Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-26
COST OF MAINTENANCE LESS
THAN $4,000 IN YEAR
EAsTLAKE AND WEsTLAKE ARE
KNOWN WORLD OVER
Thousands of Loads Of Rock, Gravel,
Loan and Manure Transferred to
Keep Recreation Spots in
Condition

PUBIC work can be done economically
under the progressive administration
of Commissioners William Humphrevs
John N. Rushton. Jesse 7. Walden and
Frame Kern.
These commissioners visit all of the
| parks weekly with Mayor A. C. Harper
as president ex-officio and personal at
tention has been given during the year
TO the growing needs of the peoples
Fairgrounds and recreationaI centers
Eastlake and Westlake parks are the
most popular of the outlying parks,
though more persons probably pass
| through City Hall and Central parks In
| the heart of the city.
| Special attention is paid in the reports
to the east and west, the large attend
ance, of course, increasing the cost OF
maintenance
EastIake Leads
| Eastlake as usual has been the most
popular of Los Angeles parks, no doubt
owing to the fact that there are more at
fractions there in the conservatory, the
zoo, the Sunday band concerts and the
popularity of the park for picnics
some good improvements of a per1na-
nent character have been completed-not-
aply the clearing out of the south side
OF the large lawn where there are Soma
very fine cypress trees Walks have been
iaid out and some large beds and border
planted to a choice collection of confer
| GUS shrubs
Rustic benches have been placed under
the large trees close by the walk. and
the borders have all been edged with
curning, the walks graveIed. and a choice
| collection of Towering plants has been
planted in the borders in front of the
shrubs, which makes one of the most pic
turesque sections
New Boat Pavilion
| "A fbax
erection or a commodious ooat house and
refreshment pavilion of mission archj-
lecture The old buildings have been torn
down and removed and new retaining
| wall built in place of the old one and the
low ground filed to grade. twelve
foot walk of concrete has been made on
| the north and west side OF the new build
ing, and when the newly filed ground has
been planted this will make a much bet
| ter feature of the park
The EaStlake conservatory has also
| proved as popular as ever. The show of
flowers there during the spring and sum-
| mer were much admired, the display of
hyacinths. tulips, narcissus lilies, lilacs.
begonias, rhododendrons and orchids
being finer than ever.
| The crowds of people Who visit the con-
| servatory give constant proof how made !
quate it is for the accommodation Of vis-
itors. 1t should be renewed with a larger
and more modern structure. the Commits
sioners say.
The water system has been added to
by the addition of 1000 feet of one-inch
i pipe. Before some necessary improve
ments are made in the northeast section
however, more water at better pressure
must be supplied.
Much Planting and Hauling
Two hundred shrubs and trees were
planted during the year and 300 bedding
and Towering plants were used.
The amount of hauling done includes
! 100 loads, of red gravel. for repairing
walks. 200 loads of manure used in the
park $50 loads of material used for filing
| and twenty-eight loads of stone hauled
from Elysian park for the lake wall
The new lath house, 200 by 26 feet, has
been erected and repairs have been made
in the green houses and conservatory.
| From the conservatory at Eastlake IA
300 bedding and Towering plants were dis
| tributed to other parks and 80 700 still
remain for distribution.
| Expenses aggregate SIS, 81 of which s1S.-
| $50 represents labor.
Why WestIake Costs
! Westlake is one of the most expensive
| of the Los Angeles parks to maintain
because of the poor character of the soil
and the great amount of remodeling and
reconstruction needed, because. when
first improved. sipshod and cheap meth :
DDS were used in the park, Superintendent
Morley says.
| The retaining walls and terraces on the
north side of the park have no founda-
tions and must be entirely done over, as
most of the work is done with loose
| stone. Sixth street is to be paved and
| bids have already been advertised for to
build a permanent wall.
The knoll on the south side Of Will
shire boulevard entrance has been cleared
| of the old lyceum horrida planted there
years ago, the ground being trenched
three feet deep and replanted to choice
collection of twenty-nine varieties of
coniferous shrubs imported from Europe,
! 180 plants in all. All are doing well ex-
cept ten.
New Construction
! A retaining wall has been erected at
the base of the knoll adjoining the drive
varying from three to six feet high, of
selected cobblestone from the Arroyo
! Seco. This Improvement will be of
permanent character.
| The riprap around the lake has been
repaired. but to do good work on a per-
manent basis it will be necessary to take
out the lower gate at Seventh street and
| drain the lake; otherwise there will be a
! constant drain of money for repairs.
! Two new lavatories of brick and cement
have been erected on the north side Of
the park with all modern sanitary plumb
| ing, and they are great convenience to
| the people in that section.
During the year $1,000 bedding plants
and 3S5 shrubs have been planted
Beauty and Utility
| Materials used and hauled include 119
loads of manure. 80 loads of gravel. 81
| loads of loan. 26O loads Of material for
| filling near the band stand. al loads OF
stone from Elysian park, q loads of cob
blestone from the Arroyo Seco and Syca-
more grove and "a loads of sand from the
Los Angeles river. 4
| The lower section of the knoll below
the palms will be planted with dwarf
| growing palms and plants of similar
character. The shrubs now there will be Y
| grubbed out, as the change would make
the park In that locality much more in
! teresting and open up to view the beail-
tiful palms which are now hidden by
buckthorn growing there.