The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-04-02
ESTHER
GRIFFIN
WHITE

Indianapolis Is at last sitting up
and noticing the condition Of its trees.
A very severe aTraienment Of the
Park Board of that city appeared In
last Sundays Journal, being extracts
from a paper about the city's trees
by one of the citizens Of that town.
1t not only made general mention
but pointed out specific and individ-
ual examples. The writer of this col
umn has long espoused the cause of
the trees in this city and is glad to
see a like attitude assumed by well
known citizens of Indianapolis, for
strenuous protest is being made there
against the farther mutilation and
destruction Of trees as we'll as sug-
gestions for their protection and i'm
provement.
This column has frequently referr-
ed to 'Arboriculture the delightful
little magazine published and edited
by John p Brown. one of the best
known men in this country, and Sec
rotary of the International Society of
Arboricultdre. This magazine is de-
voted to The interests Of trees and in
the April number has this to say of
the action Of the city authorities In
New Orleans relative to some incom-
parable magnolias which are threat
ened with destruction through mis-
placed zeal on the part of the city
engineer.
1sThe city Of New Orleans IS stu
ated upon very low tract of land,
the waters of the Mississippi River
being several feet higher than the city
streets, and would inundate the city
but for the high levees which stand
as a barrier.
The natural supposition would be
that any property within the city
would be greatly improved if a few
feet of earth could be added to in
crease its elevation, but the autocrat
Of the Crescent City says otherwise.
A gentleman whose property is
quite valuable has magnificent row
of old Maenolias, probably the finest
In the city, eighteen trees which have
required from fifty to seventy-five
years to reach their present develop
ment. These trees are on that por-
tion Of the street which In the
north is called the sidewalk line But
tahis property is two to two and a
half feet higher than some surround
ing lands. The street on which these
trees wer3 situated was to be paved
with asphaltum. 1t is an unimport-
ant side street, and the engineer in
sisted upon chopping the roots of the
trees all away on the street side, des-
troying one-third Of all the roots, in
order to lower the street to an I'M
necessary level The next step was
to lower the walk, which would kill
every one of these splendid trees. To
this the owner objected, and will take
it into the courts If necessary to pre-
serve his trees. There are a thousand
men in the United States who would
very gladly pay one thousand dollars
each for these trees if they could be
made to grow, but all the money in
the country cannot produce such trees
In less than half century.
The same thing is an everyday oc-
currence n many other cities, where.
for the sake of exact straight lines
and perfect levels, trees are being
sacrificed which have stood hun
bred years.
The prospective third annual eXhi-
bition of the Municipal Art Society
of New York to be held in the Caller
les of the National Arts Club. was
mentioned in this column some time
since and The latter is also in receipt
of the catalogue of this most inter
esting and valuable exhibition, which
Is about to close Some of the most
celebrated architects, designers and
artists In this country have on dis
play plans and designs for various
buildings. parks, windows, etc, etc.
and the whole is of inestimable edu-