The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-22
THE PARK LOSES ITS MAYOR.
IN THE HOLE IN THE ROCKS THE
ALDERMEN MOURN FOR BANG.

TO Any Funeral but Ills Own-But His
Memory Fits on Their Lips and they
Also Hope TO Be "a and Very Wise.
Frederick Bang, Mayor Of Central Park =
historian, philosopher and sage, is dead.
! Clad though it is in the white garb OF winter,
I the park which he loved 80 we'll Is In mourn
ing for him. and up in their rocky retreat
in the Ramble q little group OF old men, their
hair as white as the SHOWS around them
are lamenting the loss Of their friend.
Mr.. Bang was the oldest member OF the
Central Park Board Of Aldermen" for
that is what they call themselves. He died
on Monday Of cancer His funeral was
held yesterday at his home at 90 West Fifty
third street. 1t was a private funeral and
his old fellow members Of the board did not
attend it. They make 1t a point not to go
to funerals. But in the afternoon they
held a memorial service with the sun shining
down on the vacant seat on the rocks and
passed appropriate resolutions.
Mr.. Bang was "a years old, He was born
in Germany, where nearly all his fellow
members were born, and came to this
country in 1913. There may have been a
board Of aldermen in the park then. Ira
dition says that there has always been such
a board hidden away somewhere amid the
trees and rocks, discussing the questions
OF the day. Mr.. Bang did not belong to the
board then, but for the last fifteen years he
had been a member and he lived long
enough to avoid going to the funerals of
many members and to zee new ones take
their places, as some one will take his place
He was a designer Of fine furniture. His
work was done for some Of the biggest
makers in the city and he earned enough at
this to retire with a competence fifteen
years ago. 1t was then that he joined the
board.
To the casual stroller through the park
the board may not be known, but to habi-
tues Of the park it Is an institution, and so
was it's chairman.
Every day the boa I'd can be found in the
Ramble; In summer on a row Of seats on q
slight eminenoe crowned by some UNI
brageous naples and in winter in the hole
in the rocks called the Bakers Oven
The Bakers Oven belongs to the board.
Nature seems to have designed it for them
to shelter their backs from the north wind
while the winter sun shines down upon
them. 1t lie back from one Of the walks
and faces the south. People who walk
through the Ramble can see them sitting
there day after day In winter, putting on
long pipes and rapping the ground with
canes to emphasize their arguments.
Over this gathering Mr.. Bang had presided
day after day. He was a thin, spare man,
with snow white hair and m,lsta che. Twice
a day IL was his custom to walk from his
home in Fifty-third street to the meeting
place and back, making six miles as his
daily exercise. 1t was why he had lived
80 long. he often said. He timed his trips
and never deviated from his schedule.
At $50 o'clock every morning he arrived,
coming along the winding walks Of the
Ramble, head erect, chest thrown out and
can pounding the pavement. For Just
two houEs then he and his fellow members
talked over the questions OF the day. He
always sat on the middle bench and blew
great clouds of smoke from his pipe.
He had n Of the greatest memories
l ever knew" said one Of the members
at yesterdays meeting. He had the his
tory OF every part OF the world, civilized
and u~nclyilized, at his tongues end, and
o couldn't stump him. he could give
back, their. religion and habits and the
customs Of their people. He knew just what
religious changes countries had undergone
and what the effect OF the different religions
bad been on their people, and he would
discourse on them to the Arrangement Of US
all. His memory never went back on him,
although his eyesight did, He was a won
derful man.
At 1850 O'Clock Mr.. Bang always put UP his
pipe, too his stick and sta rted home. He
was never o minute behind or ahead Of
time. At 2 o'clock he was back again and
at 8 O'Clock he took his departure for the
day. On every trip he stopped at the spring
in the Ramble for a drink Of water. He
said 1t was natures stimulant and all an
old a needed to do six miles a day on.
1t was only a very stormy day that kept
the Mayor away from the boa rd meeting.
Like some Of the other members, he often
appeared in the rain, carrying an umbrella
In one hand and his cane In the other.
brated Mr.. Bangs birthday. Mr.. Bang
listened to appreoiative speeches from his
fellow members, and then, standing on a
bench, recited a poem Of schiller's.
ve 1t Was sight aEa to s3o see w said the he. members osaa rs
one hand and his pipe in the other, reciting
verse after verse. When he got through
his recitation he thought a moment and
then began singing one Of Schiller's songs.
l tell you 1t was fine. We were going to
he got through he insisted that we all walk
over to Somller's bust and put atwreath
on it. He loved Schiller, you know"
"Yes, and he loved an argument, too"
spoke up another member. but he always
got the best of most Of us because he knew
SO much history and 40 much everything.
Why, he had the history OF Russia and
Japan bach to the Dark Ages, almost"
'And, say said another old man with
a round red face, do you remember when
we took that vote before the last election
how mad he was that a majority was for
Hearst2"
And so IL went on yesterday afternoon,
while the members that are left sat on the
benches in the recess in the rocks, their
coats buttoned up to their chins, their feet
stamping to keep warm and their canes
humping the walk when they got excited.
A Jew, two Frenchmen and a dozen Ger
mans make up the usual gathering. Mr..
Bang antedated all Of them and was their
senior by some years. Most Of the park |
policemen knew the old man. He was
a fine old gentleman" said one of the cops
yesterday. He often walked through the
snow to reach his friends and help them
shovel out their place up there. He looked
as young as any of 'em, too, out some Of
EN- were youngsters beside him. The
squirrels will miss him, too, because the
old man ueed to bring along some crumbs
for them and scatter EN- as he walked.
But | guess there's nobody going to miss
him here or anywhere else quite as much
as that old bunch up there in the rocks"
Mr.. Bang leaves eight children and eight