El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-10
SCENIC DRIVE
TOHAVE SOME
PRETTY PARKS
1oonflnusa from par. ID

BY C. A. MARTIN.
tConunued from page II
and it will be. eventually. And Their
are lot Of things that Will grow
at that altitude, without artificial
] irrigation, 81 only started and EiveI
a chance. This has been demon
strated by the other cities that have
Scenic Drives
To Leave Mountain Bare.
10 is not the plan TO convert the
whole Of Mount Franklin into Z
] flower garden This cannot be done
The task would be too great and The
natural ruggedness is too attractive
70 destroy. The people want to climl
its rocky sides, teeter on its chasms
D leap its cauyOus-lnd breathe in tbs
I air that is so pure and sweet-zO faI
J ABOVE the smoke and the duEt Of the
city But it is TO make attractive
spots for uicnics, for lunches. for
camps for those who would enjoy
climbing the mountain that the plans
are under way. There are scores and
scores Of places where park sites can
be made II is the plan OF the mayor
20 make them as soon as possible.
Mount Franklin is FL PasO's great
est asset IL we would only appre-
ciate it. Visitors marvel at IL and
want 70 climb IL as soon as they
arrive here.
They wonder when told that its
with enthusiastic people.
In the past, IT has been difficult TO
get 60 the top, because there was so
much rugged, hard country to be
traversed in the foothills. Vow the
Scenic Drive gives one a fair start
towards the top. saving lots OF effort.
Mount Holly, outside OF Los An
Eeles, IS no whit prettier than Mount
Franklin Il is as devoid of veceta-
tion' in fact more so. and it has not
the attraction OF the picturesque
rocky cliffs and the deep canyons
that Mount Franklin possesses. yet
thousands Of people climb it every
sunday The city has CONSTRUCTED a
number Of paths to its top and every
sunday, the people ascending them,
with stock and knapsack, resemble
ants crawling.
Trails to the Top.
It is the plan OF mayor Davis to
build trail OF two to the top TO
make climbing easy
It is also the plan TO construct q
few ovens at advantageous spots for
cooking lunches-in short, 10 make
Mount Franklin inviting so the peo-
pie viii take advantage Of it and
enjoy It.
some win say there IS no water
on Mount Franklin and ask how can
one picnic there. Mount Holly has
no water nor did Denver's Lookout
Mountain have any until recently.
The people carry their water up
Mount Holly and they carried it up
Mount Lookout, but they went
anyhow They realized the benefits
OF the outdoors, the health they could
get in the fresh air.
Ideal Recreation Method.
Outdoor parks in the rough are
recognized as the ideal recreation
methods these days
Denver's Lookout Mountain Park IS
20 miles from the city and it is al
most 100 miles to drive out to 60
and circle 10. The cost Of building
the road was stupendous, as most or
it was as difficult TO construct as
the mile and a half we have built
over Mount Franklin, but Denver
built II and II any bemoan the eL-
pense. they keep quiet about ft-and
you nave TO have a car to reach It.
Denver IS not satisfied with Look
out Mountain park, with It's thou
sands OF acres This year ID added
another, even further from the city,
With a fishing hole and a swimming
pool-stil further out in the country.
Los Angeles has made its Mount
aolly drive a part Of its great Crit
attn park, natural park, miles IN
ne country, where a zoo has been
installed. cooking places have beeli ]
built, golf links constructed. a hand
5oms clubhouse built-au with the
clty's money; taxes, II you please.
People Wouldn't sell Ont.
The people wouldn't take twice
what these things have cost them, for
.t gives them recreation They get
put into the country. into the pure
air, and they have something to en-
Joy II belongs to them There is
no admission fee to pay TO get in.
nobody TO charge Tor this or that
OF 10 Interfere with their pleasures
as long as they conduct themselves
properly.
Griffith park IS as far from Los
Angeles as Tsleta IS from Fl Paso. Z
ret the city maintains It and the
people are proud Of Il and the city
IS Just now planning TO add about
S550.000 worth OF additional property
% it.
The property f. available and the /
papers are saying e would be a crime I
20 let Il fall into the hands CT private I
owners and be cut into building sites Z
and sold
Although Griffith park contains
several hundred acres. its size viii
probably be doubled.
The modern city recognizes the Z
necessity for recreation, plenty Of
pace for It. and It Is spending taxes
% provide It.
There are records where people
complained when the money was first
spent but no record Of where they
wanted it back after they got what
t provided.