El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-25
Parks Of Ell Paso Are Worth Total
Of $2.346,O66 AS Real Estate

system Northward, only two blocks
away, are the twin parks of Carnegie
and Cleveland. the former bullt around
the public library, the latter the pleas
IRE SPOT for lovers of music. In the
latter park is a band stand OF ornate
design, erected for the purpose Of CIV
ing free band concerts IN summer.
A New, Modern Park
Sam Houston square, a park created
within five years on desert land, occu-
pies the block bounded by Boulevard,
St Vrain, Montana and Ange streets,
10 minutes walk from San JacintO
plaza. Palms have been introduced into
this park with good effect and within
a few years this will be one of the most
beautiful parks in the city. The whole
scheme is so arranged that there is a
gradual range from high trees along
the curbing on all four sides down to
smaller ones toward the fountain and
sunken garden in the center The sides
are terraced down toward the central
point and vari-cOlored flowers bloom
there in season. On the Montana street
side is a pergOla of cement. over which
beautiful vines spread their tendrlIs.
The Mexieans' Park
In the southern part of the city, a
place where a park IS most needed ana
most appreciated. IS Alamo or Second
ward park. This is Ii the Mexican part
of town. Every summer evening the
Mexican laborer and his family go there
to spend a few hours between o'clock
and 10 and even as late as midnight
the soft strains of music from guitars
can be heard there while ngnt heated
This park, more natural than all the
others because Of the richness OF the
river loan which forms its foundation,
is thick in foliage, beautiful IN color
and artistic in design.
Toltec triangle, union depot park,
and City Hall park each forming but
small places, the former in front of
the Toltec club and the latter in front
of the city hall are beauty spots A
pretty park also surrounds the county
6ustin square in the new Alta Vista
section covers but one small triangle,
but is much used. Mundy park on
Mundy Heights is another beauty spot
in a beautiful residence Sectlon, ana
Newman park in Highland Park is still
another pretty place
washington Parh-6O Acres.
Larger than any of the others is
Washington park, three miles distant
from the center OF the city and easlIy
reached by street cars. 1t comprises 90
acres. Half of this has been improved
and the other half is rapidly being re-
arranged to make it a beautiful play
ground. There is a baseball park in
side a race track, a lake covering two
and a half acres. a swimming pool,
merrygoround and bowling alley
During the past year a new entrance
was made from the county road on the
north and gate IS being installed Inc
roadWays are to be paved the swim
ming DOOl TO De enlarged ana It4A4Ou-
eled and other improvements are
planned, looking toward the beautifi-
cation Of this park
There is a long adobe building here
that is now being used by the Ameri-
can soldiers stationed here on border
patrol. It is planned to convert this
into a conservatory and use it to grow
trees and plants for the city's use.
Park commissioner Robert A Harris
plans to grow native cacti and similar
desert plants on the mesa near the city
waterWorks to demonstrate what can
be done. The city owns a large tract
of land near there, which is to be con-
verted into q park some day
Proposed Scenic Drive
There is also plan on foot to build
a parked roadway or scenic drive along
the rim of the mesa the whole length OF
the city, extending out toward Fort
Bliss.
In the city parks at the present time
there are 100 varieties OF growing trees
and innumerable varieties Of Towering
plants and shrubs
Wild animals are kept in the zoo at
! Washington park. There are two bears,
several deer, mountain lion, wild hogs
and various other wild animals Al
though but three years old, this zoo IS
raDfdly growing. The bears have a re-
inforced concrete pit for their home
and. the other animals are all Gagged,
the deer having plenty of room to run
about inside the place reserved for
them, with a wire fence to enclose
them. Swans swim on the lake.