Show THE CITY PARK Th 1 Old ii f ar to b Made r a City Pleasure Resort On Wednesday morning last the report of a special committee consisting con-sisting of H Dinwoodey Feramorz Little and Jos F Smith to the City Council was published in the HERALD This report stated that the Old Mill Farm had been purchased pur-chased by the city to be converted into a city park and suggested a method for raising themeans to pay i for this property which method was adopted It may be argued that the city isnot at present in need of a park many think it does while many hold a different opinion But whether it does need one now or not the time will soon come when the need of one will be keenly felt With characteristic foresight Mayor Little discerned that such a need would arise in the near future and knew that unless a good location were selected in time it might not only cost a vast amount but might beverytdifficult if not impossible to secure a desirable location when a city park had grown to b an immediate im-mediate necessity He therefore began be-gan to cast about for a place The Mill Farm struck his fancy or rather was such a place as his judgment judg-ment suggested the city would require re-quire He made inquiry a to the value and the price at which it could be purchased and some time aco submitted the matter to the City Council with the recommendation that the city purchase the farm for the purpose indicated The Council seeing a the Mayor did entertained the matter very favorably ordered the purchase of the farm and appointed ap-pointed a committee to suggest a method for raising the means to pay for the farm which special committee commit-tee reported as before stated on Tuesday night latIn lat-In the whole valley no better site could have been chosen for a park thanthe one just purchased and there is no spot which possesses better bet-ter advantaes for the purpose in view than the one selected It contains con-tains 110 acres and to all person who move about the city it is well known The farm begins at the southeastern portion of the city the north end consisting of what is known a the locust patch or both of them At present there is a lane which runs through the centre of the farm but beingprivate property can bo closed at will The width of the farm east and west is equal to two of our city blocks including the street while it extends south to the lane or road south of the old Brigham Young mill now known a the Lefler mill This piece contains con-tains 100 acres and the old mill mi pond and race are included in the purchase together with a very good residence The locust path there is the only grove within miles of the city and city is located about three blocks from the First Ward street car track and in the course of time the cars will run directly to the park This grove is large enough for all the purposes that can ever be required is rustic and very pleasant and shady A large portion of the land is excellent farming ground and is at present under cultivation from which the city will realize some pecuniary benefit ben-efit The land is level and being prolific can easily be converted into the object desired All the north and the entire western portions are good solid land The southeastern part is occupied by a mill pond and i more or less boggy and springy and with comparatively little trouble can be converted into ponds and the other portion drained filled in and made sold the dirt taken out to make the ponds answering for the earth necessary to fill np springy places which it is desirable to make solid The additional ten acres is located to the southwest of the farm proper and is divided by a street from it It is full of springs from which flows a large stream of beautiful clear cool and delicious water This i land was purchased by the late President Young because of its springs and the water was used and drawn on to the Mill Farm partly to irrigate the land and to run the mill the water from which can also be turned on to the land and put to good use There is an abundance of water which belongs entirely to I the land and has its source on the ten acres mentioned The farm contains as much ground as will b needed for a park for Salt Lake in the next two generations gener-ations at least and there is so much that it will never be necessary to keep the grounds like a lawn as would be the case were it but a ten acre block The whole can be made to appear rural and rustic can be sufficiently developed and still give ample room for picnics for ponds for walks for drives and for all other purposes for which parks are used I is not the intention to spend a large sum of money at once The work of making improvements will progress as fast as deemed advisable and the funds of the city will admit The great object was to secure the land so that it could be held and improvements be made a little at a time and year after year without incurring any great expense Among the first things to be done will be to lay out drives The present idea is to take a street near the centre of the city say the street on which the Townsend Town-send House is located grade it for a drive directly south to the outskirts out-skirts of the city then turn east and continue the drive to the northwest corner of the park Here it will enter the park and run along just inside the line to the south corner then turn est again then north and then along to one of the streets First or Second South or South Temple street perhaps which lead back to the centre of the city This will make a delightful drive and a drive is at present one of the luxuries that our city is most in need of I is not improbable that there will bo two roads in the park along side each other one of gravel which will be needed about three months in the year during wet weather the other of the soil there which makes an excellent soft and noiseless track and which would be used about nine months in a year One of these roads in the park will be built between now and fall and the other at a later date Next spring trees will be planted on either side of the drives and walks about ten to sixteen feet apart so as to make a complete shade There are now on the farm perhaps a thousand of young walnut wal-nut trees and any amount of elm I trees which are just the right age fh 1 10r ClHauLlug auu 11 11 save the city a great expense besides be-sides being native to the soil J Trees however of every variety will be planted so as t give variety and taste to the whole Next summer sum-mer also a good portion of the ground will be seeded with short grass which will be allowed to grow I ga which can be cut with a mower These with the grubbing out of the brush a work now in progress so that it can be used for progre pleasure parties at once are the improvements deemed most necessary improvement neces-sary will be attended to first the others to follow in order as before stated when deemed ad visible and when the drain on the city treasury will not be felt too cty In ten years a little done yea lte heavily I each year we will have a beautiful I park many of the trees now having which it would take ten a growth whch woud tae years to give them and which are thus of greater value to the city than to any one else One thing that has been looked upon as specially desirable has been accomplished I i that the park could be secured without adding anything to the taxes of citizens This was accomplished or will be accomplished by the sale of lad I The sale of the Warm Springs lots some time ago realized t the city nearly 36000 and this was disposing of property which was lying idle which the city would never improve eitwouldnevoprove and on which no taxes were paid Now this land will be improved taxes will be paid on it and an additional ad-ditional revenue however small will come into the treasury which would not have been secured except through this sale It has been determined to sell the market lot for 825600 and the money thus obtained with that obtained from tho sale of the Warm Springs lots will more than pay for tie lana now purchased for a park The market lot wasbringing in no revenue worth considering in its present state if leased it would have been covered with shanties which would have remained re-mained for the next ten years a bar to progress and which being of little value would bring in a very trifling amount in taxes To sell it however how-ever is to throw it open to valuable improvements which will enhance the beauty of the cit add to its I wealth and thereby add to the revenue of the city Besides to sell I it for 525000 will place 825000 of property now paying no taxes where it will pay taxes Every way we look at it the Mill Farm purchase pur-chase and the real estate sales are good investments for the city Besides Be-sides the farm itself i bringing in a revenue The mill returns 8U a month and the land under cultivation cultiva-tion will bring in something The city has secured a delightful situation situa-tion for a park disposed of property which was practically useless and which will bring in a revenue and the whole thing is one of the wisest and best steps taken in a long time by our city fathers |