Cañon City record., 1910-10-13

F. A. Reynolds and the Electric COM
pany gave $50. Eight good citizens
gave us s25 each: a number gave SIS,
and $40, and lot gave US IS each.
"a committee was appointed to
wait upon the penitentiary commits
sioners, asking that what is now
as State park-perhaps the Civic I'M
provement league directors are the
only ones who use the name-be fill
ed, watered, and sown to grass.
The commissioners promised all
the labor needed, but nothing more.
With the gift of $500 from the city,
and the addition of about $400 from
our own fund. water-pipes were laid
through the entire area, trees plant
ed, and though, owing to a number of
circumstances, the work progressed
but slowly, we hope some day to see
a beautiful park, as conspicuous to
the traveller as Mineral Palace at
Pueblo, a credit to the state and city.
Warden lyman is TO be congratulate
ed on the fine cement work sur
! rounding this park, as much as we
are.
"It is needless to tell you OF max
ing City park, but when we first look
ed at it, it seemed simply imposs-
ible. You all remember the old cor-
raj and city pound on one corner; the
old dumping-ground below the hill
on First street; the low marshy land
| the rafrrnad. ha do
shacks and novels along the mill
ditch But it was available ground,
and we looked at the apple orchard
in blossom, and, nothing daunted,
| went to work. That was the year OF
Spokane's great cleanup, when co.
days; making their city as attract
i've as clean streets, clean alleys,
clean back yards, and clean front
yards can make a place. We follow
ed their example, and our first clean
up day took place. To my mind, this
is the best and most patriotic of all
our holidays. l think 1t might be
numbered among our holy days
Hundreds of loads of refuse.
among which was a hoopskirt, and
a dead dog-and it was certainly dead
battered bird cages, old stove pipes,
weary-looking chairs and furniture
that the second hand man refused
months everything that some
people and much that many people
had been throwing away for many
years. was dumped in the low places,
and City park had a beginning If
any Of you saw it yesterday, as /
did, after that refreshing rain, the
old orchard beautiful to look at, the
willow trees near the railroad, the
grass only lately cut, you would
think, as | do, that 1t was worth
while.
Big parks, covering several hun
dred acres. are beautiful, and II one
has an automobile or span or fine
horses it is delightful to drive
through them; but after all, many lit
tie green spots make town beauti-
full, and are such restful places for
so many people. Well, then, we
found another idea, and it eliminated
in Rudd park. Did you ever see that
horrible triangle up on Fifth street,
with those three houses on 1t, and
ancient buildings, ash-heaps and tin
cans, trying to stare out of coun-
tenance that pretty block of houses
across the way? Mr.. Warren helped
us, and largely through him lot of
other people did. and again we inter-
viewed our council Mr.. Marr's last
Official act was to set out 40 odd ma
pie trees around that park and soon
people going to or coming from the
skyline drive, instead OF wondering
why Canon City allowed a place as
was then, they now say Isn't that
little park beautiful?'
Our street fair netted us over 81
400, and our work eliminated in that
beautiful parade and Maypole dances.
planned by that wonderful executive.
Mrs. Boucher when our receipts we're
SS1G. and we hope to make II 81 900
next time. and also next year we are
going to wage such battle on dan
delions as will bring to the mind of
every plant the thought of what Cen
eral Sherman said war was.
I'VE have not confined our work
to parks alone. Cleanup day has
become an annual affair." Many fenceA
4 H.