New Britain herald., 1915-08-11
WALNUT HILL HAS
 MANY CHAMPIONS
Proposal to Change Name to Er- win Park Generally Opposed
SUGGEST NEW MEMORIAL

fuI Remcmbran rancc-Narne New Park
 in His Honor-Judge Gaffney
 Raises Legal Point.
 Opposition to changing the name of Walnut Hill park to Erwin park. as suggested in a resolution recently adopted by Russell Erwin's Fore men's club has developed in many quarters of the city. The Herald undertook to canvas the sentiment of some of the city's prominent men on the question and with few exceptions found that Walnut Hill park has many champions. In no case is op- posing sentiment against honoring the name of New Britain's great phil anthropist. Many were interviewed who lived here in the days when the name of Cornelius B. Erwin stood TOT much in the Hardware city. Men who knew him personally and ,n- tlmately give their reasons why the name Of the beautiful hill park should stand as it was christened n1ty or more years ago. They feel that MT. Erwin would doubly endorse thelr stand did he live today.
 Rather than rename Walnut Hill park, the spontaneous suggestion seems to be in favor of a new mem or1al. One citizen, a member of the council, voiced an opinion that a mon- ument might be erected near the summit of the park as a testimonial
 or New Britain's regard for the
 memory of MT. Erwin. General sentiment, however, favors naming
 one of the proposed new parks In
 his honor. ... .%.
 Many of the prominent citizens of New Britain feel that Walnut Hill park Is part of the tradition of the GUY. 1t has stood there for years as the one great attraction of the city. 1t IS the pride of Neew Britain. It's name is known throughout the state ot Connecticut and in many parts of New England and the South. Visitors to New Britain, say these old resi- dents. have gone away with the name of Walnut Hill park 0n their lips, gone to tell the world at large of the won- Gerful paryk in the heart of a city. Why then, should the name or Walnut Hill park be changed, ask these citi- zens. Surely there must be som ether way of honorins the memory of ore of the city's greatest benefactors.
 The question will be brought before the city council in the form of a reso- luton as drafted by the Russell and i1rWin's FOremen's club, but many citizens feel the public should decide the question rather than the council. Mayor G. A. Quigley in an interview this morning voiced this opinion. What some of New Britain's pron,i- nent citizens think oe the proposed change is told in the following inter- views:
 Mayor Quigley before leaving for the annual outing of the city fathers at Lighthouse asserted that he strong ly favored a memorial to c. B. Erwin
 At first thought" said the mayor it occurred to me that the suggestion of the Russell & Erwin foremen's club was good one; but ref1ecting that Walnut Hill park is a long established name and stands for so much in the history of the city, I felt that perha os it might be quite as appropriate to name one of the new city parks in honor of New Britain's great bene- factor'
 Ex-Senator Andrew J. Sioper. who was for long period private secret tary to MT. Erwin, replying to a Her ald reporter on proposal to rename Walnut Hill park in honor of the late said he heartily favored he suggestion. He felt that Mir. Err 1 win had done much for New Britain md yet today comparatively few of he present generation know anything 1,,Y, t,4 l,; L, future generations were to profit by. T certainly personally favor the sug- yestion of chinging the name of Wal 1 nut Hill park in commemoraton of 1 he city's great benefactor"
 Legal Point Raised.
 Judge B. F. Gaffney of the probate 1 ,ourt interviewed on the question of | changing the name of Walnut Hill | park to Erwin park and at once the 1 egal question flashed through his mind, Would it invaiidate the orig nal bequest for beautifying the park? fudge Giffney searched the court rec 'rds and soon uneartned the Erwin will. It covers many pages of legal crfpt The clause relating to the ,ark bequest was found. The sum of 0,000 was set aside, the income to e devoted to the beautifying of Wal ut Till park" The words were as ictated by the millionaire philan- hrOpist and it was clear that he had Vilntu Hill park in mind when he pecfied the beQuest. should the of the park be neglected, he bequest reverts to the estate. hould the name of the park he hanged it might be possible for some ne in the future to raise the point hat as Walnut Hill park no longer xisted the bequest for it's beautifica- ion became null and void. Judge