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Spriggs Park."

(Mr. Spriggs was a distinguished lawyer and

Mayor of Utica and Congressman from that district.)

With equal simplicity, the second park was named "Addison C. Miller Park" in honor of a lawyer who had managed many estates, counseled in the establishment and direction of great industries, and had co-operated in. causes for the public good.

The third was named after Governor Horatio Seymour.

The title to these three parks was transferred to the city February 3, 1908.

The fourth and largest, comprising 260 acres of tableland and woodland, overlooking the city and commanding a superb view of the Mohawk Valley and the wooded heights beyond, was named after Roscoe Conkling. It will be transferred to the city when completed. Of this tract, the New York Tribune's correspondent said at the time of the naming: "The largest park, which is fitted with hundreds of benches and many drives, paths, groves, etc., already has cost Mr. Proctor nearly $200,000, and he has not finished his expenditures upon it."

Of these generous gifts, the Utica Observer of June 24, 1907, said:

"Our city rests under a great blessing. Generations unborn shall share it. The plans of Providence unfold slowly. Years roll on in the process of their perfection and revelation. More than thirty years have passed since Thomas R. Proctor, whose motto was to be 'Do something for your town,' cast his lot with us."

And the New York Times of July 5, 1907, said editorially, under the heading " Modesty in Munificence:"

"The other day a private citizen of Utica, whose benefactions to his city have been frequent and generous, presented to the town four parks for the perpetual use and enjoyment of its citizens. His only condition, in connection with this princely gift, was that

these parks should bear the names, respectively, of four citizens who have been illustrious in our National history, or who had rendered conspicuous service to their fellow-citizens in Utica.

"There was, however, in connection with the simple ceremonies accompanying this gift, one altogether significant note. Our friends beyond the seas have had sharp and scornful things to say of a certain note of swagger in our speech, which they claim to be especially characteristic of Americans. We venture to say that, in no European community, certainly in no British town, could such a scene have come to pass as might have been witnessed the other day in Utica. The donor of this magnificent gift to the town of his affections for it was certainly magnificent - assembled no multitude, hired no brass band, invoked the presence of no military attendance, but simply asked a group of gentlemen to lunch with him at his own house, and then to accompany him to the various parks which he presented to the city, with no other ceremony than the four or five words which gave each one of them its appropriate name.

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We venture to say that such simplicity in connection with a noteworthy function would have been impossible among our British brethren. The Mayor of the town in scarlet gown; the regiments stationed nearby; the members of Parliament; and the Lords and Ladies convenient thereunto, would all have been summoned, would all have had conspicuous places, and would all have assisted while a flourish of trumpets rent the air."

On February 3, 1908, Mr. Fredk. T. Proctor also generously gave to the city the T. K. Butler Park.

JAMES DOUGLAS' GIFT OF FORT CONSTITUTION SITE.

Another generous gift was that tendered by Dr. James Douglas of New York City to the Federal government in December, 1907, and described in the bill of acceptance which was introduced in the United States Senate December 17, 1907, as follows:

"A BILL

"Providing for the acceptance of a donation of certain land situated at the Palisades in the State of New Jersey.

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled:

"That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to accept in behalf of the United States a donation of certain land situated at the Palisades in the State of New Jersey, containing about two and one-fourth acres, which land is known as the site of Fort Lee and was occupied as a fortification by the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War."

Soon after the introduction of this bill, the representative of the War Department invited the co-operation of this Society in verifying the history of the site, and information was given which enabled a favorable report to be made. The tract embraced in this gift is situated on the crest of the bluff of the Palisades at their southern terminus about opposite West One Hundredth and Sixtieth street, New York City. To the southward it commands the western terminus of the old Revolutionary ferry known as Burdett's Ferry; also the hollow way back of the bluff leading up to what is now the village of Fort Lee.

In the summer of 1776, fortifications were erected on both sides of the river at this point to command the passage of the river. Those upon the east bank were named Fort Washington. The post on the Palisades was first named Fort Constitution, also called Mount Constitution. The earliest works of Fort Constitution were erected on the bluff of the Palisades, of which Dr. Douglas' gift forms a part. Later in the summer, a more extensive work a square, bastioned carthwork was constructed on the west side

of the hollow way in what is now the village of Fort Lee. On October 14, 1776, Gen. Charles Lee arrived at headquarters on New York Island after his successful campaigning in the south, and on account of his great popularity at that time, the whole post

on the western side of the river was named Fort Lee. The change in name was made between October 14 and October 19, 1776.

The site has many historical associations which we shall hope to record more fully in our next report.

In transmitting the draft of the bill to the Senate authorizing the acceptance of the donation by the War Department, Acting Secretary of War Oliver explained that the site could be used to decided advantage as a monument site, for a wireless telegraph station or other military purposes.

WM. J. PALMER'S GIFT OF PARKS TO COLORADO SPRINGS.

A generous gift of parks is in course of preparation for Colorado Springs, Col., at the hands of Gen. Wm. J. Palmer, founder of that city. As reported in the New York Tribune of June 2, 1907, the chain of parks and scenic driveways which General Palmer is preparing to give covers 1,500 acres of land and is valued at $1,000,000. The largest park in the chain is called Monument Valley Park, and when it is completed it will present a delightful maze of mountainside, winding streams, silver lakes, flashing waterfalls, shaded nooks and cool pathways. It borders on the tortuous and wildly beautiful Monument creek, and is easily accessible to all the inhabitants of Colorado Springs.

The work of construction was begun January, 1904, and many property-owners, realizing the scope and importance of General Palmer's plans, deeded over their holdings and others were purchased. Some idea of the magnitude of the work can be obtained when it is stated that since January, 1904, the force employed on the construction of the park has not been less than 100 men and ten teams, and has reached a maximum of 407 men and 127 More than 100,000 cubic yards of rock, 120,000 cubic yards of gravel, 30,000 yards of adobe, forty carloads of cement

teams.

and 18,000 cubic yards of manure have been used. The grading work included the moving of a little over 900,000 cubic yards of earth and sand.

Expert landscape gardeners are doing their work with a view of taking advantage of existing trees and developing all the natural beauties of the landscape. The foliage will be varied and beautiful. About 7,000 evergreens of all kinds have been planted, also 5,000 cottonwoods, 7,000 elms, maples, box elders, locust, ash and chestnut trees. Shrubs such as lilacs, snowballs, Russian olive and others have been set out. In one spot General Palmer has

placed a Colorado wild garden. More than 100 varieties of Colorado's native flowering plants and shrubs are planted in groups in such a manner that some in each bed will be in blossom in rotation the entire season.

GIFT OF MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT.

It is our pleasure to record still another magnificent gift, in this case to the people of the United States, made on December 26, 1907, by Mr. William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thatcher Kent, of Chicago, Ill. It consists of 295 acres of primeval redwood forest land lying in Township 1 north, of Range 6 west, Mount Diablo meridian, in Marin county, California. It lies on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, about six miles from San Francisco. On January 9, 1908, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation accepting the conveyance, pursuant to the act of Congress approved June 8, 1906, and entitled "An act for the Preservation of American Antiquities." (The text of this act will be found in our last Annual Report.) The proclamation declares the gift "set apart as a National Monument to be known and recog nized as the Muir Woods National Monument." The name is bestowed in honor of John Muir, the noted naturalist.

By this gift, the giant trees* of Redwood Canyon will be preSequoia sempervirens, not Sequoia gigantea.

*

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