The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-09-05

Another thing | wish to call a.ten-
ton to is that while we have the
largest town in the county and one
of the finest little cities i'll the state,
with unequaled facilities for town
park, we have not one rod of ground
in the city where our country friends
and visitors can go on any public day
or occasion to sit down and rest
their weared and tired bodies.
say this, because our Court house
is so far away from the business part
of the city as to be impracticable,
for the court house yard is virtually
out of the city, and here we are, and
have been for seventy-hve years,
without single breathing place or
| spot in the city to invite visitors or
with benches to afford a place of
rest for those sojonrning in Our
midst
And all this time there has been,
and is now, a place or spot within a
stones throw of the business heart of
| the city where sufficient ground could
be obtained at small cost to make a
city park.
If we were offered a public monu-
ment as a gift, we would have no
place to put it without going three
| or four blocks from the business out
skirts of the city.
| / venture to say that such a condi-
| ton as that does not exist in any
other county seat in Indiana, and for
that matter not in the county seat of
any other state of the union.
When | was small boy there ex-
listed in the very heart of the town OF
Hornellsville, ~ Y, my native place,
little park that did not exceed the
size of one of our city blocks. 1t was
the place where every public gather
ing was held, and where when the
place contained a population of five
! thousand, base ball games were
played without let or hindrance.
That park is there today and the
town has grown to city of fifteen
thousand people, and it is practically
the only PARK the cny mas. In iii
center now arises the shaft of beau
tiful soldiers monument, and around
that center are playing fountains OF
water, and there is located perma-
nent band stand.
1t has benches and seats for hun
dreds. of people at all times in the
summers months, hitching racks
around it for hundreds of teams, and
nobody there thinks that anything IS
too good for those who come from
afar to bring their produce to market,
and TO fill the Golfers of her mer-
chants with their gold.
1t is pleasure to sit there in a
summer afternoon or evening and TO
listen to the twice a week band con-
certs, to hear the FLASHING waters OF
the fountains and to look upon the
beautiful flowers, and all that did no:
cost the city of Hornellsville one
quarter as much money as the paving
of single street.
So many friends has that little
park made for the city of Hornells-
vile in years agone. that | verify be-
lieve that were it possible for some
calamity to come and wipe it out.
that thousands of outside visitors
would mourn its fate far more than
they would were the finest business
block in the city to be ravaged by
fire or food.
| | have in mind at this momen. a
strip of ground on the south bank
of Yellow river, just east of the Mich
igan street bridge, that contains per
haps less than an acre of ground
that could be obtained at compare
lively little cost. If Yello, river is
not ruined by the pending drainage
proceedings, and even if that calam-
ity should come to pass, this plot OF
ground would make an ideal location
for such little park as | have in
mind.
Along the water front of this little
space is fringe of grand old trees
watered and sustained by the waters
OF Yellow river, and with compare
lively little more expense the whole
space could soon be shaded by mag
nihcent elms and naples that make
our town the admiration of all who
visit it.
/ We now have elms and naples III
plenty, but, alas, they are all on pri-
vate grounds, and we have not one
shade tree near the business center
that invites the stranger within our
gates to rest and enjoy its shade.
In such a park as that we could
have permanent band stand, which
could be utilized as a speakers stand
ON all public occasions. Here, too
we could have sparkling fountains
and flowers. Here, too, we could have
benches and rustic seats to invite the
weary, and for the tired mothers
who love to sit and watch their child
rem at play.
| And here, too, we could have ample
waiting and toilet rooms and privil
eyes for visitors, kept at public ex-
pense for the benefit of our country
friends and patrons and for all who
visited our city.
Many of OUR citizens have given
over the privacy of then homes &c
strangers on public occasions and
quiring the privileges of toilet
| | have seen ten thousand people ir
our city on more than one public
occasion, and no toilet accommoda-