Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-20
NEEDS AND GROWTH OF THE
PARK SYSTEM EXPLAINED
Assistant Superintendent Forrer Takes Reporter OUer City
Property Fora Tour of Inspection; Labor Shortage Tells

What is doing around the parks,
these days, Mr.. Forrer?" asked the
lnquisitive reporter of the city's most
industrious employe, V. Grant For
rer. whose name has been connected
with Harrisburg's magnificent park
development through a period of
thirteen years. Gar-t t.ar
The agile superintendent sprang
from his swift cruising motor and
after untangling himself from a
group of picks, shovels and other i'm
pedimenta which he was first-aiding
to some workmen up along Front
street, observed that this was a rath-
er broad question, seeing that Harris
burg, estimated from it's size is more
amply provided with parks than per-
haps any other city in America
1t struck the reporter that this
was the steady slogan in park ac-
tivities. Also he began to wonder
very shortly how in the world our
parks and drives are kept in such
good condition, when the force of
help is so limited. This latter fact
hit him like Berlin Paris shell
when looking in at Wildwood Park
where one ancient employe has to
look after more than 500 acres of
land and over eight miles of drives
miles of lake. This seemed almost
funny when one recalled that fore
man and six expert workers are
needed all the time to keep the small
State Capitol Park ship-shape, the
Capitol Park which includes not
more than perhaps eleven acres.
Ready For Anything
The force employed at Front
street to lay walk consisted of two
men and even the most critical
would concede that they know not
only how to put down crushed
stone path mixed with cinders but
that their talents are versatile as the
far-famed soldiers and sailors, too"
of Rudyard Kipling. Your full
jeweled, six-cylinder park employe in
these days must be ready to tackle
anything, on land or sea; nurse q
baby at the Romper Day exercises
if called upon. He must be a water
man, gardener, carpenter, plumber
and fifty other things. Only with this
variety of talent could the park de-
partment maintain its beautiful plant
with any degree of perfection.
The Front street path extends
from Maclay to Calder street. Here
tofore it was of clay and most unat-
tractive. The combination of crush
ed stone and cinders make it, when
packed down, an admirable prom
anade. Alongside of this path the
grass has been worn away by myriad
footsteps and it was up to the handy
jacks to plant grass, which, how
ever, will not be up before next year.
When this lawn is developed and
when the rip-rapping on the river
side of the path is completed no spot
along the Susquehanna will be pret-
tier AS the reporter visited this
neighborhood a trusted man from
the nursery on the Island was plant
ing rambler roses in thousand
crevices on the rip-rap, also trailing
vines which in a very short time will
make a soft, green cover for the now
unsightly rocks. Many thousands of
cubic yards of dirt were needed to
| I'LL in this long walk, but the job was
| regarded merely as part of the day s
work. No more than two men were
on this contract and from time to
| time they were called for immediate
assistance to some distant part of
| the system. The rip-rapping extends
| from Hamilton to Maclay street.
Where does the lack of help hurt
| the park system most" was asked
! superintendent Forrer.
Either in the policing end or the
nursery" said he after some thought.
I'm the Island nursery we have al
least $4,000 worth of beautiful
| flowers, ornamental shrubs and
trees. These should be set out al