The Pensacola journal., 1907-09-10
PROHIBITION AND
THE PUBLIC PARKS

among us whom we have been looking
for for the past 25 years-Mr. E. A.
Kemble, landscape gardener, from
Newark, N. j. He has been here long
senough to show us how easy it is to
make beautiful park out of a piece
Of ground that has long been a dis
grace to the city 1t did not even
deserve the name of plaza Listen to
what he says:
Il would recommend that the city
procure at once tract of land, say
about $50 acres, in the outskirts of
the town, for the purpose of having
a permanent park, as it will be need
ed here within the next ten years. Do
not make the same mistake that Or
ange, Newark, n. j., and other cities
have done in waiting until, instead OF
their parks costing them $4,000 per
acre, they have cost nearer $500
Get YOUR park lands now You have
got to have parks if you would be on
a parity with other cities On the gulf
coast. Don't say you don't need them.
You do need them, and need them
badly. So get your land while it is
cheap"
1t is true we have got Is acres OF
land on Bayou Te0ar, naturally one of
the prettiest sites in America for a
beautiful park, and so far but little
money has been spent on it. Last
year Mayor Bliss appointed a commit
tee of three gentlemen to begin the
work of improving this park donation,
but after a few weeks of work the
council failed to make an additional al
Iowance for the work. One hundred
acres of land joining this park on the
north, the property of the late AleXan-
der Stoddapt, with a frontage on
Bayou TeXar, Is on the market. Now
is the time to secure the land. Mr..
A V. ClUbbs is the agent for it, and
If it is not sold, it can be bought at
a reasonable price. Do not walt until
it is worth twenty times the price it
can be bought for now, as many other
cities have done, and are now paying
a heavy penalty for their procrastina-
ton
Public parks in cities are not a
luxury any more They are a neces-
sity, and the land should be secured
while it is cheap. Now this gentle
man comes from a city that has had
lot of valuable experience in public
parks with shade trees and street i'm
prov emients Read again what he says:
4NSAJ, L WSuId b6fAS uP
street park The car tracks should
be removed to the street and the CEN
ter curbed around the street line. A
sidewalk should be laid out inside the
rtark and shade trees planted inside
the curb. In. the center have a lawn
and set out few hardy shrubs. Seats
could be scattered through the park
and these improvements of small eX-
pense would make the park beyond
price to the city.
Now, as to the center Of Garden
street. Is it possible that the city
fathers are so short sighted as to
think of giving it to the street car
line? If they do, they will regret
their action within a few years. The
center of Garden street should be i'm
proved along the same line as Pala-
fox. In fact, all of the parks of the
city should be graded and shade trees
planted, as by so doing great i'm
will be made at a very
small cost.
'EAs to the shade trees along the
streets of the city, they should be
planted along every street between
the walk and the curb line, and a
shade tree commission should be ap-
pointed by the city to see that this
work is well done, and the trees given
proper attention. The shade tree mat
ter is one of great Importance in this
climate. where man and beast appre-
ciate the relief from the days of the
hot sun"
The street car company are holders
of valuable charters in other cities.
They know what these cost them, and
they know the value of charter IN
Pensacola. They can afford not only
to put their tracks on the sides OF
these streets. but they can afford TO
improve these parkways and keep
them improved during the life time OF
their charter.
1t will make their property more
valuable and add to the value of prop
erty on either side of these streets,
and make of Pensacola city that
every man, woman and child will be
proud of.
The time is coming-sand it is COM