The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-04
ONE PARkKEEPER
HAD TO APOLOGIZE
Former Would Not Allow Tenn
Perance Women TO Sell Cream
on Lawn.
COMMITTEE GETS COMPLAINT
Riverside Overseer Publicly Rep
rimanded Despite Claim of
Innocence.

henry N. Farmer, president of the
clay Ward Actives, a widely known
reader In city politics, and keeper Of
riverside Park. was publicly repri-
manded by the Council Committee on
Grounds and Buildings last night and
ordered to apologize to Mrs. r. F.
Herndon. who claimed to have been
grossly insulted by him on one Of the
city grass plots under his care
MT. Farmer protested to the last that
he had done only his duty, and that he
saw no reason why he should have
been censured. and members of the
committee admitted that there We're
eNtenuating circumstances.
The matter came before the COM
Irittee on letter OF complaint from
Mrs Herndon, who stated that she had
been granted permission to hold a
lawn party for the benefit of tenn
perance organization. and to sell ice
cream on the grass plot at Harrison
and Cary Streets, that triangular plot
being under the supervision OF the
keeper of Riverside Park. She went
to the park during the day with her
husband and erected poles on which to
string Japanese lanterns and otherwise
prepared for the lawn fete.
Farmer Threw Them Out.
That night when she returned with
cream. lanterns and all manner OF fix
lures. she found her poles rudely
thrown in the gutter. and all vestiges
of preparations removed from the
park
Mr. Farmer was in charge. and de-
Tended the grass plot against all COM
ers. declaring that such crowd would
trample down the hedge and injure the
grass. and he declined to permit the
party TO go forward. Mrs. Herndon
charged that he was rude and insult
ing. which Mr.. Farmer denied
Chairman Batkins last night took
the side of Mrs Herndon. he had
given her verbal permission 10 hold
the party and sell ice cream. as he
had done on many similar occasions
in many parks. He had. not thought
1t necessary 20 Issue a written order.
believing that the park keeper would
accept her word
Bntkins After Park Keepers.
Mr.. Batkins asserted that the city
park keepers as a class needed TO be
put in their places; that having been
appointed largely for political reasons.
some OF them considered the parks
their private grounds. and made all
manner OF regulations as 10 their use
not sanctioned by the commitcea The
parks were for the use OF tho people.
he asserted, not for the benefit OF the
park keepers, whatever their poI!:icai
influence
Mr.. Farmer protested that he had
not been rude TO the women in charge
Of the entertainment. and that he had
had no notice that the use OF the park
had been granted ANY one. and had
therefore refused to allow any one to
make such use Of It He admitted
having thrown the poles, put UP in
his absence. into the street. but said
he though, they had been put up by
boys playing on the grass.
The committee decided that an apol-
ogy was due Mrs. Herndon. and the
park keeper was directed to make II.
Chairman Batkins said that hereafter
he would grant such permits IN writ
ing, but he thought II would have re-
quired very little effort on the part
of Mr.. Farmer to have called him up
and verified Mrs. Herndo1's statement
before he threw her belongings out
of the place.