The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-21

Bessemer May 0.-(Special )s-Todag Bessemer has a city park that is, fig uratively speaking a wreath of laurels crowning the patient efforts of the Civic Improvement association for the past three years and whose history is close ly connected to the growth of the so- ciety by the peculiar relationship ex- isting between the two.
 Once upon a time-perhaps as late as 190s-there was a square of ground, bounded by Second and Third avenues and Eighteenth and Seventeenth streets uneared for, undrained, unsodded and covered with rocks, that felt the need of a guiding municipal hand, or several of them, to aid it to its highest plane of beauty and utility as a recreation spot True it had acquired an iron fountain, wooden fence and cement walks somehow, yet a more forlorn, neglected or Lonesome park could hard ly be imagined. Each day the trees become more ragged, the fountain sighed deeper for the presence of youthful love-fountains and lovers are always essential to one another in true romance-the four gates creaked more heavily on their hinges each day from disuse. But even parks have a tide in their affairs, (which, taken at the ebb, lead on to fortunes and in April, 1908, number of women, with the civic pride ana appearance or tHelr city near est their hearts, organized a Civic Im- provement club and adopted the orphan park.
 Mrs. L. J. Haley of Birmingham as sisted in the organization, which was conducted in the directors room of the Carnegie library, and Mrs Andrew Mitchell was chosen as the first pres ident Mrs Mitchells term expired at the second meeting as her resignation was accepted then with regrets. and Mrs James h Hard was elected to fill that office.
 Greatest Good to Greatest Number
 Then began a devotion of time and thought on the park because, if suc- cessfully beautified 1t would mean the greatest good to the greatest numl, | and the members felt that. thotr civic purpose could be better accomplished by concentration than a division of in terests.
 The park was plowed, grass plant ed and benc.es repaired as a first aid and Move'nent started to erect pa vilion fnr open air concerts on the Third avenue side A committee se- curedJlthe promise of a days work on the Jbuilding and tna donation of build ipG materials and some of the most <<5rominent business men of the city could be found mailing blanks or saving lengths in their desire to complete the stand by the Fourth of July. This was dine and big celebration held in the Rark on that day
 F. Q. Nelson, whose many financial kindnesses were a wonderful help dur ing the first year, paid for the music of the first open air concert, and the gum realized from this was the founda- ton of the hundreds of dollars since spent by the association on park im- proycments.
 Corporate Generosity
 In September, 1908, fairy godmother appeared in the guise of a $50 check from the, Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road company, to be used in paying a caretaker for the park and the pledge of like amount fer each month of tho ensuing year
 Then enters Jake. Jake. the park gar dener, who lives and breathes only for his charge and counts his time by park 2 events, has grown up with the adopted 4, one and left touch of his own land.