upon and determine the amount to be assessed and collected in each town for the purposes aforesaid, and certify the same to the County Clerk, who shall thereupon proceed as if such sums were certified by the supervisors; and for the performance of this duty the said commissioners shall be deemed officers of said towns, and responsible as such.”’ Thus, in such possible exigency, were the park commissioners authorized and empowered themselves to levy and collect taxes at their need. This was designed to give a whip into the hands of the commissioners to be used when necessary upon the supervisors. It was never used. Easier was it parleying with them. Political bargaining ensued on occasion, and this grew to be a system which has lasted. The two interests that to appearance were fighting each other, under convenient cover came together and set up what virtually was a school of practical politics, open day and night to selected pupils.

Besides their laying out tentative plans for the park, and conducting various negotiations looking to the purchase of land, up to this time the Commissioners— E. B. McCagg, J. B. Turner, Joseph Stockton, Jacob Rehm and Andrew Nelsonhad done nothing; and now their right to exist was about to be disputed. The matter came about in this wise. The Board, in the belief that Lincoln Park was designed to be, and that in fact it was, the city's park-established by and for the city, and to be maintained out of the funds of the municipality-the board applied to the Mayor-Mayor Mason-for an issue of bonds toward the purchase of land to be embraced in the park; and also to cause moneys to be appropriated to pay the salaries and wages of the officers and employes. At the time there appeared much popular feeling against the measure, causing the Mayor to demur. Then the commissioners made application to the courts for a mandamus compelling the issuance of bonds for their purposes. The mandamus was denied; and incidentally that part of the law naming the members of the Board was declared invalid. Now the persons most interested in the park scheme, in order to mend their broken fences, made racers' speed down to the capital of the state, and with little delay had passed an amendatory act, which authorized the Governor to appoint the commissioners; which at once he did. The new commissioners were S. M. Nickerson, Joseph Stockton, Belden F. Culver, William A. Bradley and Francis H. Kales. There was no change respecting the powers of the Board; they continued to operate independently of the city. All pretense that the Lincoln Park was a city park, to be maintained and governed by the city, was abandoned.

The first commissioners' assessment was made in 1873; it was confirmed by the Circuit Court. In that same year Lincoln Park was turned over to the commissioners the precise date of transfer was July 1, 1873. All along, the city authorities had been mistrustful of the scheme, and now more strongly than ever they emphasized their withholding of approval of the Lincoln Park assumption. This sentiment was manifested in the more liberal appropriations for improvements and repairs on the city parks proper, the management and control of which remained with the Board of Public Works, and the superintendent named by them. This state of things continued for a number of years, or until the City Council had given, one after another, in irregular succession many of the small parks into the jurisdiction of the big parks commissions.

There is not space here available, nor was it the original design, to go deeply into the later history of Lincoln Park and trace its progress up to the present day. The sketch must close here; but it forces to be said that on the whole the management of this park has been successful; the commissioners have usually been men of public spirit and ability; and if the one-time general dislike to the contrived detachment from and sheer independence of the city, allowed to the park administration, in the progress of years has been to some degree mollified, the reason for the change is to be found in the splendor of the park itself, and in the attractiveness and beauty of its meandering boulevards. Provisions of the park law, that operate to the perversion of legitimate powers of taxation, and to make possible arbitrary practices on the part of the commissioners -if a question upon them shall hereafter arise may perhaps be seen to be as objectionable in otherwise new conditions as many wise citizens thought them in the old days.

IV.

WEST PARK.

The act authorizing the making of the West Park was approved and in force

on the 8th day of February, 1869; thus in respect to this creation there was a wait of nine days after Lincoln Park became a legal entity. The prime movers in the enterprise were the West Side Horse Railway Company and a considerable number of boomers of real estate values in that division. J. Russell Jones-representing himself, and a wealthy coterie at Galena, and General U. S. Grant, who, through Mr. Jones, invested in the street railroad his savings on the war-fieldhad then lately secured his ninety-nine years' franchise. Naturally, he was desirous of extending the territory that was to supply his road with passengers, and that could only be done by extending his lines. Such extension resulted in great benefits to the West Division. Then was stimulated to a high degree activities in the real estate market; and that there might be no quick lessening of prosperity there, large holders of landed property united with the owners of the horse railroad in a scheme to establish a West Park that should attract more and more choice home builders and investors to the vicinity. So again it is seen that it is not alone a benevolent public spirit, but in major part, private interest, that originates and finances large improvements, that are of benefit to the population of a single locality or of a whole city.

