Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-13
TO BEAUTZFY
LOS ANGELES
NOTED LANDSCAPE ARTIST WILL
LEND HIS AID
PRESENT PARKs ARE VALUED AT
s4,ooo,ooo
clty's Situation Offers an Opportunity
to Enable 1t TO Remain Unsur-
passed Metropolis Of the
Great Southwest
BY G. d. DAVIS

BY =. ID. DAVIS
The announcement that Charles Mulford
Robinson will be in Los Angeles this
month to begin his preparation OF plans
for the beautifying of the city is vel
come news.
The individuals who have been instru-
mental In ecuring his services merit
the highest commendation and their ef-
forts are worthy of emulation by all those
citizens who have the best interests OF
Los Angeles at heart.
Mr. Robinson is one of the three or
four most noted authorities in the country.
on civic art. His experience has been OF
such length and such variety that he has
the reputation of possessing the touch
of the master. Living IN Rochester, N.
Y, near the great eastern centers, ne
has intimate knowledge of the best work
that is being done for the physical I'M
provement of those municipalities He
has also been called upon by large num-
ber of important cities to lend his skill
in panning for the future, notably Den
yer and Colorado Springs, which instant
ly upon the tourists arrival impress him
with a sense of cleanliness. neatness and
beauty
Neither of these popular places, nor in
fact any others in the United states, nave
had or do have the immense opportunity
which Los angeles has to become city
of beauty and Joy forever. They all
laek the natural endowments with which
it is blessed. 1t is neither monotonously
level nor wearisomely hilly, but is happy
in the pos -ession of just enough relleI
within it's boundaries to lend itself to the
forming had of the landscape genius.
Flanked on the one side by the majestic
mountains, ever the same and yet ever
new and always inspiring, and on the
other side by the wide stretch of sweep
ing plain and gentle hills, which roll
away to the sundown sea, Los Angeles
possesses the natural situation which
should enable it to remain the unsur-
passed metropolis of the southwest and
the cynosure of all the nations eyes.
Peer of pII the Coast
Indeed the city is now worthy peer
small proportion of it's citizens fail to
realize the great acreage which is de-
voted to beautiful parks and the high
valuation placed thereon. 1t will no
doubt be a surprise to many to. know
that there are fourteen large parks and
four public park squares.
These aggregate, to quote a recent
statement. a total of more than 3700
acres, valued at above s4,0O0000, and a
force of one hundred gardeners is re-
uuired to care for the grounds. THE
most valuable of the parks Is Central
park the shady square of four and one
half acres bounded by Hill, Olive, Fifth
and Sixth streets, this plat alone being
valued at 100000. Griffith park con-
tains over 5000 acres, while Elysian park
covers more than 500 acres of picturesque.
rolling hill country, with wonderful views
of city, mountain and sea-
Eastlake park fifty acres in extent,
is handsomely laid out. beautiful lake
affording rowing, geological garden
and extensive green houses presenting
points Of interest. Westlake in the heart
of the aristocratic residence district, is
in a perfect state of cultivation and all
of its thirty-fve acres an example OF
the highest art of the landscape gar
dener Echo park, South park, Hollen-
heck park. all provide delightful resting
places and play grounds for children.
Residence Parks
Residence parks are popular and there
IS a commendable tendency among real
estate promoters to provide subdivisions
with pretty plazas. one of the latter
being shown at the top of this page.
Chester place st. James park, Bernard
park and Alvarado terrace are examples
of residential parks established some time
ago. while Westmoreand place. Palm
place and numerous other places are
coming into vogue.
And then to all this array every pa
triotic Angeleno hopes to see Agricul-
tural park added at an early. day. 1t is
said that this tract could be syndicated
for subdivision purposes for S1,00O,000
within twenty-four hours after 1t was
declared to be on market
Artist Dwights plans contemplate maxi
ing these one hundred and more acres
a notable addition to civic art. Areas
for Fairgrounds and sports, speedway
for horses and automobiles, spaces for
an amphitheater and a bandstand will
be set aside, while In the center will