The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-19
FORUMS SPECIAL
new YORK LETTER

New York, May l5.-To Inc toFuEh'
| The recent death of Gen. Daniel t.
| sickles, one of the prominent dgure IN
the battle Of Gettysburg, recalls the
acquisition by the city Of the land 1oF
the park. 1t extends through the nearI
Of Manhattan Island running Ions!tV"
dinally two and One-half miles ana Idtr
orally one-half Of a mile. The city OF
| New York will always remember WIN
gratitude the activity Of General SICK
les In securing the park space ana IN
this victory Of peace the dlStihCtio4
will be that as a benefactor to his klHo
the old soldiers claim can never De
contested, however the tactlclans may
debate his moves upon the held OF pa
tie. The park is no straight plain SuE-
and drives, but has hill and dale, mea-
| dow and lake, turf and rock all WYNN
its confines. The foundation Of Man"
haitian Island Is stable rock which dur
ing building operations proves stuO-
born and in digging the foundations
for the skyscrapers yields only 10
| heavy explosives. This obstacle Is a
big asset for beauty in the park ana
has been taken advantage of by the
supervising landscape architects, as
Spokane has also done In her residence
section. No amount Of diVerslhcatloh
by the hand Of man can discount the
beauty Of these rocks laid down mere ny
the hand of God, on the margin Of the
lake, in the midst of the rolling mea-
| dow, and along the wooded paths. In
Many places they make the green
sWard Impossible but lend themselves
to vines and Creepers which cover por-
tions of their surfaces, and the soil OF
their depressIons harbors small dwarf
trees. When these rough brown sur
faces outcrop along the bank OF the
brook, or on the edge of the lake you
have as dainty a bit Of Japanese seem
cry, by the rustic bridge thrown
against this background, as you can
find in any of the rare Japanese prints
treasured by artists. But II you choose
to stand on the rustic bridge then you
look across the shining water of the
lake to a purely pastoral scene-a WlGe
spread MEADOW on which woody little
lambs and their attendant ewes are
~Contentedly nibbling, guarded by a wise
! old collie, the gift to the shepherd by
the late j. Pierpont Morgan. stand
ing thus you raise your eyes to take in
a wider sweep and the scene Is trans
formed. The Gothic roof Of the Plaza
hotel, Just outside the park at the Fifth
avenue entrance, cuts the skyline and
you draw in yOur breath with a sigh OF
COntentmen at this bit of Paris. The
! hotel Is suggestive of the chateauX of
France and leaning on the brldge-ralI
YOU have a feeling that Paris must look
like that, and you trace 1t back TO the
old prints of the Seine, of the Bots and
Versailles. In the park are wild spots
where you are lost TO everyday life as
the song birds who make their homes
there and deep in these vim tangled
spots the birds hide from their enemy
nearer the border wall. The squirrels
are everywhere. Saucy, impertinent
and tame enough to run up your sleeve
and pick the peanut from between your
teeth. When in February the heavy
snow fell a Wagon load of peanuts had
to be hauled to the park to feed these
little creatures. for the Clogged paths
kept away the kindly strollers on whise
| hn1nfU Tho url1irYn1C EIIhGiaf p0Vac
are plantiful and vie with the squirrel
in demanding attention.
In April the tulip tree (of the mag
nolia species) comes out in perfect
spotless white blossoms. which mass or
the tall tree until neither branch OF
leaflet can be seen. 1t is the first OF
the blossoming trees, and its luxurious
habit brings about this solitary tree
every spring q guard of artists witt
their e~asels, oblivious of the weather
Notwithstanding the green is very
damp in April. Its day of glory i!
brief. rain and wind are enemies which
rob 1t. so health is put one side whilt
the tulip tree Is in bloom. In May wis
terra reigns and the rustic arbors will
their delicate lavender plumes are Jap.
an. The branches are so graceful. 81
dainty. that you rebel at the fact, tina
like the tulip tree, wisteria Is quee
but for a day. Last fall some few
branches threw out a bloom but tn
habit of the vine is blossoms in May
III ~ q pei lOu VI d "CSh OLlS' u I'LL
brings the king of the Towering
shrubs, rhododendrow. Along the fam
Gus East drive, the Fifth avenu side
and deep in the wooded parts of tn
park a private benefactor (Mrs. Russell
Sage has had planted miles, literally
of rhododendron shrubs The cost o
the plantation and successful propaga
ton has run up into the thousands, III
the result is worth it. Their range O.
color is great white. pink, red. cerise
salmon, lavender and purple, and they
wisteria ia queen of May, the rhodod
endron Is king of June in the park, bu
he holds court only for a fortnight.
The human interest in the park is to-
great to dismiss with a paragraph, 81
must await another chapter.
Miss Ethel Turner of Fargo is ex
pected in New York early In June AM
her friends here are preparing to Civ
her a cordial reception and the bes
time the town affords.
Former