The West Park act differed little as to vital particulars from that which preceded it, affecting the North Division; but necessarily, in some of the details differences appeared. A Park Commission of seven members was appointed by the Governor. They were Chas. C. C. P. Holden, Henry Greenebaum, Geo. W. Stanford, E. F. Runion, Isaac R. Hitt, Clark Lipe and David Cole-five Republicans (if memory serves) and two Democrats. An organization of the Board was effected on May 5, by the election of George W. Stanford, president; Henry Greenebaum, treasurer; and E. F. Runion, auditor. Chas. F. Loding was appointed secretary. The first business was the selecting of the lands necessary to the parks and public grounds contemplated in the law, but within prescribed limits. The conflicting interests of real estate owners made this very difficult. But there was a greater embarrassment; under the law the Board was required to locate and establish a boulevad "running from the north branch of the Chicago River, commencing at a point north of Fullerton avenue, running thence west, one mile or more west of Western avenue, and thence southerly, with such curves and deviations as the Board should deem expedient, to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Line, and on the line of said boulevard to establish three parks; the north park to be in size not less than 200 acres, to cost not to exceed $250,000, to be located north of Kinzie street; the middle park to be located between Kinzie and Harrison streets, to be in size not less than 100 acres, and to cost not to exceed $400,000; the southern park to be not less than 100 acres in size, and to cost not to exceed $250,000, to be located south of Harrison street and north of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line." Thus it is seen that the aggregate cost of parks and boulevards was not to exceed $1,050,000. The commission labored with the problem and with the public for several months, without result other than to learn of formidable opposition to the scheme, to meet and if possible to remove which the commission formulated ten plans or suggestions for the location of the parks, and invited offers to sell or donate lands for the purpose. Not one of the plans was unanimously favored by the real estate owners, and volunteer critics, and they were all withdrawn and others substituted. On the 14th of November the Board was able to report that the substitute plans had been found acceptable, and that they had definitely established the lines and boundaries of the proposed parks and boulevards. Now ensued long negotiations between the commissioners and owners of lands, the demanded prices of which, in the excitement of the time had risen to a high figure. Finally it was agreed that the value of the lands should be determined by assessors appointed by the courts to condemn them. But how to pay for them? Payment must wait, as the resources of the Board from which to realize money were prospective merely in the power to levy and collect special assessments upon the real estate deemed benefited; the right to issue bonds for the amount found payable; and to issue bonds to pay any deficiency which might thereafter exist after exhausting the other resources of the Board. For current expenses they were to have the proceeds of a half-mill tax levied under a provision of the park law upon the taxable property of the town of West Chicago, after certain deductions made. The power to do these things lay in the park commissioners; the town officials were, under the park law, their instruments, as we found the case to be in the North Division with reference to its park management. The commissioners were and are state officers, and so were and are

the supervisors, elected by the people for township and county duty. They were and are separate and apart from the city government. The temptation to organize their forces jointly, for aggrandizement and defense, was great and increased with the years. The politicians at once saw and compassed the situation. As the park enlarged, and a park system began to be, little was thought of that had not been suggested either by speculators in real estate, or politicians, or by both these together. At every turn there were men of influence to be placated, and supervisors to be captured. This led in almost no time to the construction of a new political machine. Then was set up a second school of practical politics, like the first in Lincoln Park, and day and night pupils selected for it as fast as high and low employes could be placed on the park payrolls.

There now has been seen what obviously was the sole reliance of the commissioners for the necessary funds-the tax law specially made for the purpose. The resulting funds from this source, were slow in coming in and disappointing in the amounts. But just then hope of plenty revived at a new prospect, one that had not been dreamed of.

