A Park In Prospect

Tlie last issue of the Ann Ai I or A'gus contuiued this article wliioli followf, and we oommond it to tln carciiil ittlwition of our readers : Aun Arbor has au opportnuit) presented to her of making one of the m.st boantiful parks to be fonnd iu lbo conitry at a trifling expense. It the city is to keep na growiuy ulüiig liie liues on which it has grown for tne pust decade, tbnre is 110 mouey Iliat narj bn more wisely speut thati that ub rssary for this purpose. At au expfuiditnre of mouey uot exieeding tLiit squauderpri on Detroit st. Aun Arbor nan be pat u the wiy of beeoujiiig a beuutifnl sdiijmer resorf. It is now a city of homes iiud beautiful homos at that. Let the other snrrouuditigs be made In cnrtfspo:id. Detroit has spent miHious on ! Belio Ile park and the money lius uot t'BPrj begrndged. Aun Arbor. í tb slif.ht expecso ci'u have a park far ! ceediug iu natural beauty Detroit's i great park, althongb, of coarEe, not so i extensive, but we do uot need po large ! a teriitory as onr city is mnoh smaller. Anu Arbor eau have, if she vvill, a lake at her very doors, accepsib!e by the street cars, and witbin easy walkitipt distanoe, iu fact within the present city limits. She can bave her boatiug clubs, safe skating grouud iu winter, eto. Nothing would cause the ;ummer school to grow to larger bers so quickly. In the summer, penple want to go where thore is water, We can have oor oven lake and keep many of our own people at home besides rilling the towa witb strangeie. Other towns give large bouuses to inanufactories. These are experimental. Sotne bonnses draw psying busineeses, others do not. Ann Arbor is not a manufactnring town. Ifc is a residence and an edncational oity. It therefore needs to strike out in a different direction. It needs to add to its attraotions for people who want homes. People go to the Chatauqua summer school in thoasand8 because of the beautiful grounds and lakes. Let us learn from cfais. The above remarks lead us to a dnscriptiou of a plan in the course of developruent which if carried out will give Ann Arbor what she needs to further her material growth, a beautiful park and a beautiful lake. It ib a plan that has been hatching ever since beautifnl Cedar Bend avenue was built, a plan which may be opposed by some as bittorly as Cedar Bend ave. was opposed before it was built, bnt over the fulfill ment of which all will rejoioe as they did when that drive was finished. The proposed park is to be made by the purohase of the land between Cedar Bend ave. and the river inoluding the island in the river 'which has recently cume into popularity as a resort. [t is to be ipached from Wall st. or from Cedar Bend ave. and rustió arirlgi-s are to bo thrown across to the island aud to the mainland. Already figures have been obtained on the land necessary for the park. Spencer D. Leuuon offers 15 acres of gronnd sonth of Cedar Bend and extending to the river for $1,000. This land is beauti'ully wooded. East or sonth of this are 8 or 10 acres belonging to Mr. Gardner which o .n be had for f600. This takes ;be park to the orooked road by which he ascent to the heights is made from ?uller st. On the other side George ïhodes offers the island and a four rod strip of gronnd running from Wall st. along the river to beyond the island íd ;he river and also the island, h% acres for $500. George W. Weeks very generonsly offers, in oase the other strips are purchased by the city, to dnnate f ree of expense to the city, bis land which lies between the Lennon tract and the Rhodes tract so as to connect he two pieces. We have then over 30 acies of gronnd running for some distance along the river and specially itted by natnre for park pnrposes, in 'act a natural park, whiüh can be pnrchased for the oity for $2,100. Anyone who does not believe in the possibilities of the most beautiful park in Michigan, has uot goue carefnlly over tbe6e grounds and should do so at once. The Street car oorupany have stated that if these gronnds are purchased for park purposes they wil! at once extend their Iines so as to oarry the people where they will natnrally wish to flook. It is proposed to bnild a road from Wall st. to Cedar Bend ave. and as these hills are natnrally gravel beds, the materials for road building are all tl ere. Cedar Bend ave. in spite of the large proportiou spent for engineering was the cheapest bit of road building pvfr attempted iu this city. Kow for the lake sóbeme. Jobn F. Lawrenoe owns 22 acres of land on the south and west eide of the river and Dr. Sudworth owns the remaining land between the river and Fuller st. These are beantiful lueadow lands aud Mr. Lawrence bas told the committee wbo waited upon him that he would tako f200 per acre aDd Dr. íáudworth has said that ha would sell for less per aore thau Mr. Lawreooe. Now the Lawrence proporty possesses a water rigbt whioh the city uonld ntilize by bailding a dam to flood all the leve! land betwaen the river and Faller st, making i a beautifal pond of tbirty acres or more i wbich wonld mate as safe acJ deligbtj fnl hoatiug s could be fonud auy: wherp, and so pasily accessible to any ' of our oitizena. Huw mnch more material would be the benefit resultiug from this thau can ■ ha derived by the hazarduns nffer of' bounses to maunfaotnring entcrprise?. Frouj the iucreased attetidanoe ou the sammer school alone, Aun Arbor wonld sonn gRt back har mouey. It wonld add auother andpowerfnl attraction to tlie UQiversity for beauty and ; especially the beauty of natnre which I is au edaoatiooal iuflueuce in itself. It j wonld draw rnany residents and wonld lie entire'.y iu keepiog with the spirit of the city. The people of tho city wil.l j in all probability be called opon to vote this npon tbis matter and the opportunity ;s one vphich shonld be taken advantage of, while it is possible. The city administraron which brings tbis project into effect will hav a monument tor all time, which will cali fortb the gratitnde of their constitoeuts and tlieir constituents' descandants.