The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 5, 1897, Page 17

SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 5, 1897. | ‘ Golden Gate Park is already pride of 3 yonthful city like San o, but the management has an ambition for further progress and the plans that are laid to add other ate tiactions will, if consummated, largely extend the cipacity of the peo- ple’s pleasure ground for ministering to the health and happiness of the titudes who seek it for recreation. Most of these plans arg just now in some veril of either death or indefinite delay. Their fate will be decided in a few weeks, and all lovers of the park will no doubt anxiously await the decision as to what a wise economy will allow, or forbid, as to further e developments. (e The chief reason for doubt as to the fulfillment of the plans is the Ll falling off of the prospective funds for park use because of the lowered City assessment this year. The minimum tax allowed by law for park expense is 6 cents on the $100 and the maximum 10 cents. Last year the 6 cents yielded abou 50,000. If precedent is followed, the rate fixed this year will be 6 cents, but it would give an income of only $208,000 on the present assessed valuation of the City, and this amount would not be sufficient to carry forward the designed improvements. This is the fear for the park, and the Lope is that the Supervisors will permit a larger rate than the 6 cents to be levied. Some of the members of the “VALLEY WHERE THE "NEW LAKES Wit L BE. y ." 7 GARDEN (edey gr’ldsuO.cv)rOUOJDvOomoquDvfie v v & Nolz: = - : = IMPROVEMENT OF = RECREATION T GROUNDS. AN boar¢ favor this, and the Finance Committee recom- mends that a sufficient tax be fixed to yield $295.000. With that sum to depend on, the plans for making the people happy would proceed vigorously. The latest annual report of the Park Commissioners is now in the hands of the printers. Itisa very Vvoiuminous document and contains many statements of park affairs and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors that will be of 1nterest to the public. There 1s in it a calling of attention to the general merits of the park with which San Franciscans are familiar, but which will bear <ome itera- tion in order that park benefits may be fixea in the public mind and in- terest in its progressive welfare may not wane. The language of this feature of the report is fervent, as from men thoroughly enamored of the important work they havein charge. The report, in putting in a plea for a liberal appropriation, is backed by the cogent arcument of the steadily increasing popularity of the grounds. The general progress of the park has been most satisfactory. All the trees and shrubs have made a good year’s growth and the grading and construction of roads and walks and beautifying of the grounds huv; been facilitated by a twelvemonth of most favorable weather. The charges of mismanagement made against the park some time ago were thoroughly confuted by the fact that the Grand Jury practically ignored them, aithough the Commissioners had invited invesigation, and all the facts in the case were presented through the committee appointed trom the Grand Jury to examine into the park affairs. It isa most com- plete vindication when a charge is passed by as not’ worthy of serious consideration, and the people Will have renewed confidence that the great sums appropriated for the maintenance of their plessure grounds are being economically and wisely administersd. 2 Prominent among the important improvemenis contemplated is a fine stonework bandstand for the new music concourse in Concert Val- ler. The preparation of the grounds for this is now complete, and wuen the Commissioners are sure of the fuuds with which to carry on the work architects wili be called upon to furnish competitive designs, from which will be chosen something handsome enough to be in harmony with the beautiful surroundings. The site of the new concourse was selected by the late W. W. Stows and it is a most admirable one for the purpose. The outlook in all direca tions will be lovely, and it will be easily accessible to the other chief at- tractions of the park. Itis the little valley just east of the Javan village, To the north lies the rauseum and the main drive; on the east is the aviary and the buffalo paddock; and to the south is the drive leading to the iake and Sirawberry Hill. The bandstand wil: be buiit on the north end and will face about southward. On either flank of it there will be a dense little plantation of evergreen trees for acoustic purposes and to shut off the heavy winds from the audience. These trees are alrezdy planted and growing finely. The central portion of the ‘concourse, where the people wiil be seated, is planted with deciduous trees in order that there may be shade in summer and sunlight in winter. Around it isa double carringe drive and a double bicyele path. The interior space is 600x300 feet and will seat 20,000 people. Upon the compietion of the new the olid music concourse will beatzndoned and tranformed into a crequet ground. Another leading improvement 1s to be the making of two new lakes out toward the western end of the grounds. There will be one on each side of the main driveway a little beyond the western end of the speed track, and there will be about ten acres of water in each. The location is such as to make these very picturesque, as there are some beautifully wooded knolls to form a background and to cast their reflections in the waters of the twin lakes. This will make a delightful objective point for those who wish to take more exercise by penetrating deeper into the park, These lakes are sure to be formea whether the increased appropriation is granted or not. Superintendent McLaren says they can accomplish that with the funds they are certain of geiting. . Much has been done the past year in the way of waterworks extension, Between three and four miles of pipes have been laid, and much of