Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-01
PARK Commission
REPORTS ONITS
WORK FOR YEAR
Weequahic Golf Links and Cald-
we'll Reservation Among Inn
provements Made.

| O6teInDtI o. 1910 - do hiaaV
public today by Alonzo Church, sec
rotary and counsel for the commits
SIGN.
The report shows that the commits
sion had on hand December 81, 1913,
a balance of s247, 1882 for construc-
ton. and Ss47.S0 for maintenance. The
construction receipts for last year
were 1866, 1929 and for maintenance
s273, 24S.76.
The Legislature authorized the issue
of additional park bonds to the
amount of S525,0o0 during 1913. BY
agreement between the commission
and the freeholders $275,000 of the
s525,0O0 appropriation was issued in
1913 and the balance will be issued in
1914.
The only new park established in
1918 was one in Caldwell, in obedience
to an act of the Legislature of 1910
appropriating 100000 for this purpose.
The board hesitated for some time as
to whether this locality really needed
park at all. 1t became convinced,
however, that while the Caldwells and
Essex Fel.s are now distinctly subur-
ban in character and there is much
open country-which is of itself
of the Second mountain Is developing
so rapidly that unless acquired at the
present time a park, II postponed for
very many years, would be much
more expensive and more difficult to
locate. Another reason for delaying
three years to obey the mandate OF
the Legislature was the difficulty of
fixing on the site.
Another important requirement
=. = ha prTsU
property at the end of the First noun
tain in Millburn. 1t was wedge
shaped tract of thirty-seven acres
which ran up the mountain and about
one thousand feet into South Noun
tain Reservation. The quarrying of
the stone destroyed the beauty of the
woodland and left an ugly scar upon
the landscape. The board had been
anxious for some time to secure 1t
and thus put a stop to the destruc-
ton of natural scenery The legisla-
ture of 1913 authorized the necessary
funds and the commission was glad
to be able thus to round out the
boundaries of this reservation. The
cost of the land was $4,000. 1t con-
tains some very fine trees, especially
group of large white oaks on the
summit of the mountain near Wash
ington Rocl-.
IL g275,00O Bond Issue.
The Board Of F'reeholders issued
last July $4,000 of the $525,00O of
park bonds spoken of above. Al
though II was late in the season to
accomplish much, work was started
as soon as funds were in hand and
considerable progress was made In
the Weequahic Park addition work
/ a
and carried on as long as weather
conditions would permit. This is a
tract of about fifty and one-half
acres between the Lehigh Valley rail-
road and Elizabeth avenue. 1t in
cludes Divident hill, on which on May
90 1858, representatives of the towns
OF Elizabeth and Newark met to
agree on a boundary line between the
two municipalities. The plan for the
Improvement has been slightly modi-
fed, but in general includes the con-
struction of L roadway and bride
path extending from Meeker avenue
to the bridge over the Lehigh Valley
railroad and connecting with the old
portion of the park. 1t is the inten-
ton of the board to confine the ath-
letic fields to the older part OF the
park However, there will be located
on the addition a children's play
ground and wading pool. AS no flower
gardens have been laid out east of the
railroad formal gardens have been
provided for in this addition and To-
Gated near Lyons avenue. Work will
be continued as early in 1914 as the
Board of Freeholders turn over the
balance of the appropriation. In the
original park a golf course has been
laid out. 1t was designed by George
Low, professional of the Baltusrol
Club. and consists of nine holes. The
commission regretted that it could not
find room for one of eighteen holes.
There was not sufficient land. and 1t
was deemed wiser to have an excel
lent nine-hole course rather than a
mediocre eighteen-hole course.
A field house with locker accommo-
dations, toilet facilities and a shower
BATH has been erected near the first
tee The caurse has been opened this
summer. This is probably the first
instance of a municipal golf course
in New Jersey, although there are
many in other States, and the Board
will watch with interest the attitude
of the public toward it. Whether any
other course will be laid out in other
parts of the system depends on the
use of this one. it's popularity and
the disposition of the public to assist
the commission in maintaining it In
a manner to give pleasure and salts
faction to those who use 1t.
Pigeons In Stock.
There is a large flock of pigeons
hat live at the park stables. The
SQUIRRELS which were released in Wee
uuahic Park have almost entirely dis
appeared. This seems curious, as
those released at the same time in
| Branch Brook Park have rapidly in
creased in number and can be seen
almost any day scampering over the
grass or chasing one another along
the boughs of the trees. The fishing
at both Weequahic and Branch Brook
was unusually good last season. The
thanks of the community are due
both to the United States Department
of Fisheries and to. the New Jersey
State Fish and Game Commission,
each of which sent considerable con-
signments of yellow perch and bass to
be released in the lakes The board
gave the Fish and Game Commission
permission to use the pools in the
northern division of Branch Brook
/ Park as places of refuge for smaller
fish. The game wardens first removed
all the larger fish and then put In the
smaller ones. that they might in this
way have a better chance of reaching
maturity, removed from the menace
of their natural enemies. In a few
years. when they have attained their
growth, the Fish Commission will re-
move them for distribution. Thus
the park lakes serve as breeding
places as well as for the pleasure OF
the sportsmen. The board has also
granted the use of two-of the smaller
lakes to the Essex County MOSQUITO
determination Commission for the
purpose of propagating goldfish-one
of the most persistent enemies OF the
| In, & larvae stage.