Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-11
Editors Letter Box
The Blaine Memorial Lot
Brookline, Massachusetts
9th Nav 1921
laine Memorial Lot

9th May, 1921.
Editor Kennebec Journal
Augusta, Me.
Dear Sir
The present incomplete and I'M
kempt condition of the Blaine Me-
mortal Cemetery lot and the criti-
cisms which are being directed
against those who were responsible
for the development of this memorial
seemingly calls for a clear statement
of facts in order that the tax payers
of Maine, who are paying for this
work, may know the reasons for the
present condition of affairs.
At the outset, let it be clearly un-
derstood that while the landscape
architects, represented by the writer,
were primarily responsible for the de-
sign of the memorial, they are not,
nor have they ever been, responsible
for the execution of the construction
work. While the writer has advised
! regarding the selection of materials
and the character of the workman
ship for the various parts of the
memorial, the actual execution of the
work and the responsibility for it's
progress has rested from the start
with the representatives of the State
delegated to carry out this work.
When the plans drawn by the land
scape architects We're finally accept
cd early last summer, the writer was
asked if the work could be carried out
to completion during the year 1920.
His reply was that it could be if an
immediate start was made and if the
work was pushed along with the
! proper amount of energy. About the
first of September it was noted that
the work was not progressing as rap
idly as it could and should, and from
that time until freezing weather set
in the writer frequently urged upon
those in charge of the work more
speed as ii was easy to foresee that
the work would not be completed on
time. For reasons which were ap-
parently considered sufficient by
those in charge of the work, there
was a very noticeable lack of prog
! ress in certain parts of the work dur
ing the months of September and Oc-
tober, so much so in fact that the su-
perintendent representing the State,
who was in actual charge of the
work was unable to put in any grass
! seed, or to complete the planting of
the trees and shrubs before severe
freezing weather set in, or was he
able to complete the masonry work in
connection with the steps and walls
forming the approach to the Memo
rial from the cemetery
At the c10Sa of fbp To- FOL
therefore, there remained to be done
the following work:
A. The seeding of all grass areas.
B. The completion of the planting.
C. The completion of the stone
steps and walls.
d. The completion of grading
around steps.
E. Final polishing off of the entire
lot
It is now within a few days of the
middle of May and since April list
weather and ground conditions have
been such as to permit work on this
project. Had the work been under
taken on April LIST and pursued with
due diligence, the grass areas would
be showing green at this time in
stead of looking bare and brown as at
present; the planting would have
been completed and some $500 or $500
worth of nursery stock, heeled in last
fall, would now be planted and show
ing signs of life instead Of rotting
away and dying in the trenches where
1t is now heeled in just as left last
fall; the planting of the trees and
shrubs put in last fall, with the prop
er pruning which should have been
done a month ago and with proper
cultivation of the ground in which
they are planted, packing down the
soil around their roots and loosening
the top of the surface of the ground, |
would be coming into foliage and
some of them into bloom, instead of
remaining dormant or dying as some
of them are because of lack of this
care; and the walls and steps would |!
be in completed and disable con-
dition instead of being only partially |
completed and with loose stones scat |
tered about everywhere in the vicin-
ity of this feature, giving the most |
untidy appearance to this section of |
the lot. |
The writer is frequently asked by |
those who were familiar with the |
progress of the work last fall, why |
the work has not been completed this