this is of large sige intended to be tapped by laterals. Prepurations have been made to thoroughly trrigate the surroundings of the new bridge so that the fair combination of granite and green may be perpetuaily kept fresh and eye-delighting. The new piping also extends down to the valley near the Japan village, and this will be kept beautiful with a well- sprinkled lawn and thrifty trees. Tbere is an eight-inch main extending ,‘,,':'M?r_ll,[‘“m,(“x}wq“ i B0 6060308002a5(13050NG0D0 0 e Dead i | where 1t divides into two laterals, and this will permit the irrigation of 5 all the area around the old Forty-nine mining camp. To the deer glen there is 1200 feet of new pipe, so that the groups of trees therein may be kept tresh and thrifty, The planned improvement whose interruption from lack of funds wil G --MM)“ /1 e = MHCATn & THE SUPERINTENDENTS COTTAGE A GLIMPSE OF THE- AFFILIATED COLLEGES | deprive the people of most pleasure is the magnificent one of electric- lighting the grounds. Considerable work bad already been done in get- ting the plant ready for generating the necessary electric current on the park grounds when the doubt as to the amount of the next year’s income barred all progress in tnat linc. Unless a raise over the 6-cent tax is ailowed by the Supervisors the fine project of illuminating the main driveways with big arc lamps will be gone glimmering through the dream of things that were to be. Darkness and -olitude will continue to hold sway over the pleasure grounds in the evenings. It.isa pity that this is true, for the lighting of the walks and drives at night would give many people a chance for a recreating outing in the evenings who are too busy to zet out there in the day. The Affiliated Colleges, on the hills south of the park, are now looming up in a way that adds materially to the picturesquensss of the views to be seen from many points in its drives and walks. These stately build- ings, seated on such a commanding eminence, form a background to many a lovely view across lawns and through avenues of trees that give a striking enhancement to the.completeness of the picture. One of the grandest of these vistas can be enjoyed by looking diagonally across the park from tbe corner of the lodge to the new colleges and the wooded beights beyond. There is a sense in whicn this might be reckoned as one of the new park improvements, and a very grand one. There is a coming improvement which is to be so handsome that the Commissioners are deliberately postponing it in order that some beauti- ful idea about it should develop in the:r minds, and when it is fully ripe it will be materialized as a crowning glory over the fine new granite bridge. "It will consist of groups of statuary to embellish the two inner balustrades. 2 It 13 the purpose to add to the beauty of the bridge by planting rows of trees to meet the ends of the balusirade, and thus blend together as it were the bridge and the surrounding landscape. The bridge was the mostimportant of the works done last year. While its purpose is an- nounced as being a provision for the safety of the passengers who wished 1o cross to the musenm and aviary, by enabling them to pass under the driveway instead of through the teams and bicycles, the utility of the iu- provement might well be considered as very subordinaie to its esthetics, BRIDGE \ Wi f{ ~ i 240 feet east from Roman bridge to the north side of the luke 340 feet, (‘M‘\l{ i} 2 Ly e SITE FOR NEW MUSIC STAND.- ~ Sy W i [ilf} Qqu. ‘/00 It is a thing of beauty” and as such, being most enduringly built, it will be ““a joy forever’’; and if no one shouid ever pass under the subway it would be worth all it cost. In considering the greatness of our park the part played in it by the museum must te remembered. In point of attendance and number and rarity of its articles it takes rank among the leading museums of this country, and in the matter of rapid growth it far excels them all. Its unew annex for a picture gallery has just been completed. The police and ambulance stations are handsome improvements of . 1ast year. The completion of the Point Lobos road from Central avenue to the Cliff House was a part of the last report. The arboretum, among many additions, has some firs from the Pyrenees and the Alps. The planting of the group of California big trees around the big-tree cabin may prove to bs one of the most enduring works the park has periormed. Among recent events the coming of the kangaroo is notable. . The Commissioners in their report continue their recommenda. tions thus: “The opening of Twenty-fourth avenue, irom Lake street to the Presidio, snould be pushed through to the line and .continued to McDowell drive and .other boulevards laid out from Golden Gate Park to Mountain Lake Park and the Presidio. These should be a block wide if possible, with footpatis and bicycle roads skirting the driveway, making a magnificent passway connecting these popular reservations, which if purchased now would in a few years be considered one of the City’s best assets.” They also advise that a broad boulevard should connect the Mission with the park, to afford the people from there a more convenient access. In praising the park they quote this wise sentence: “It is a kind of charity which cannot de- 1aoralize and cannot ve abused or jobbed.” From the secretary’s report, woich is now also in the hands of the printer, a few items from the columns of figures may be presented as interesting. In round numbers the income of the park last year was $248,000. The cost of maintaining it was $125,000; the amount spent on constract’on was$124,000: to keep up the roads and walks it cost $17,000; the museum $16,000, policing $18,000, conservatory $5700, birds and beasts $3000, lake $2000 and forests and reclamations $4253. On constructing roads and walks last year was spent about §$14 000, waier works $12,000. bridee $36.000. museum $16.000. music concourse $6000 and forests $12,000, "0 NEW © MUSEUM ANNEX H