The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-22

.
lee District is ali right rs IT now
stands" said a fnr-siEhted citizen, VINO
has taken The advice OF The 'rlmca-
Dispatch ana gone out In that distric!
to view tho situation, but what about
81 when all those vacant, lots from Loni-
hardy street to the Boulevard shhll DC
built upon? There will be very little fresh
air to breathe unless there shat be
an opening TO admit it.
This citizen has been out there AMI
viewed the ground and then lie has
studied tile map lie finds the same
things that The Tmes-D ispatch repre-
sentative has discovered. sst
IN all The laying off and mapping
out OF the Lee District streets and 1otS
no provision has been. made for PARK
that Is worthy the name. The TERRITORY
bounded by I.ombardy OH the East. Broad
on the North, the boulevard on the
West and Grove Avenue on the sout1,
nothing is left for park purposes except
little triangle made by Park Avenue
and lvey and Meadow Streets, and that
contains only about 13l feet on the
Meadow Street end, taperng off to moth
ing near Park Street. where 1vey Street
and Park Avenue intcrsect.
This little triangular plot Of ground has
been left there by the private 4 owners
j pptHuSp LlPy Ilhu lOllIlllS 5AISS W w N'N'A
st and with the hope that the city may
take hold Of II and make IT q park. so
called. but such a little ill-shaped piece
of ground could be called park only
by courtesy and out Of respect for the
donors. whose Intentions may have been
good but not near large enough.
81 Who Pays the Piper?
Private citizens do not build parks
and they do not, as a general rule. fur.
#nish the land upon which to build them.
There have been exceptions sto,sthiH RUE
and instances arc recorded flhere$5 and
! there In the world $ history esp specially
in that part OF: it8that pertains to great
cities OF tl,e past wherein ppulen prlIate
acItizenssys7avfyslra their names famous
IN giving R Whole lot OF ground and
good sized Rbnss of money to be applied
10 the making OF bis open aired parks III
which the people can gos for all time
5 80 enjoy the cooling breczes. ana al
2 that sort OF thing.
Butfthe opulent people of this day ana
generation do not seem TO DC 6reatls
enth,sed over the idea OF going GOWN
An the pages of history as park makers;
that Is to say, as park makers at lhe,r
own expense. There may be ~hoie
squads, companies. regiments. even oIi
gades, OF people all over INC country anu
IN Richmond who would love to SEQ their
names engraved in stone arches over
Tho entrances to parks, showing mat
they we're members OF the city Council
4 that bought the park property. Win CITY
funds. or belonged to the civil engineer
dcpnrtnent thai laid off the PARK; out
IN to the present writing no citizen OF
Richmond has yet been run up WIN
who has expressed n burning desire 10
,ayo his name 70 down in stone or In
hronzc as the sole donater sf oil the
Ground needed for a big city park, or q,
Lee District park.
City Must Buy.
nh. rea, meaning Of all this is that IL
z there Is ever big park In Lee District.
and certainly there ought to be. the city
~ Richmond will have TO provide II.
THAT the city will eventually nave 70
arrange for park Of conslderaple ~
MISUNDERSTANDING not smaller lhah
Monroe Park-there can be no doubt IN
( the minds OF such people MS believe III
Rchmond's great future
fore,ock. Wise cities should do ike
wise The time for the city to provide
~ mark in the West End, Lee District.
AZ while tile land necessary for the same
= is cheap and not covered up with costly
ho,Ises Walt until the territory from
1,ombardy to the Boulevard Is thicklS
hu,lt IN and the pulling down OF houses
and the re-nrranselng OF s'Tetts any
I blocks In order to make shapely PARK
would cost a whole pile of money rs
comnnrcd with what II would now cost
TO get possession of tho vacant land.
III is the opinion OF those who have
rtud,cd the situation that tho forlhcom-
,nr mark OF the Lee District should be
somewhere near where Cedar Street
intersects Monument Avenue. possibly
making the Davis monument the centre
OF the pnrk with streets radiat'ng from
he an ornament to the city and mn abso-
lite necessity. for when Lee Distrie!
becomes crowded the people thereof
must have air and n great deal OF IT, !,
"a new park is the watclword and y
may cut some figure In the municipal
election now on.