Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-04
RICH GIFTS TO CITY OF OMAHA
Mrs. Selma G. Cornish Makes Her Do.
nations in Money.
EDWARD ROsEwATER DID SAM
Park Lands for Use Of Public Have
Been q FavOrite Form Of Phil
a~nthrOphy BY Omaha
Pioneers.

Omaha has been the recipient Of a widely
varied series Of gifts a~ggregating in value
many thousands Of dollars. The benefit
cenoes OF the givers have included lands
for park sites. objects Of art, scholarships
and collections Of curios. The latest pub
lie gift IL that OF Mrs. Selma G. Cornish,
who has added $4,000 20 her previous dona-
ton Of $4,000 for the acquisition Of the
lands comprised in Carter park. a memorial
to her former husband, the late Levi Car
ter. "a see
The park donations 20 the city comprise
a total acreage Of approximately "a acres,
or very nearly one-half Of the total park
acreage Of the city. The gift OF Mrs.
Cornish Of 10000 for the purchase Of
the Carter lake frontage gave the city park
system 9O3.5l acres, the largest gift Of the
kind ever given TO Omaha. The later gift
OF $4,000 is intended for improvements
Andrew J.. Hanscom gave the city a
tract OF $3.50 acres, now known as Han
soon park, in 1872, which has been the most
completely developed Of Omaha's parks,
and from the wild tRngle of woodland and
underbrush It has been transformed into
the artistic center Of one of the clty's
greatest residence districts.
EImvvOod Park, Gift and Purchase.
Elmwood park, which in area ranks sec
end to Carter park, is the composite Of a
gift and a purchase by the city. Lyman
richardson. John T. Bell, Henry p. Wiley,
Leopold Doll and William L. Snyder gave
the city fifty-two acres in 1890. The city
purchased 156 acres more adjacent to the
: donated tracts, thus gaining possession Of
the land now known as Elmwood park.
As a gift from the Transmississippi Elk
position company and Herman Kountze,
- -. -na,.a Attln % IyogtnNya narLr
eleven acres In extent. The acquisition OF
this park involves an ingenious succession
of transactions.
Legal obstacles stood in the way of a
municipal appropriation by the city in sup
port OF the Transmississippj exposition. To
circumven this an appropriation was made
for the Improvement OF park lands, with
the intent then OF locating the exposition
on one Of the park areas. When, however,
the exposition site was finally chosen, it
was not according TO the original plan.
That the city's appropriation might be
made available, the exposition company
purchased SIS acres OF the exposition site
and donated It to the city for park pur-
poses. Herman Kountze then made a fur
Their donation to the exposition's park of
an equal area The park boards appro-
priation of $4,000 was then expended, and
at the close of the exposition the city
came into possession of the land and the
permanent improvements.
Curtis Turner Memorial.
The Curtis Turner memorial park. the
gift of Charles Turner in memory of his
son. is a pretty tract Of rs acres at Thir-
ty-flrst and Farnam streets. Bemis Park
was given to the city by the Bemis Land
company in 1889. The gift was of six acres
to which the city added three by purchase.
Many other smaller gifts Of parkings and
small areas have been received by the city
Mrs. Selma c. Cornish also gave the city
six bronze fountains which are located ir
various parts Of the park system. The
Association of Omaha German s~ocietie:
gave a bronze statue of Schiller which
adorns Riverview park.
The one scholarship given to the city Il
the bequest Of Edward Rosewater. This
scholarship is supported by the earnings o.
securities amounting to $4,000 held in trus
by the school board. At intervals of foul
years the son OF an Omaha w~orkingman
upon graduation from the high school anC
the attainment Of a standard set by tn,
board, Is given a complete training at on
q the best technical schools OF the country
Many Aids to Public Library.
The public library has received a larg
number of valuable donations, most prom
inent among which is the Byron Reed col
lection. valued at $4,000. Byron Reed Il
1891 gave the public library the fruits OF
lifelong pursuit of rare coins, books an,
objects of historical interest. The Trans
mississippi Exposition company. at tn
close Of the exposition. gave to the publ
library a COLLECTION of six paintings value
at $500, which had been acquired in con
nection with the display Of art. The librar
was also given many valuable appurte
nances OF the governments exhibit. TIL
library holds $4,000 in securities given b
Frank Murphy. G. ". Lininger at his deaf
bequeathed to the library a c~ollectio
which depicts the history of art from tn
Oldest historic relics down to the ~fifteent
century. A gift OF value. obscure by II
technicality, is the library's collection {
sedges and grasses, given by william CT,
burn.