The Prescott daily news. (Prescott, Ark.) 1907-1941, 1914-04-03
WILL USE PARKS AND
PLAYGRUNDS FOR VETERANS
Jacksonville Has 100 Acres Beautiful
and Well Kept Parks-Pitch
Tents Among Native Trees
and Shrubbery.

city's splendid public parks and play
grunds will be used for the comfort
OF the Confederate veterans and their
friends during the reunion May 6-S
inclusive.
The camp for the veterans will be
located in parts of two of the most
attractive parks in jacksonville.
Tents to the number of 900 to 1.2OO
will be pitched among the native trees
and shrubbery of these parks for three
days, where the veterans will enjoy
themselvs in companionship.
Thre has been wonderful improve
ment in the public park system of
Jacksonville during the past ten or
dozen years. Not very many years
ago the city had but one park, contain
ing two acres. This was Hemming
Park. located in the heart of the pres
ent business district of Jacksonville.
Now, every suburb has a park and
children's playground, that excites the
admiration of all visitors.
At the present time Jacksonville
has about 100 acres in beautifully
kept and well located public parks,
under the care of an experienced su-
Iperintendent. In connection with
some, if not all, of these parks play
grounds for children are equipped and
well maintained. Dignan Park, and
Springfield Park are especially attrac-
tive and modern. 1t is along the side
of these beautiful parks that the Con-
federate camp will be located.
During the past year a beautiful
monument to the Daughters of the
Confederacy has been erected in Dig
! nan Park at a cost of $25,000 said to
be the handsomest monument to
southern women in the entire south.
This park is provided with various
amusement devices, and during the
summer nights free motion pictures
are provided for the public. Athle-
tic games are also speciality.
Among Jacksonville's public parks
are Riverside Park, Springfield Park,
/ Fairfield Park, Hemming Park, Dig
nan Park, Oakland Park, City Hall
| Park, LaVilla Park, East Jacksonville
Park, and others. The City has built
these parks at comparatively small
expense Low lands and swamps have
been filed, converting practically
worthless land into some of the finest
parks in the country. The conserva-
tion value of thep ublic parks of Jack
sonville is $3,O00,000.
All of this great improvement
work has been done in recent years
and the extension of the park system
is a part of the policy of the city gov
ernment. The residents of each of
the nine wards of the city are in close
touch with some public park, and
while the parks are ornamental to a
high degree they are useful to the
people as places Of recreation and
amusements. 1t is not an uncommon
sight to see several thousand child
rem playing in these parks in the
shade of forest trees, enjoying the
many devices of amusement that have
been supplied by the public.
In addition to the public parks of
the city, there are a number of at
tractive private parks in the suburbs
where people find recreation and en-
tertainment. The suburban parks are
reached by trolley cars in few min
utes' ride from the center of the city.
During the Confederate reunion in
May, additional provision will be made
in Jacksonville's parks for the plea
sure and comfort of the veterans and
their friends. In May the parks are
abloom with beautiful flowers and tro-
pical plants. Artificial lakes add in
terest to the surroundings, while in
nearly all of the parks there are many
liveoaks which furnish cooling shade
to thev isitors. May Day festivities
by several thousand school children
will be postponed until the reunion
dates and given in one of the largest
parks for the entertainment of the
veterans and other reunion visitors,
who are expected here in thousands.
The May Day festivities will be one of
the most attractive features of the
reunion entertainment program. 1t
will be especially pleasing to the old
soldiers, for whom it is being ar