Cañon City record., 1908-03-26

i, resort will have to be made to taking
one-half mill from each of two muni-
cipal funds for the nrst year. and af-
terward run the whole amount under
a special levy for ten or twelve years
to pay for It, 20 difficult that the prob
lem with the council OF devising plan
by which to finance It is the only
thing that saved 1t from being
rushed through at the hrst meeting.
It seems very impracticable for these
men. or for any set Of men. to put
themselves, and the city council. and
the whole tax-paying people Of the
town, to such intensive stress. such
labor and travail to bring forth
mouse. And this little spot, or any
such small spot, a. a park. will never
be more than . mouse.
But the city cannot have both, this
small high-priced spot and the large
tract spots also. II the small and i'm
practicable Is bought, 1t blocks the
way to the large and practicable for
ten or twelve years.
do not believe the taxpayers will
grumble about a slight Increase in
taxes for a thing SO good. not only
for the people. but for the future Of the
town. Two large parks would do
! more to push forward tha permanent
upbuilding Of the city than . street
railway. and both will cost far less
than the people voluntarily contribut-
| ed for that purpose. These parks
would not create az much excitement
during one sI1gle solitary year as the
street railway. but they would real
Ize more practical prospects for the
future. and would prove one Of the
strongest magnets to bring an electric
line, and . good one. without any big
bonus, and on the city's own terms.
But let the city buy them before any
more street railway excitements are
sprung. or q street railway comes. or
the people will have to pay prices bas-
ed on wild. speculative ideas OF value.
Large parks outside the city limits
is what the city needs now. It has
enough small ones. And now. while
the park question is agitatsd In the
public mind. and areas large enough
for such purposes can be secured at
cost within the city's ability. even
a lower prices than these twelve lots.
and before years pass and land values
increase greatly. seems an opportune
A1 kA nN1rt tvs fkaN
ton. I would like to see the news
papers take up the park question. the
question Of real parks. Boom, or rath-
er. promote" the town along that
line. and see II 1t does not do more
good than the professional promoters
booms or his banquets. which are Al
ways so splendidly applauded BY the
press.
Finally. It should be considered what
class Of people parks are chiefly es-
tablished for. that the kind necessary
may be more correctly determined.
The wealthy. and to some extent, the
greatly for their own pleasure. But
they owe more to those who do need
them than they often think. To those
who are not 10 fortunately situated.
and who may need a place for recrea-
ton, that is easily and cheaply ac-
cessible. where a variety OF scenery
and pleasures can be found, whore
they can 60 prepared to spend the day.
and find relief from the work OF the
week. That 10 the kind Of park to
prepare for the laborers OF tho land.
those who produce the wealth of the
country. tho wealth that the wealthy
harvest
The large outlying parks. wherever
they exist, In any city In any tsate.
arc the ones that revivify the lives of
the people. that give relief successive
ly after tho labor OF the successive
weeks and months. that throw many
1 day Of cheer into the otherwise
drsary lives Of those who labor under
the disadvantages of tho burdens
heaped upon them by the vicissitudss
Of misfortune. Of those worn well-nigh
weary Of life by what has come to b
an unequal struggle for even mere ex-
istence, of the careworn, anxious
mothers. with their helpless, hapless
children round them, OF the pailid. dis
heartened invalids. from whose souls
hope has almost departed. OF all the
unfortunate and the down-trodden
sons and daughters Of men. whose la
bors, however persistent, have proved
unavaiiing. or have remained unre-