The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-05
UPSET OYER
GERALDINE FARRAR
MelrOse S~chOOlmates Demand
Horace Mann Park BE
Named for Her.
"SHE PUT 1T ON THE MAP"

, MELRosg. Mass. June 4-Shall the
cute little park at Grove and Myrtle
streets. once the site Of tho Horace Mann
School. continue to get along with the
name of Horace Mann Park or shall its
official title he changed to that OF Ger
aldino Farrar Park In honor OF the
greatest opera singer ever born IN Mel
rose?
This momentous question Is causing
more genuine concern among the good
folks Of this town Just now than the
uncertainty OF what is going to happen
in Chicago In the next few days. II
threatens to divide women's clubs. II
Il the one big bit Of gossip that over
shadows everything else in ladies' aid
circles. II has increased ~corrusations
In the brows OF blue stockings. 1t y
Just az live an issue with men as with
women. In fact the entire body polite
is terribly stirred over the proposition
and everybody is taking sides.
In the meantime the opera singer
who Is responsible for all the fuss simply
because she first saw the light In Mel
rose on February Is, 1882. In on her
way to Hollywood. Cal. with her hus-
band, Lou Tellegen. to enjoy a belated
honeymoon and pose with him IN tho
movies, unconscious OF the great dis
cord prevailing In her native town.
GeraIdtne Was q Pupil.
The old Horace Mann School stood for
Years on the park site. Mime. Farrar.
then known as sid Farrar's kid. was
"a pupil there. The building was razed
about " years ago. and the city fathers
unanimously voted In some haste to ded
icate the land as a park. to be known
az the Horace Mann Park In honor OF
the great Massachusetts educationist
u19S-ls5s) who won fame in his pro.
fession in Dcdham and Boston.
They took their time. however. about
Improving the site, and II wasn't until
this spring that enough grass came w
TO make Nine. Farrar's friends star
thinking that IL was enough OF q park to
be named after her.
one OF the singers schoolmates was
tho first to get the idea. She passed
the thought along to other schoolmates
who glory In the fame that Nine. Farras
has shed on Melrose, and soon there
were many links TO the chair. Business
men who rejoice that the girls who once
li.ew Miss farrar didn't have wonder.
tui voices that took them to Germany
to live and study but stayed right home
In dear old Melfose and 20, married and
began TO raise families fell In with the
scheme and promised to sign petitions
calling upon the Board OF Aldermen &c
do its duty BY Melrose and Nine. Far.
rar. Such q petition IL now being cir,
culated, and Il is expected that within q
Few days another viii be out urging tn,
city fathers 10 stand pat for Horace
Mann Park
Many who oppose the idea of honor
hlS Nine Farrar are using the argumen'
that II isn't the custom In Massachusett
:" nam" parks after ANYBODY su: :hos.
who have departed this life. They ar,
generous enough. however. To admit tina
Geraldine Farrar is by no means a "deas
one. and that cinChes the gum a.
far as they are concerned.
Others assert that while they are no
able to get unduly excited over iiorac.
Mann th"i are quite sure his name 10
a PARK would be eninent,y safe" an,
then they make remarks about Nine
FarrarS eoiugs on in the movie aln
Carmen" They assert that conserva
tism should rule. although they ADM
among themselves that had II not beef
for the singer all the world might neve
have known that there was such a plac,
as Me!rose. with all its boot and sho,
, factories