The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-12
HANDS ROAST ID
 BIRMINGHAM PARKS
Too Little Attention Paid to the
 Breathing Spots
ONE LARGE PARK NEEDED
We'll Known Landscape Artist Thinks Green Springs Park Could Be Made a Wonderful Place By
 Judicious Expenditure.

"Birmnghams parks are a disgrace to her people, and a shameful reflection on her character" said Robert Craig Berck- man, a member of the firm of Berckman Bros probably the most famous land scape architects in the south, who left the city yesterday afternoon after four days visit.
 He came here with his assistant, George w. Summers, from their headquarters and nurseries at Augusta, Ga, at the in- stance of Robert Jemison, to look over Mountain Terrace, and do some private work on MT. Jemison's place. While here he has been shown all over the city by R. s. Munger and several other citizens including City Engineer Kendrick.
 In leaving MT. Berman said that he knew of no other southern city with the pretensions of Birmingham whose parks were of such low order. Birmingham is the greatest city in the south, and I believe 1t greater than my own state city. Atlanta. except when l think of your parks.
 "The time will come before long when you will regret early careessness, when perhaps it Is too late. There Is a move on all over the south toward beautifying public places. Savannah Is now a model so far as artistic arrangement Is con- cerned, and Memphis Is much improved, We are now engaged in developing the state capitol grounds of South Carolina and In working out a boulevard system for Albany, Ga. We are also making a b., for that city has seen the necessity of action and has set aside siO,oOO recently to be used on the parks.
 Birmingham ought to vote a bond issue of at least $l0o,0O0 to be used for park improvements and thus settle for ever one of the greatest problems that could ever confront a city.
 Tn the first place, the little block parks scattered over the city are full of dead trees, useless and ugly shrubbery, that ought to be cut down, and an artistic plan carried out The trouble is, the city has gone ahead without knowing how to do. These little parks could be made very attractive, and to serve the purpose of neighborhoods without any trouble.
 However, the great need of the city is q large airing forest covered park within thirty minutes distance, connected from the heart of the city with a wide boule- yard, perfectly paved. and not marred with street car lines. The park should be laid off according to artistic ideas, with drives and paths throughout
 Most positively, every form of paying amusement refreshments other than pure spring water, should be barred making 1t place of quiet where the best people could spend an afternoon, and where children could go without danger to their bodies or of eating the trashy ice cream that nurses are tempted to give them.
 T have been to East Lake, and while the water is very pretty. 1t is no place to spend quiet afternoon. You can't go there without spending money for valueless things neither do l find children there romplng over play grounds, and really enjoying themselves.
 Now as 1 understand. Green Springs is Just the spot. There you have the woods, the spring and the land all with in easy reach of Birmingham. How easily 1t could be made attractive! It would come more and more to answer the need of your fast growing and crowded sections.
 'on the other hand your Highland resi- denee section Is beautiful, and I am es- pecially struck with the possibilities of Mountain Terrace. I will present a plan for the shrubbery and planting of that section, and if adopted, the equal of the terrace cannot be found anywhere"