Eighteenth was erected on its site. We remember Bush Hill as an open common and hangman's ground. OLD FAIRMOUNT AND THE PARK. P. 488.-Fairmount was formerly called Quarry Hill. The first waterworks of the city consisted of pumping-engines at Chestnut street, and a distributing-reservoir in a large circular tower at Broad and Market streets, and were commenced in 1799, but larger works were soon needed. In the report of Fredrick Graff and John Davis, who were directed by the Water Committee in 1811 to examine the best modes of procuring water for the city, they suggested "that water-power machinery could be erected near to Morris Hill (Fairmount) to pump or elevate the necessary water into reservoirs constructed on said hill." A stone building was erected at the foot of Fairmount to pump by steam machinery into the basin. The works were commenced August 1st, 1812, and started September 7th, 1815. James S. Lewis was chairman of the Water Committee in 1817 and 1818. He saw that by the erection of a dam at Fairmount the navigation of the Schuylkill could be improved, and works could be erected to throw water into the basins by water-power alone, thus saving the expense of steam-works. Councils passed the resolution to build the present works April 8th, 1819. Contracts were awarded accordingly. The dam was finished in July, 1821. The first wheel and pump were put in operation July 1st, 1822. When Fairmount was fully finished the Schuylkill works at the foot of Chestnut street were abandoned. The Centre House was torn down in the year 1828. At the present time there are annually about 15,000,000,000 gallons, or about 50,000,000 gallons per day, supplied by the Fairmount, Delaware, Schuylkill, Belmont, and Roxborough works, through about 700 miles of pipe. It has been said goldfish were very abundant in the Schuylkill about 1790, near Robert Morris's place-afterward Henry Pratt's -called Lemon Hill. My father, who was in a counting-house on the wharf from 1800 to 1806, said that captains of Dutch vessels, or others coming from Holland, etc., used to bring goldfish in glass globes as curiosities; and as Mr. Pratt was then extensively engaged in business with those countries, it has appeared probable they may have been furnished to him at first by some of these captains. He had no recollection of their being found in the Schuylkill till after their escape, as he supposed, from Mr. Pratt's pond. The first purchase made by the city of Philadelphia within the bounds of Fairmount Park was in 1812, when the Fairmount Hill and adjoining ground-five acres in all-were bought for $16,666.66. Other ground was bought at various times, so that in 1828 there were twenty-four acres in Fairmount owned by the city, which cost $116,834. Lemon Hill-forty-five acres-was bought in 1844, and cost $75,000. Lemon Hill and the Waterworks grounds were formally opened as Fairmount Park by ordinance of 28th of December, 1855. In 1857 citizens of Philadelphia bought Sedgely-thirty-four acres-between Lemon Hill and Spring Garden Waterworks for $125,000. They subscribed and paid $60,000, and then offered it to the city on condition that it should assume and pay the mortgage for the balance. This ground was accepted by the city and made a part of Fairmount Park. Lansdowne 140 acres-was bought in 1866 by four citizens for $84,953.30. They offered it to the city for the same price, and it was accepted. In 1868 and 1869 the Park was further increased by extending the territory to the present bounds. There are in Fairmount Park, exclusive of the Wissahickon, 34,700 large trees, between eighteen inches and twenty-seven feet in girth. The trees of less size are about 68,000. The hardwood shrubs and vines are estimated at 200,000. There is no public park in London that is as large as Fairmount Park in this city. Phoenix Park, Dublin, contains about 1700 acres; Hyde Park, London, about 400 acres; and Regent Park about 403 New York Central Park contains 843 acres. The Epping Forest, in county Essex, contains 12,000 acres, and the Windsor Forest, in county Berks, 3800 acres. The Prater of Vienna, Austria, has 5120 acres. Fairmount Park has 2791 acres. Epping and Windsor are reserved for park purposes, but they are scarcely parks in the modern sense of the word. They are woods in which Nature is allowed to take care of herself. The Prater is a park, as we understand the word in this country, Art and Nature being combined to render it beautiful and attractive. acres. During the first five years of the Park Commission $1,114,713 was expended in the improvement of the people's pleasureground. This was an average of $222,942 a year. The area of the Park they fix at 2791 acres, which are divided up—in the Old Park, 117 acres; East Park, 510; West Park, 1232; Wissahickon, 416; water-surface, 373; area of the Park proper, 2648 acres; area of outlying plots, paid for out of Park loan, 143 acres. During the winters of 1876 and 1877 upward of $8000 worth of plants were propagated. The receipts from all sources were $19,924.52, and the expenditures were $22,939.07, which, with the appropriation made, left a balance of $8140.93 to merge. Taking 1877 as an off-year in Park history, there are still some interesting figures in relation to its use. Thus in the report of the Park Commission we are told that 5,365,235 persons entered the Park on foot. Of horseback riders there were The 64,046; of vehicles of all kinds there were 1,131,966. average for the latter, at three for each vehicle, would make 3,395,898 carriage-riders. Add to these the 64,046 horsebackriders, and we have a total of 3,459,948, showing an excess of pedestrians-representing what might be called poor men-of nearly two millions of persons. These figures, we are convinced, do not represent the true return. In regard to the enumeration of horses and carriages