The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-17

lease which had three years to run.
Tho club maintained tennis courts and
golf links and had made large invest
mcnts in the main club house and
TWO smaller club houses. and owned a
team. machinery. and considerable
other personal property needed for
the maintenance of the grounds. All
tho property and rights of the club
were acquired by this board on tho
payment of a lump sun OF $4,000 and
tho liquidation of bills a@Sgregating
about $1,000. an arrangement which
WAS satisfactory to the stockholders of
the club. II which gave the park
board many valuable n necessary
improvements AT q price worry much
less than their duplication would have
cost. Many improvements were
found necessary in the original build.
inss In this park. During the first two
Years of our ownership the old log
house which was crumhling down,
was removed and a frame structure
was built in its place: a good brick
basement was built: foundation was
placed under the barn: new tool house
and work shop was built. and other
work Of like character was perform
ed. Eastward from the main build
inSs. i'm the great bend of the river.
open space was cleared and smoothed
tor picnic purposes. and trees which
were likely to fall have been removed,
and others have been trimmed. Much
of this latter class of work was done
during the past winter. in order that
the umme months may he devoted
better To the regular work Of main
t"nancc. No attempt has been made
to change the appearance Of the open
ground. and no such attempt should
be made. In my opinion IL would no
"a serious mistake to break up that
magnificent rXpanse of rolling mea-
dow by tho planting of trees or shrubs
or the grading of drives or walks.
AS soon as title was obtained to the
Riverside park property the board UNI
d"rtook some Improvement work there
Winding drives were built along the
river bank and through the timber
n natural depression some 500 feet
in length and of varying width was
partly graded and put in condition for
Il swimming pool. a water main was
laid. and a bathing pavilion. with
hand stand on the roof. was built. The
pool was first used MS a skating rink.
in the winter of 1910-11. and again
last winter. while in the intervening
summer hundreds of children swan in
the pool. Many difficulties have been
these are being surmounted gradual
lN.
University park was held untouched
until the summer of 1911. as there
was little need for any work there
until that time. In that year one of
tho club houses at Lincoln park. no
longer needed there, was moved to
University park and remodelcd to be
used as a tennis club house. The
ground was quite thoroughly gone
over with a view to the location of
drives. and Sayaro1 Of IL o.o ,.,, -..S
ed. Many of The trees in this park
are i'oN elders. set in straight lines.
n ultimately they must be replaced
with more permanent trees set in
better form. No planting has been
done. and this will not he advisable
until the sod is subdued. n matter
which the hoard now has under con-
sidcration for his year.
AmuSemcnts.
have given above an outline If
some of the more important features
OF The work that has been carried on
IN each of h fou large parks. Other
work, highly important. common to
all the parks, and carried on as a part
OF the general system, has bcensrper-
formed each year. The golf links and
tennis courts at Lincoln park have
heen maintained in good condition.
and last season the tennis courtst there
- "'Ni "tlSu. III TWO OI tnGm
we're rebuilt. 1t has been the policy
Of tho board tn keep these grounds in
the best possible condition. and to
continue the practice of charging a
lee for their use. ! believe that the
tickets now issued, with the various
prices charged. will he found sufficient
10 meet every reasonable demand.
Free tennis courts have also been es-
tablished in Riverside. University and
{ M "a Ynorl-C npI r.l,;1- 49,. .--.
not in condition for use until late last
season. the liberal use that was made
OF them demonstrated that they met
n very real need in the community,
and that the board was performing a
valuable public service in maintain
ing them. Baseball grounds were fit
tea ny last season in Riverside and
Lincoln parks. Only a few games were
played on the Lincoln grounds. which
may be for. in part. by the
tact OF their distance from the city.
Many games were played on the Riv-
erside diamond. and the indications
arc that these grounds will be the
seen of even greater acticvity this
Year. a local baseball league is in
process OF formation, and recon-
mend that the policy of the past he
followed. and that the superintendent
he instructed to make such apportion-
" Va .i'ic III IHe JAMES as Will
accommodate the greatest number of
people. and result in the least con-
fusion. Swings, large and small. in
considerable numbers. were added to
the equipment in Lincoln. Central and
Riverside parks last season, and I
think that still more should be added.
especially Of the small swings. for
small children. If the present supply
seems inadequate. Tceters and mer-
rH-go-rounds, both made by our own
men, could be installed at slight cost,
and / think they are t. be desired.
Skating Kinks were maintained dur
ing tho past two winters at Riverside
and Central parks. and both we're very
popular. ] believe that some of the
useful work of the board can be
winter amusements. of which skating
is one IF the most important. Per-
haps for the next few years the Kinks
in these two last named parks will
suffice. but in the not distant future
Kinks will also te needed at both the
other parks. and We may proftably
study. in the meantime. the best
methods of operating and managing
them.
Supervised Play.
The discussion of park amusements
suggests some reflections on the SUBJ
ject Of Fairgrounds for publicly super
vised play. a subject which is attract.
ing much attention just now, and con.
corning which there is more or less
discussion in Grand Forks. AS to
the value of play there is o and
there never has been any question.
Neither a there be any question as
to the value of the supervised play.
grounds in the great cities. with fhair