We send you, to-day, by express, plans for laying out Kenton Place and Logan Place which we beg you to submit to the consideration of your Board.

The narrowness of these grounds makes it impracticable to provide for their being used for much else than out-of-door resting-places, and for the simplest forms of exercise for infants and small children. The arrangements

Plan of Logan Place, Louisville, 1892

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Sketch of Arbor, Logan Place

Logan Place being a little wider than Kenton, we propose the introduction of a special feature. Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that this would be in the form of a central court 70 feet long and 36 feet wide, separated from the street and the grass plats of the Place by a wall of the same height with the iron fence now set on its boundary. From this wall piers would rise to a height of 11 feet from the ground. In the middle of the court there would be a rectangular basin 12 feet wide and 40 feet long, from the retaining walls of which piers would rise, of the same height with those on the outer walls. The outer and inner piers would support a trellis upon which vines would grow, covering the whole of the court except a central space through which sunlight would fall upon the water. In the central part of the basin there would be a walled enclosure below the surface of the water, holding soil in which would grow aquatic vegetation, consisting partly of reedy plants, partly of blooming Irises and Nelumbiums and partly of Water Lilies. A fragrant and beautiful water-garden could thus be formed, toward which those sitting in the seats shown in the outer parts of the court would face. Vines for covering the trellis would be planted in the turf outside of the two ends of the court, and also in two intermediate spaces provided for the purpose in the plan of the walls and seats. In other respects, the proposition is sufficiently explained by the drawing.

If these plans should be acceptable to your Board, the drawings will be found to give all needed instructions for such work in carrying them out as is to be desirably done this Fall. We can confer with you at our next visit with regard to other details of construction, questions pertaining to which will be chiefly as to the local materials to be used most economically. The low walls required may be either of common well-burned brick or of stone, as shall be found least costly. As they will, in a year or two, be almost entirely obscured by foliage, rough material will not be objectionable.

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The space allowed for turf and trees in both places should be dug over and pulverized to a depth of 30 inches, so much of it being removed as is necessary to a stratum of fair friable earth in the lower part of 15 inches, and a stratum of good garden soil above it of 15 inches.

The plan of Logan Place is really simpler than, at a glance, might be supposed, and the construction and planting being once complete, the maintenance of neither ground would require special skill or much labor.

Respectfully Yours,

In reply to your inquiry, I beg to say that I had the pleasure, in September last, of visiting Presque Isle, the site which the city of Marquette has the good fortune to hold in reserve for a public park, and was delighted with what I saw. A park on this site can have certain natural advantages possessed by no other that I have seen and it is to be hoped that the utmost caution will be observed in guarding these. I refer more particularly to the exceedingly [418]interesting, beautiful and picturesque elements of local scenery along the shore of the Lake. It is of the highest importance that the enjoyment of the almost unique elements of scenery which these are capable of affording should not be marred by the intrusion of artificial objects, and especially of constructions in the least of a showy character.

I saw too little of the interior to offer, with much confidence, any definite advice with regard to its treatment. I should think, however, that it would be exceedingly difficult to prepare upon it anything in the nature of grounds for popular diversions such as are commonly considered to be a necessary part of a public park, and that what I have said in regard to the danger of incongruities along the shores would apply to such an extent as to make it most desirable that the city should hold some additional land of simpler topography which, at small cost, could be prepared suitably to be used for games, athletic exercises and the sports and amusements of children.

I am of the opinion that it would be a capital thing to provide on Presque Isle for the preservation and perpetuation of as large an area as practicable within the limits of the park, of the native forest of the southern shore of Lake Superior. The site is a remarkably good one for the purpose, being easily guarded from the sweep of great forest fires, and its circumstances being such as to display bodies of foliage to great advantage. To accomplish the end which I recommend to be had in view in this respect, it would be desirable to take out, as soon as practicable, such of the trees now standing as are much beyond their prime, with enough of the least promising of others to allow the light to penetrate to the ground favorably to the development of the younger trees and the underwood, and thus to a gradual renewal of the entire growth. A suitable scheme for this purpose, if rightly set about and steadily pursued, would not require a large force, nor be in any way very expensive. I should suppose that all shelters from rain and all places of refreshment that would be necessary for the good use of the park by the population of Marquette for a considerable period in the future could be well made, in the main, of the logs that would be obtained in such thinning processes. If so, well-designed constructions of the character suggested would be in better taste than any of a more costly character.

Your obedient servant