Year: 1860

guidance OF Col. Brush and his aids, marched
through the beautiful, picturesque and romantic
avenues of the Park until they reached the rear
of the grand stand. Arriving here, the column
was halted, and presented arms; his Honor Mayor
Swami. George VIM. Brown, Esq, Mayor elect,
and the Park Commissioners, followed by the other
representatives of the city government and the in
vited guests, passing the military, uncovered, and
ascended to the platform.


The Guard of Honor, under Major Warner, then
formed into column and marched to the brow of
the hill Immediately in front of the stand, where
they were drawn up in line. This movement added
greatly to the beauty of the whole scene; for the
line, when facing the stand, presented a bold and
undivided front of about four hundred yards of
solid and substantial looking soldiers Owing to
the crowd Immediately in front of the stand, and
to allow the men individually to get to
hear the address of Mayor Swami, the companies
We're ordered to stack arms and dismiss, to be ready
at the tap of the drum.


THE CEREMONIES.


Lieut.. Col. William H. Hayward soon after the
Mayor and Park Commissioners had taken positions
on the stand, stepped forward and announced that
the ceremonies would be commenced by prayer,
which offered by Rev. DR.. CumminS, in the
most iervent and eloquent manner.


Volandts band then played a beautiful air. liter
which Mayor Swami was introduced and delivered
the following grafton:


ADDRESS OF HON. THOMAS SWAMI


Friends and FellOv- Citi-eaS:


The occasion which brings you to-day is one for
congratuaton and rejoicing You here inaugurae
the opening of Public Park worthy the future destiny
OF this great CITY, Proudly does the BaltimOrean look
upon the scene here presented The towon laborer
joces in the prospect of his newly hertage the
merchant, the mechanic, and the working man; the rich
ana the poor stand side by side in reciprocal brotherhood
Men of all ranks professions and pursuits here With
one voice-with one impulse, they to unite in the
dedication of this noble Park.


With population little short of quarter of million,
Baltimore-second only to New York and Philadelphia
has already attained the rank Metropolitan city She
aspres to the dignity of the favored In times past
she has taken the lead in OF those great improve
ments which have held out examples of enterprise and
mn nnnrp Inv nd f1
than her and has gained applause for successful
perseverance when others have yielded too readily to the
promptngs of timdity and indecisioH Her commercial
marine guided by the skill and genius OF her citi
zenS, has won laureS upon the seas and her gigantic
works OF engineering penetrating into distant States,
have stood notleSs objects admiration than examples
for useful and profitable imitation. When estimate
the future by the past, how strongly impressed
with the duty which devolves upon the present genera
tion to build deep and broad the foundations of their
power and greatness. few years and those who
stand upon the ground which we now occupy, will hear
the tramp of busy mutudes aud witness the evidences
of increasing activity and improvement far beyond the
confines of the space which dedcatng to the
public The spread of population will soon crown
with monuments Of art and industry the surrounding TO-
rests. How proudly then will
upon this spot and looking out upon the restless tide be-
meath them-secure from the intrusions and hustle of
crowded city congratulate themselves upon the provident
foresight which has secured for their enjoyment this
cuded retrea-hese magnificent orests-these broad and
beautiful felds-hs type of nature in its undisturbed
simplicity and grandeur.


The population of Baltimore cannot be estimated in the
future by any established rules of ordinary calcua-
ton. immigration from abroad, as well as adjoining
States will come in aid of the direct causes operatng
within her limits Her union with the West in 1858
and its practical results demonstrated the absence c
indispensable to pac her foreign commerce on foot
ing with her formidable rivals This has heretofore
operated as check upon her rapid increase The building
up of original trade depends upon access to the
ocean. 1t is hardly known to citizens that with
comparatively moderate effort in aid of what has already
been accomplished the "Grea Eastern steamship on
the occasion of her recent visit might have oaed in
tact with wharves and thus established the inevita
bic triumph of the claims of the city of Baltimore
natural and legitimate mart of Southern and Western
The development OF these plans will be
felt in the rapid advance of population. We must
prepare for period when swarming muudes will settle
around this PaTk-when the noise Of the hammer and
the smoke of the furnace and the workshops will invade
its most retired places. Commerce and manufactures
and the fruits of agricultural enterprise will open to our
city fields of labor, and incentives to increased
growth and expansion. Who fOretell what the
population of Baltimore will be under the effect Of the
causes to which have referred in the next quarter of
century?


The subject of public Parks in populous cities is
already attracting attention in all parts of the country
The custom which has long prevailed of providing for
the wants of overgrown population by the appropra
ton ofS a, few contracted acres, public squares
breathing places is fast yielding to the broader and
more enlarged views of experienced sanarans and phi
anthropists Men cannot labor without relaxation and
the heated atmosphere of city is not favorable to Physi
cal growth and development. With transatlantic
brethren these evils have long since met remedy in
the liberal provision which IS everywhere made for
wholesome exercise and recreation; and the bringing
together of prominent and engaging objects attraction
Parks of convenient arevarying in size according to
the demands of population, found everywhere
abroad They are the property Of the people, and as
such become objects Of paramount care Whatever is
required to render them attractive by the embellish
ments OF statuary and scuipure-to encourage manly
sports and exercises by the temptation of shaded and
diversified walks for pedestrians-by extended and
broad avenues for riding and driving-by the inroduc
ton of artificial lakes with their attendant pastimes
there provided with liberal hand. These expenditures
react upon the public taste-they encourage social in
terchange and elevate the standard of public morality
London says Kemp in his work on Parks aed Gar
dens, "like most other lage and popuious towns has
completely
spaces which formerly surrounded it, that is now,
spects the number its inhabitants by no means lbe
rally supplied with breathing places the of
Open-ar recreation. And this encroachment upon
suburbs has been effected with such comparative slow
and silently that it is only by the of
modern epdemics producing that attention to SANITARY
matters which forms such prominent feature of the
that the necessity for good Parks has been
duly recognized, and the inSucency of those already
existing properly felt" In London, st. James Park,
established in the time of Henry Nl is the most
cent of these locations.


