The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-15

at an early session OF the city council.
This body has already adopted the rec
ommendation of the streets and walks
committee that the park be created.
1T only remains for the ordinance to
be formally passed by the city
council without any delay OF danger OF
alteration.
Two years ago the West Side F'Ores-
try club, an organization of women liv-
ing in Auburndale and Potwin and in
terested in tree planting began the ag-
1tation for the establishment Of a park
in the pointed strip Of land bounded on
the east by Haynes street and on the
north by Willow avenue otherwise
known as Fifth street, on the south by
Sixth avenue and on the west by the
junction of Sixth avenue and Willow
avenue or Fifth street. The tract con-
sists of about 40 odd fractional lots and
extends over the length of two fraction
al blocks.
The women composing the Forestry
club have been working quietly and
only presented the matter to the city
council for the first time four weeks
ago though as planned originally 1t had
been their intention to ask for the ere
alton of the benefit district a. year ago.
The spring flood however occurred at
that time and the promoters realized
that it would be impossible to try to Sc
cure favorable action from the city
council in the face Of a repetition Of
such a disaster. The discussion was
wisely postponed and the club kept on
with its efforts to raise a fund to aid
in the establishment of the park.
The attention of the club was at
tracted to this particular tract of
ground because of its possibilities in
the way of lending itself to q happy
treatment of landscape gardening,
from the fact that it was a waste
tract of land surrounded on all sides
by an attractive residence section of
the city. The land is owned by sew
eral different parties but there will be
no difficulty in securing a. disposition
of it on a reasonable basis indeed two
of the owners, N. H. LOOMS and eX-
Mayor Chas. A. Fellows, have agreed
to deed their holdings outright to the
city without cost
The purchase price which will have
to be paid to gain possession IS ap-
prOXimately $4,000. There is some
thing like 100000 taxable realty in
the first precinct of the Sixth ward so
that the cost will approximately
amount to 81 upon each one thousand
dollars Of real estate liable for taxa
ton. The first precinct of the Sixth
ward includes all of that part of the
city lying north of the center line Of
Eighth avenue and west of the center
line Of Lane street. The benefit dis
trict win be confined to this precinct.
The law providing for the creation of
q benefit district had its validity at
tackled in recent case, the decision
upon which was handed down last Sat
urday by the supreme court. T. W.
Harrison who put up the claim that the
notice would have to be printed for
three days instead of only one and who
further claimed that it required a per
G0nal service Of notification in addition
to various other claims, lost his case,
the supreme court upholding City At
torney Spencer's contention and sus-
tanning the law. This removed one of
the largest obstacles in the way of the
establishment of Willow Park.
The sentiment apparently is unan-
imous in favor of the new park in that
part of the city which will become liable
for the cost. This factor win further
eliminate any obstacle which might be
brought up against the passage of the
ordinance calling for the creation OF
the benefit district
The cost Of maintaining the park will