and rooms

the public rooms, lavatories, attendant's room, for the police, foreman, and workmen. The tool-house is to be in a one-story detached addition.

The public rooms are to be entered from the Park side through a covered court, made by the projecting second story, but open at the ends and the side towards the playground. Seats will here be provided under cover, and sand courts for infants will be conveniently placed outside. The second story is to be an open gallery or overlook, and will contain a band stand or balcony for city concerts overlooking the promenade.

PARK AT DORCHESTER LOWER MILLS.

June 19, 1891, the Board received the following petition:

To the Honorable Board of Park Commissioners, City of Boston :

We, the undersigned, residents of that portion of Boston known as Dorchester Lower Mills, respectfully petition you to take such action as you may deem wise to secure for public purposes the tract of land on Dorchester Avenue and Adams Street, adjoining the Convalescents' Home of the City Hospital. This rapidly growing manufacturing district, remote from parks, urgently needs a playground for youth, a permanent open-air space and park for sanitary reasons, all of which we believe may be secured now to the best advantage.

(Signed)

HENRY D. Pope
and 269 others.

The petition was accompanied by a letter from the Secretary of the Lower Mills Improvement Association, dated June 12, 1891, setting forth that

At a meeting of the Lower Mills Improvement Association, held on the above date, it was unanimously

Voted, That this Society heartily indorse the petition to your Honorable Board now being circulated, praying that you take action in regard to acquiring land in this section for public purposes. Said land adjoins property of the city of Boston on Dorchester Avenue, known as the Convalescents' Home, and lies to the south of the city property.

Communications in aid of the petition were also received from Alderman H. S. Carruth and James S. Green, M.D. In the former letter the Alderman says:

I inclose herewith several petitions from the citizens of the southerly end of Dorchester, especially the Lower Mills Village, and also a copy of the action of the Lower Mills Improvement Association, and a letter from Dr. James S. Green, the most prominent resident physician of the locality. The petitions, as you will observe, are very numerously signed and represent all classes of population, and as I stated to you on

the occasion of my being present at your last meeting, the demand for this open-air space is very urgent. The population of this locality is mostly composed of the employees in the large chocolate and paper mills and other manufactories, and the tendency for the last five years has been to concentrate population in this locality. Unless some action is taken at once it is very doubtful if any suitable place can again be secured.

This particular locality, which I have suggested, namely, the property of the Whitney and Badlam heirs, is not only in every way suitable, being situated in the heart of this village, but it is also in itself a most beautiful natural park with a magnificent growth of trees, none of which are of stump growth, but of first growth, filled with beautiful ledges of rocks, and adjoining property now owned by the City Hospital, and which could be utilized with this for the purposes indicated in the petitions enclosed.

I sincerely trust that your Board will take action on this matter at your meeting to-morrow, as I feel that no action that you could take would do niore good or accomplish a greater amount of pleasure and improvement than the establishment of this open-air space, or small park. I do not think there will be any expensive demands for improvements of the property, nothing more than a mere cleaning up of some underbrush and admission to the grounds, and possibly a policeman or two on Sundays. Otherwise the place is in itself a beautiful park. The feeling of the bulk of the population, as expressed to me, is that they desire to have it saved, as the chances are all in favor of its being cut up into house lots within a very short time. If that is done, there is no other location which can be procured for the same price which would be in any degree so well located and naturally so beautiful.

Deeming the reasons set forth in the above petition and communications well founded, the Board caused surveys of the land therein described to be made, and on June 26th took the property named in the petition for a public park, which comprises 26 acres. Some change of the boundaries. between this land and the Convalescents' Home may be found advisable.

WOOD ISLAND PARK.

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As this Park, containing originally 235 acres of upland, including 4 acres of Parkway, and 57 acres of flats, would require extensive filling to make it available for park purposes, the Board opened negotiations with the East Boston Company with the purpose of adding West Wood Island and the intervening marsh to this location. The company met the overtures of the Commissioners in a liberal manner, and offered the lands at their assessed valuation, and, at this valuation, on June 26th the Board purchased 22 acres of upland and 108 acres of flats for the sum of $82,300. Subsequently a small area of land belonging to the Maverick Land Company, and included within the proposed lines of the new location, was bought for $500. The Park and Parkway now contain 45 acres of land and 16576 acres of flats.

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A new plan for laying out the enlarged Park has been prepared by the landscape architects and is herewith printed. The paths on the 23 acres of upland have been graded, and the ground has been planted with trees.

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We contemplate surfacing the paths and the projected playground, so that they will be ready for use before the close of

the year.

SHORE ROAD EAST BOSTON TO WINTHROP.

In a resolution of the Board of Aldermen dated Dec. 7, 1891, this Board was requested to investigate the question of constructing a boulevard in connection with the Park System from Jeffries Street to Wood Island Park. In the reply to this request, dated Dec. 30, 1891, upon the report of the City Engineer the Board stated as follows:

It is 3,000 feet from Jeffries Street to Wood Island Park. The depth of the fill we believe would be about 20 feet. A boulevard 80 feet in width would require at least 400,000 cubic yards of filling. This would cost about $240,000. Riprap for the slope, a sluiceway and gate, surfacing, drainage and planting, and connection with the Park-drive would add about $150,000 to the cost.

The funds at our command are not more than enough to complete the Parks and Parkways to which the city is already committed, but if it should be thought wise to extend the Parkways we think that the proposed connection of Wood Island Park with Jeffries Street would be an attractive feature and would enhance the value of property in its vicinity, especially if the Parkway should be continued from Wood Island Park to Winthrop Point or farther.

We think it proper to add that the Commonwealth would probably require compensation for the fill and for the confinement of tide-water between the proposed Parkway and the mainlar

In connection with this project, Alderman Sullivan presented to the Board a communication from the Superintendent of the East Boston Company to him under date of Dec. 14, 1891, in which occurs the following:

Herewith you will find my plan of a shore-road or Boulevard beginning at the Park or Parkway, and extending along the shore across the dyke at Winthrop Junction to Belle Isle Creek, thence running along the water's edge by the Lowell and Loring estates by the IIuckins property, and as much farther as the town of Winthrop desire to build. I am authorized to state that the East Boston Co. and the Boston Land Co. will give the city the right of way with as much land as is necessary to carry out the improvement.

The flooding of the flats lying inside the proposed drive by means of tide-gates until they are gradually filled and built upon would effect a sanitary improvement over the conditions at present existing in East Boston, and the question of the advisability of the plan is chiefly a matter of expense.