Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-18
residential and manufacturing pur-

permit their acquisition for park pur
| poses. There are in many cities large
| open spaces near poor and over
1 crowded sections which should be
taken at once for park purposes and
for great play grounds for the chill
dren.
Private GIFTS.
Perhaps there Is no way in which
men of wealth could so directly bene-
! fit so large 4 number OF people as by
| gifts OF land for public pleasure
grounds. Magnificent sums are given
to colleges, libraries. and other pub
lie institutions. Why should not money
be as freely given to create great
parks for the betterment of all sorts
and conditions Of men? The ac-
emulation OF great fortunes has been
made possible only through the toll Of
those who most need the pure air
and rest Afforded by large rural parks.
Many cities in our country have re.
ceived gifts OF valuable tracts of land
for park purposes. The largest gifts
Of land have gone to Los Angeles and
Kansas City.
The Value Of Parks.
1t would be impossible to overesti-
mate the value Of public parks to the
physical and moral health of the peo-
Pile: the great urban pleasure grounds
are coming to be considered as es-
sential to,a city's welfare as are pure
water. well lighted streets. public
baths. and public schools and the park
officials of three fourths Of the cities
which have public parks say that the
greater part OF the tax payers favor a
liberal appropriation for the purchase
of park lands, their Improvement and
proper maintenance. In many cases
large park areas have been secured
while funds necessary for the
developments and annual main
tenance. have been quite made
quate, but fortunately nearly all park
boards have succeeded in conducting
their departments on business prin-
ciples. a very large proposition of the
money expended for the Improvement
and maintenance of parks is used for
labor and this labor cannot be hon.
estly and carefully performed when
partially under the direction of outside |
influences.
The Cost Of Parks.
Because of the constantly increas- !
ing expenses OF modern municipalities
and through an imperfect and crude
understanding Of legitimate park !
needs it is difficult in many cities 10
secure annual appropriations large
enough for anything beyond the bare
Of the parks. This condi.
ton OF things in so many cities should
lead to the making of parks where the |
~k~~ &nA ks1~ 90 r,1t a<[ nd M
with great stretches Of meadow and /
where the naturalistic planting il rest
full to all the senses. The cost Of de-
veloping and maintaining great urban
pleasure grounds where the pastoral
idea is uppermost is very much less
than for the making Of those that are
more pretentious and artificial. Park
roads and walks must be made and a
few buildings erected but the true
artist limits the number to the bare
necessities Of the case. and conceals
them as far as possible by skillfn]
planting. Rare trees, shrubs and
plants in profusion are all costly and
too frequently are out Of harmony with
their surroundings. Large planting OF
4 limited variety Of hardy trees and
naturalistic in their broad ef-
fects. cost very much less to grow and
care for than the rare and
striking ones. In some of our most
attractive parks effective paintings Of
great masses of dogwood and sumac
and other native shrubs; these are
easily, quickly and cheaply grown and
are always pleasing. The parks that
the American public enjoy best are
those that cost the least to improve.
Fecht Tells OF Work.
Julius Fecht chairman Of the board
of park commissioners was next
heard. He spoke Of the beautiful
spot, in the opening Of his address, de-
claring that it abounded in rustic
beauty. He told of the belief of some
Of the citizens few years ago that
it was folly for the park commission
ers to touch the land along the river
now known as Riverside park, and
how 1t had been converted into a
recreation spot which Ottumwans and
strangers visited daily and found
much pleasure in lounging on the
grass and viewing the beautiful
scenery along the river. He touched
upon the advance Of civilization and
declared that the time had come when
It was necessary for the cities to con-
serve natural spots In Its vicinity for a
pleasure place for its tired residents.
Mr.. Fecht told how Blake's park had
been secured by the commissioners by
assisting in the erection OF the bridge
across the creek, costing the city only
$1,000. He touched upon the natural
beauty Of the park and then reviewed
the work of the park commissioners
Of Ottumwa. naming over the various
parks which composed Ottumwa's
park system. Though, he said, the
proceeds of taxation were not large
enough for the park commissioners to
purchase other recreation spots, 1t
was sufflcient to keep up the present
parks and for labor. He told OF the
neglected spots Of Ottumwa and de-
clared that people never came here for
their vacations, but went to other
places where they had parks and
pleasure spots.
Parks Are Needed Assets.