In the notice, in last year's City Manual, of City Comptroller Walter Kimball, mention was made of the fact that for nearly the six years that he held that office he had the custody of $200,000, money of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, that was tendered to the City of Chicago on a purchase of lands on the lake front, but refused pending a decision by the courts. Now, for its intended bearing on the question of improving the parks, an explanation of the case will be in order. It arose over an act of the Legislature, familiarly known as the Lake Front bill. By the provisions of the act the City of Chicago was required to quit claim to the Illinois Central Railroad Company, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, and to the Michigan Central Railroad Company, the länd lying north of the south line of Monroe street, and the south line of Randolph street, and between the east line of Michigan avenue, and west of the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, for the sum of $800,000. This large sum, by a provision of the act, was set apart as a park fund of the City of Chicago, to be distributed between the three divisions of the city, upon the basis of the taxable real estate of each of the divisions, to be applied to the purchase and improvement of public parks. This provision of the act brought to the support of the measure the powerful influence of the three park commissions. A portion of this money was paid to the City Comptroller; the precise sum was $200,000. Thence arose a critical point, namely, as to whether or not the comptroller received the amount in his official capacity. But the railroad companies at once came forward with the offer to pay over the remaining $600,000, and to pay all damages, if any, which might accrue to property owners from a change in the use of the property. At this stage a number of earnest citizens applied to the court for an injunction against the city, forbidding the execution of the deed provided for in the act of the Legislature. In consequence of this court action, the funds set apart for the parks were withheld, whereof the West Park Board sorrowfully complained. By a further provision of the act, the title of the City of Chicago was proposed to be confirmed to a strip of land 310 feet wide, east and adjoining Michigan avenue and extending from the south line of Monroe street to Park Row, with power to sell the same, the proceeds of any sale to be set apart as a park fund, to be equitably distributed between the three divisions of the city. This strip of land was said to have 4,500 feet frontage on Michigan avenue, running back to the railroad track, and the suggestion was to devote it all to business purposes. "At present," said the wiley tempters, this tract is very valuable, with a prospective value for business purposes perhaps unequalled by any other equal amount of land in the city." Of course the daring scheme fell through; the $200,000 were taken back from the City Comptroller, and the Park Commissioners were thrown again upon their uncertain esources.

Often disappointed were the commissioners, but not cast down. They foresaw that it would not be long until a new resource would open up, in ready access to the law-making power at the state capital. The new constitution inhibited from special legislation, but soon enough it was found that under the public acts provisions of the same constitution, special favors a-plenty were to be had. All that needed to be done was to insert a clause that could be applicable only to one or more parks in Chicago, and then to declare it a general act, that might be availed of by parks in any other city, should any ever be in need of similar relief. At several other instances of want, the Legislature authorized the West Park Commissioners to issue bonds outright in considerable but varying

amounts; and more than once the Board was permitted to fund indebtedness by putting out bonds-as in 1881, when they so funded an indebtedness of $300,000. As there will not be opportunity, in this writing of so short a history of a rather lengthy period, to do more than glance at this park board's finances, a few more items shall fall in where most convenient. So here it may be stated that the Board was helped over one difficulty by the Legislature allowing them to take a second half-mill out of the general tax; and when in a stress for money to improve and extend certain of the boulevards, they in the same way received authority to levy a tax not to exceed 25 cents on contiguous and abutting property. An injunction to restrain from the collection of this tax was asked for in the County Court, but it was refused. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, but with adverse result. By this time, the annual increase in the assessments on real estate within the West Park district yielded progressively greater amounts in taxes.

Right here, too, may be made an allusion to quite another matter. It was when Governor Altgeld's Board of Commissioners took hold of their job. Up to then (1895) from the date (1869) of the establishment of this park, the commissioners had been appointed by Governors Republican in politics, and the majority on each board had been of that party. Governor Altgeld, a Democrat, appointed enough members of his party on the board to make up the majority. Their report for the first year of their sevice did not make cheeful reading. They complained that their predecessors, possessing a million dollars realized from a bond issue appropriated by the Legislature four years ago, began extensions and improvements in the parks on a scale which far surpassed the limit of the money appropriated; and when the Board appointed by Governor Altgeld succeeded, they were confronted with a depleted treasury and much unfinished work." A second complaint was that they had inherited an indebtedness of ninety thousand dollars ($90,000), which had been borrowed from the million dollar fund and had not been paid back. A third complaint was that the supplanted board had incurred an indebtedness of $90,000 for paving Washington boulevard and Halsted street and Western avenue, "of which $15,000 matures every year, and it seems the intention of the old board was to pay these amounts out of the general fund." The fourth complaint was, "the condition of the special assessment on West 12th street and Ogden avenue, to unravel which will demand a great deal of attention and patience.' ""

At that juncture, as at every other time of reckoning, property owners complained bitterly of their taxes, and always they were answered by the calling of their attention to land values. As impressive as anything in this line still is the report of the commissioners made in 1873, when about one-quarter of the park taxes were delinquent. This report says:

"In 1868, the year before the park act was passed, the lands added by this act to the city were assessed and paid taxes on a valuation of $429,660; in 1872, the same lands were assessed and paid taxes on a city assessment of $9,506,230; the whole amount of general taxes collected by the city from these lands since the law took effect in 1869 is the sum of $433,820.40, and the state, county, and town taxes received from the same lands during the same time on the increased values is, in round numbers, $223,000, making a total of $656,820.40 of revenues received in the four years from this added territory. This amount is more than 40 per cent of the total amount so far expended for the purchase and improvement of the parks."

