The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-05-22
n RAILROAD GRANTS PETITION
YEGEN BROS. WILL PARK
SOUTH OF TRACKS:
CITIZENS OPINIONS
Business Men Declare Dissertation Of
Parks Would Be Vandalism, shep.
herd Says We Need Parks-ca Camp
Doesn't Believe Railway Company
intends Leasing Ground.


Intends Leasing Ground.
@.If the Northern Pacific Railway
company grants the petition of the
citizens Of Billings asking that the
park on the south side Of Montana
avenue east Of the library be not
leased for warehouses or business
purposes, Yegen Bros. will remove
their implement, -four and ice ware
houses at present on the north side Of
Minnesota avenue so that this ground
may also be used for park This
was the declaration Of Chris Yegen
made yesterday to a representative
Of The Gazette.
''There is absolutely no necessity
for having warehouses in the center
Of the CITY," continued Mr.. Yegen.
warehouses would be more con-
venient If located even east Of Twen-
ty-fourth street, in my opinion. In
case the railroad company does not
see At to grant the petition Of the
citizens, nothing but the very best
structures should be permitted to be
crootod IN tho oro,yndU
Other Opinions.
Many other prominent business
men Of the city We're asked for an
opinion on the subject The consensus
Of opinion is that the ground in ques-
tion should by all means be kept
clear OF any building and should be
used only as park.
r. e. Shepherd, when asked for his
opinion Of the matter, said that he be-
lieved Billings needed parks. The
more and the better kept they would
be, so much more would property val
ues increase. He said that IL the citi-
zens could not get what they are after
in any other way, for them to secure
longtime lease on the ground and
then use 1t for q recreation ground
that would be attractive to tourists 40
they passed along.
Settler Favors Il.
When asked what he thought about
the plan, George Settler said that
there was only one way that anybody
with any pride in Billings could think
and that was to make the grounds
into a park.
That the Northern Pacific did not
intend to lease the ground was the
opinion Of e. B. Camp, who said that
in case the railroad did desire to
lease any Of the ground, 1t would
only be able to use that between
Twenty.seventh and Twenty eighth
streets. as its new passenger tracks
would occupy the other blocks.
DR.. James Chapple advocated the
maintenance Of a park on the side
of the right Of way, and said that any
patriotic citizen would want it in pref
erence to store buildings or ware
houses.
"It would be an outrage" declared
o. F. Goddard, in commenting in the
construction Of buildings near the
present depot site"
A. L. Babcock believes that the
time is not ripe for petition, for
he did not think the railroad COM
pany was anticipating any such &C.
tion as is generally believed. He
urged the concentration Of all the citi-
zens' energies in securing new de-
pot for this city. Il,
Judge ]. D. Matheson was very de-
cided in favoring the petition sent to
the railroad, saying:
Matheson Emphatic.
"The movement to save the rail.
way parks for the city, and prevent
their desecration by the erection Of
unsightly warehouse and manufactur-
ing buildings along the track BY the
proposed new depot. deserves the earn
est cooperation Of every citizen with
q spark Of patriotism or public spirit.
I sincerely hope The Gazette will
keep up the fight against the pro-
posed vandalism until the victory for
decent civic pride and a more beautt-
full Billings Is won. The two parka
which have been improved between
Twenty-seyenth and Twenty ninth
streets are delight to the travellers
passing through and source Of pride
to our people. The vacant spaces
between Twenty-seventh street and
the new depot could be made equally
attractive.
IA, petition to the Northern Pacific
to allow the city to park III the por..
tion Of the right Of way west Of the
,y