Its entire area comprised only about eighty.seven
acres The Green Park, dating its origin from later
PERIOD contained hity-SiX acres, and Hyde Park three
hundred and fortyseven These Parks the most
prominent and celebrated, lie in continuous chain,
covering surface of about five hundred acres. Ken
sington Gardens, being extension Of Hyde Park,
tanning about three hundred acres, the north side
of London. REGENTS Park comprises four hundred and
fifty acres and other Parks of greater less
dimensions, at remote distances from the city, have
sprung up at different periods Among the more
Parks which has the largest
of attention, and profted by the experience of the
past both in magnitude and the character of its improve



thousand acres, embeshed in the most taste
full and magnificent style. 1t granted to the city of
Paris in 1852 Since the accession OF the present Empe
100000 francs have been expended in the improve
ment and renovation of the forest Full grown trees
have been transferred by the power of machinery, sup
plying the places of those which the hand of time or the
violence Of the revolution had destroyed. regret that


full description Of this Park is beyond the limits of
this address would afford idea of the character
and dimensions of these improvements abroad Vienna,
Berlin Florence, indeed every other city of historical
note, point to these important aduncts as the most





which they present New York was the first to initiate
the example of transatlantic brethren in appropra
ing hersefa Park suited her vast and increasing
population She is now engaged in the work Of embel-
lishment. An expenditure of millions finds her still
upon the threshold of stupendous undertaking. and yet
behold her stimulated and urged regardless of
pense by the almost unanimous voice of all classes OF
her people


Ifthe purpose of the Public Park Commissioners of Bal
timore will be initiate the lavish expenditure of
New York in the improvement OF her Central Park it
will be for them with sufficiently ample it is
hoped and without oppressive burthen upon the people,
provide place of recreation not surpassed either
side of the Atlantic in beauty and attacveness it, in.
deed it will be found to have its equal in any part Of the
world "Drud Hip of the most ancient estates in
Maryland, having been settled at very early period
colonial history The original patent bears date
in 1858. Its name Druid" have been informed by
descendant Of the last proprietor suggested by the
large number of oaks which everywhere abound Some
Of these associated with certain marked localities of the
estate bear the evidences of great and have been
appropriately named The great TENT Oak" near
"Edmunds Well,n is white oak, measuring fifteen
in circumference feet from its base and its
lateral branches upon the ground. Another huge
white oak, "The Sentinel, growing on the "Terrapns
Back" a curiously shaped hilI is another remarkable
tree; while the king of the Forest" a rock chesnut
oak stands the highest pinnacle of land the top of
'Sugar Loaf Hilln and commands view of the entire
property and the adjacent country and bay for miles
around In 1709 this estate passed into the hands Of
Nicholas Rogers, whose grandson of the same name
soldier of the Revolution, and aid de camp to Baron DE
Kalb attained considerable eminence as an architect
left of taste well in the city in the
grouping of the beautiful trees around The square
rgged vessel represented in the view of Baltimore in
l752 and comprising at that time nearly her whole com
mercal marine the property of the elder Nicholas
Rogers. From its original settlement down to its transfer
to the CITY of Baltimore it has remained unchanged
general outlines The history Of the purchase by the
Commissioners and the origin Of the Park Fund on which
is based will not be without interest to the people of
this city, and may be excused for briefly referring TO
them in this place.


When the system ofstreet passenger railways about
be introduced great diversity of opinion prevailed
even among experienced and practical men, as to the
profits of these works The first attempt to organize
company in this city proved abortive, mainly from
of confidence in the of the undertaking..
Capital could not be secured without better guarantee
than these railways Afforded The rates OF tranSporta-
ton passengers in all the cities had been established
average of five cents There at the same time
bonus exacted compensation for the use of
the streets in the cities where they had been intro
duced. Baltimore, while she desired Park, was in
no condition to impose additional taxes upon her peo
pe and occurred the friends of this measure that
she could do nothing more wise or beneficial, after
placing her tariff upon equal footing with her sister
cities, avail herself of the only opportunity likely to
occur adequate bonus to be applied towards
the purchase of a Public Park. Accordingly, when the
ordinance creating these passenger railways present
ed for my approval, deemed it my duty to insist
condition of the franchise that fifth of the
ceps should go into the treasury fund for this pur
pose. The distTust with which this proposition met
among large class of citizens in wise diminished
the ardor with which the friends of the Park felt 1t their
duty to persevere in the accomplishment of the plan
They thought they could oresee large resulting benefit
to the city of Baltimore at no distant day To illustrate