Emphasis was laid on the fact that this increase in the value of real estate had been attained during the time most trying to the City of Chicago; allusion thus being made to the great fire of 1871 and to the depression of business generally over the country. But the circumstance of the sudden transference of population from the districts burned over to the West Division was discreetly omitted from the statement, avoiding the necessity of predicting a resurgation of such population in the near future. However, the West Division had gained an impetus from its parks and from street railroad extensions that was tremendous, and has been continuous, with few instances of weakening, through all the subsequent years in which that division has become great and mighty. To the parks is due a large share of credit, and at this day they largely help to advertise the City of Chicago to the world. This praise merits to be given, although at the same time it may not be forgotten that the parks and boulevards there, as in both the North and South Divisions, are conducted on a system and on principles that, to say the least, have no proper place in what should be a self-governing municipality.

VI.

SOUTH PARK.

The act providing for the South Park, and authorizing the appointment of a Park Commission, was given the signature of the Governor on February 27, sixteen days after he had signed the Lincoln Park act and eight days after his signature was put to the West Park bill.

Three distinct groups of men, all of them prominent and influential and all residing in the South Division, had temporarily entered into an agreement to support at the next coming session of the General Assembly a bill for the location of a park in that quarter of the city. Some things were in the bill that all wanted, and others that many did not want. And it was foreseen that strong opposition would surely be organized in the community against the measure. The first step therefore was to induce a lively feeling in its favor among owners of realty from one river to the other-south of Water street to Stony Island and the Calumet.

As was the case with both Lincoln Park and the West Park-each brought into being in consequence of activities by men who had bought land on speculation, and by others whose hopes of gathering riches were centered in horse railroad enterprises-so was the case in the South Division, regarding the South Park. At last it had come to be generally believed that Chicago was to become a very large city. Necessarily, then, a city of several millions of people would cover greatly more ground than did the city of the day, with its 200,000 souls. Most of the contiguous territory south of a strip in Hyde Park on the lake shore, was as bare and desolate as the prairie a hundred years before. The wise thing to do, certainly, was to obtain possession of as much acreage as possible, and otherwise prepare for rich eventualities. Many hastily did this; they had recourse to old canal terms, a quarter cash down, and the rest in deferred payments; all trusting that high and higher values would be quoted a little later, that sales would be easy and quick, and that large profits might result. Such was the speculator in lands, and such his day-and-night dreams.

Never since the time when the United States Government had lands here for sale had there been a concerted booming of real estate such as there was in late 'sixties and early 'seventies. Bits of prairie and spreading swamps, away to the south almost to the county limits, was the field of the new generation of speculators. They saw millions in every five or ten acre tract. Merchants that had become established suddenly neglected their businesses, or entirely quit them, and plunged into trading in vacant lands. Lawyers retired from prosperous firms, and doctors abandoned their patients, all hoping to get rich quick by buying lots and blocks at a low and selling them at a high price. The Governor of Illinois, United States senators, and cabinet ministers, were enticed here and made to assist the booming. In August, 1866, George S. Boutwell, Secretary of the Treasury, and General W. W. Belknap, Secretary of War, came and submitted to be told what they could and ought to do in the excited and exciting situation. The Calumet River and region already then to be exploited was feverishly pointed out to them. A steamer decorated with flags and streamers, a band of music, and discreetly chosen citizens of influence-duly inspired hosts of the Washington officials -left the Chicago River for the Calumet River, all as though in triumph. The demonstration had the intended effect upon the real estate market of the South Division. The Bowen brothers, James H. and Chauncy T., Paul Cornell and his business associates, and resinent representatives of eastern capitalists who had foreclosed on mortgages, suddenly all grew more and still more sanguine and active. A park! a park! was the cry of one and all. But there was lack of an agreement among them as to many provisions and details of an acceptable park measure. The Legislature was about to convene, a bill was drawn up and a lobby appointed to take it to Springfield and see it through the different stages of its passage through both Houses. And yet it was not more than half-heartedly supported by the majority of those in interest. The present writer knows that, that is here set down, for he was on the ground at the time of it. Indeed, there is no in modesty in his saying that he was the legislative author of the South Park, as also, with Representative (Major) Alexander F. Stevenson, each in his separate House of General Assembly, he had legislatively fathered Lincoln Park.

To quote from the 1867 Journal of the state Senate: