it's purpose,
and recognizes it's obligation to do so.
/ have lived upon the extended park
now for more than thirty years, and
the city has not as yet taken even the
first initial step to improve it as
park 1t has always been, and still re-
mains, literally an old field without
adequate or sufficient walks, benches
or comforts and utilities of any kind,
far more suggestive of municipal riot
than of the rus in urbe.
1t is, l believe, the only park in the
city which has never been curbed'
whereas, have been informed, TWO
long lines of stone curbing have been
literally wasted on the Louisville road:
About twice a year the grass ana
weeds are coarsely cut by horse now
er and the abundant growth of weeds
is annually intensified by this surface
cutting.
Every gardnerer knows that cutting
weeds at the surface, and leaving the
roots in the ground, is like shaving the
beard, and only thickens and multi
plies the growth. When l was mem
Der of the Park and Tree Commission
| introduced and had passed a reso-
luton that before each cutting with
the scythe few laborers should be
sent out with grubbing hoes to dig up
all obtruding weeds by the roots. This
alone can and will finally eradicate
ali weeds. Prior to the last scything,
noticed several laborers with hoes.
asked one of them if he was instructed
TO dig up the weeds; he said mo. only
to move fragments of glass, metal or
stone out of the way OF the scytne'
Great consideration is shown for all the
tools of the city; none for the citi-
zens
When the city has been reproached
for its gross neglect of the extended
park, il has replied that the military
owned it, and II had no control. This
Is the shallowest subterfuge. The area
has been formally laid out ana dedl-
Gated as a public place to be
known as Forsyth Place, see Mac
DonelTs City Code. Section lOS7-llSs).
The military parade ground has been
expressly added TO and made part OF
Forsvth place (Section 1880. The city
has always assumed full control for
an purposes save for improvement. II
has exactly the same rights. and Is
burdened with the same obligations
that pertain TO all other public parks.
II IL true that the military OF this CITY
have a user Of the surface for parades.
THE surface could not be legally OBJ
structed by trees or benches but the
present so-called walks could De I'M
proved. new walks constructed,
benches placed. and every utility or
attraetion added that would not frus-
trate or impede military maneuyers'
Counting streets from the Bay the eN-
tended park lies IN the geographical
center OF the city and IN ita very best
orrupled area. Why then has MOTH
inc ever been done for ~
Or course. under the plain languaee
Of The state law the Improvement Or
thia park. like an other parks - e&.
clualycly within the juraditiion ana