Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-08
THE SCHUYlKlLL PLAN
CONDEMNED BY PENNELL
The Artist Says In Peppery Letter
That Broad Street and the Parkway
Now Serve Al Practical Purposes

To the Editor Of tho EUening Public Ledger:
Sir--1 am glad you find me still sprightly.
| fear many wish in this town l was or
would be less so. 1t would be to their ad
vantage. 1t would benefit their schemes
and games which it has been my pleasure
to expose since my return to my native city.
Now for concrete example. l do not
imagine for II moment there would be any
engineering difficulties involved in making
parkway or embankment on both banks OF
the Schuylkill from League Island aud Fort
Mifflir to Fairmount Park. But have these
rt-park people ever tried to walk-it Is
the only way-on either side of the river
from its mouth to the Park?
Have they even studied map of the
river? I advise your readers to invest if
teen cents in the Rand McNally map, as
the art people should have done before they
brought forth their scheme. Have they
ever been to Chicago and navigatcd the river
of that name?
1 have done both. No, there would bc
no engineering difficulties whatever. But
the Schuylkill river, like the Chicago river,
Is winding river of hooks. From the
mouth of the Scbuylkill to Callowhill street
bridge have been built during the last fifty
years endless plants of endless sorts-oil,
paint, steel, steam. gas. two railroads, one
on each bank-they can easily by capable
engineers be wiped out and the Bartram
Garden and part Of the University demol-
ished to carry out the plans by intelligent
engineers or even unemployed, and with
ths accomplishment of such a scheme half
the prosperity half the commerce of the
city, would vanish too, and the unearncd
increment of some members of the Fair
mount Park Association. their families and
relations would disappear also. | am not
sure the latter would be serious loss to
the city. as I have no doubt they have
canned enough to survive. But the city
would perish
There is now, though these art people
don't know it. an avenue called Broad
street which leads from League Island
straight to the Parkway, and that leads to
the Park.
If they studied the map. as they have not,
it is evident, done, they would discover that
even though endless bridges were built to
cut off curves. even though the river were
turned round the distance would be twice
at least as long coming up Broad street
or coming to it by the numerous arteries
widcawake citizens use such method of
getting anywhere that would compel them
to go half a square out of their way?
And what would they see if the roads
We're built? The back yards of Philadel
phia ali the way on the east side and on
the west the ruined Bartrams and the
Botanic Garden and the back side of the
Commercial Museum. This is the kind of
rot Philadelphia is fed up on This is the
kind of rot one has to listen to day after
day from art business men.
We have splendid avenue in Broad
street. We can have a splendid Parkway.
If it is wanted it can be lined with splen-
did memorials - part of splendid
memorial. in which we shall have our part,
stretching from Portland. Me. ITO Portland,
Ore, over which the commerce and the
pleasure of the world will pass-a highway
which would bring millions annually to the
city. That is possible. practical.
The Farmount Park Art Association 8
scheme is ridiculous. imbeclic, and would
cost the city the price. in order to buy out
the owners on each side and their rights,
about as much as the war debt or the in
come tax and no one would use it. And
lawyers in the association issued and edi-
torially discussed is a verdict on the men
and women who run this city--or want to.
Mr.. Ware is quite right. We want prac
teal people.
And are the waterworks to be ruined, too
one of the last memorials of the once
beautiful Philadelphia? What town,
what a people. Yours. J. PENNELL.
Philadelphia, April s..
=. S.-vallcy Forge. Oh, shades of
ferred Conshohocken and Ivy Rock. They
are real and vital. Valley Forge is a
whtencd sepuchrc. desecrated shrine,
and even now the highway leading to it. yet
| Philadelphia don't know it. J. p.