Grant Park The site of Grant Park was chosen as almost the only one with large trees left in thickly settled parts of the city, as well as for its high and excellent situation. The people of Park, St. Joseph’s, and Vineyard Avenues, and the streets leading from them, now have a pleasure ground and breathing space close to their doors which cannot be diverted to private purposes or encroached upon by the buildings of a growing population. It having been shown by two public meetings that public sentiment was practically unanimous in favor of parks, a Park Commission was appointed by the then Mayor, Hon. Leslie Sutherland, consisting of ex–Mayor James H. Weller (President), Arthur J. Burns, Merritt H. Smith, Ethelbert Embree, and Frederick A. Garnjost. On January 19, 1900, this Commission determined to offer prizes for designs for the two parks, to be sent in by March 14, 1900. The design adopted for Grant Park was made by H. A. Caparn, and is in its essentials very simplc A broad path leads round the Park foi those who wish to saunter or rest in, not merely to cross it, and communicates with entrances at four points where it has been found that entrances are needed Thc whole is so arranged that the routes across the Park in all necessary directions aire nearly as short as possible, so that there will be little temptation to wear tracks across the grass in order to pass from one point to another. The main entrance is placed at Parker Street, as the point to which most of the traffic between Park and St. Joseph’s Avenues converges. It has fortunately beon possible to satisfy all these conditions and yet preserve the large central lawn entire; for on large expanses of turf, undisfigured by roads or superfluous objects of any kind, depends the dignified and reposeful effect of park scenery. Various large stones have been spared as being of special geological interest and decorative in themselves, and where they tend to appear scattered they are united by plantations of rhododendrons. In the north of the Park is an open plaza with seats, making a resting place for women and children under the thick shade ol trees, and supported by a rocky bank covered with trailing plants; in this rockwork is an elliptical stone about six feet long, of very striking appearance, which was presented to the Park by Mr. W. Delavan Baldwin. Where the paths meet near the northeast entrance is an open space for a building, to be used for a band stand, and for shelter from the sun and rain. Trees have been planted where they will shade the walks without interfering with the quiet and simple character of the place. All along the boundaries are plantations of trees and shrubs, mainly of native kinds, which, as they grow up, will exclude the sight of the streets and form a border ol foliage, giving the general effect of natural growth surrounding a clearing in which the large trees have been left. Exotic and colored shrubs have generally been avoided as being out of character with the great white oaks. In constructing Grant Park the aim of the Commissioners has been, not to make costly and elaborate works which might be more for display than use, but to make the Park of the greatest use to the greatest number without sacrificing its beauty. For without being beautiful a park cannot be useful ; nor, indeed, can it be beautiful without being useful.