the matter is easy, because they can enter the grounds only at certain points, and must pass the enumerators. But persons on foot can enter the Park almost at any place along its great boundaries without passing over the ordinary roads and footpaths, so that they cannot be counted even with the most careful system of observation. Every year the number of visitors to the Park increases, and we are glad to say that the number of pedestrians increases also. Among the latter are many who have means to ride when they desire to do so, but who have come to the conclusion that walking is the best exercise in the world. Those who do not walk in the Park have no idea of its beauty, and know nothing of its wooded enclosures and shaded paths. There are portions of the Park, even in the neighborhood of such well-known points as Lansdowne, George's Hill, and Belmont, which are of great beauty, and of which the carriage-riding Park visitors know nothing. The Park in summer-time-indeed in all seasons of the year-is a glory to the city, and is worth more than it ever cost or is likely to cost hereafter. Fairhill, p. 493.-Isaac Norris had bought various pieces of property in the upper part of the Liberties, amounting to 834 acres. These bore the names of Fairhill and Sepviva, and adjoined the Masters estate. A patent confirming the various titles was issued to him Oct. 8, 1713. It stretched from the Germantown road to Gunner's Run or Creek; the part between Germantown and Frankford roads was called Fairhill, from the name of the meeting-house adjoining, and contained 530 acres. That portion east of Frankford road over to Gunner's Run was called Sepviva, and contained 155 acres. On the Fairhill portion Isaac Norris built a large square mansion, plain but comfortable, wainscoted in the parlors and halls with oak and cedar. Here he resided usually all the year, after he removed from the SlateRoof House. The house was built in 1717, but, with many other country-seats, was burnt by the British during the Revolution. It was afterward rebuilt, and is still standing on Sixth street near Germantown road, and was used as a tavern under the name of "The Revolution House." The carriage-way led from the house to the Germantown road through well-shaded grounds. The gardens were laid out in the formal English style, and many plants and trees were brought from distant places; amongst others, the first willows were grown here from the slips given by Franklin. PUBLIC GARDENS. P. 494. See an account of the gardens around Philadelphia, drawn up by a Committee of the Horticultural Society in 1830. (Reg. Penna., vii. 105.) The Horticultural Society was established in 1828-Horace Binney, president; Samuel Hazard, secretary. (Reg. Penna., i. 344.) A green-house was erected at Springettsbury in the former part of last century by Margaret Frame, youngest daughter of William Penn, who accompanied her brother, one of the Proprietors, in his visit to the Province, and who at that time built one of the wings of an intended mansion where he purposed to reside, and laid out a garden in the taste which then prevailed in England of clipped hedges, arbors, and wildernesses, which flourished beautifully till the time of the Revolutionary War, when the house was accidentally destroyed by fire. There were also handsome gardens and green-houses attached to the propertics of Charles Norris, Israel Pemberton, William Logan, James Hamilton, Isaac Norris, and some others. Fouquet's Garden was between Tenth and Eleventh and Arch and Race streets, where mead and ice-cream were sold. There was a brick house, with gable to the street, standing above Cherry street after it was opened, belonging to Patrick Byrne, the lot extending from Tenth to Eleventh, on which the fine row of houses was built by Byrne's son-in-law. This house was an old one, and may have been used by Fouquet before Cherry street was opened, as he is said to have used the garden from 1800 to 1818. Byrne's lot was enclosed by a post-and-rail fence. (See also Watson, Vol. I. 235.) John McArran, who kept the botanical garden on the lot of ground which ran from Filbert to Arch and from Schuylkill Sixth (Seventeenth) to Schuylkill Fifth (Eighteenth) streets, was, we presume, a Scotchman. He was at that place as a botanical gardener and seedsman as early as 1821. He died. some years ago. It was to his science and taste that Lemon Hill was most indebted for its decorations. McArran's Garden is quite within the recollection of not even old men. It contained four acres, and was well covered with shade trees, summerhouses, green-houses, rare plants, etc. Afterward ice-cream and other refreshments were sold, and fireworks and other entertainments were had there. Finally, a theatrical attempt was made, but not succeeding, it became deserted, and building improvements took its place. Out Market steeet, on the block bounded by Market and Filbert streets, and West Penn Square and Fifteenth street, stood the old "Evans Garden." The old mansion was surrounded by the high board fence and the old trees within the enclosure. It was a place of great resort in its day, and was frequented by many gentlemen for afternoon amusements. The First City Troop used the garden for its drills, etc. and place of assembling. In the summer of 1828 they went on an encamping excursion to the neighborhood of the Yellow Springs, Chester county, and took with them the late Frank Johnson, the celebrated colored musician, who performed on his bugle while the Troop were preparing to start. Captain William H. Hart then commanded the Troop. On that excursion the Troop took over eighty equipped men, with other (invited) gentlemen. The Labyrinth Garden, on Arch street, was kept by Thomas Smith in 1828. He was a careful man in keeping a record of the weather. The garden between Arch and Race and Schuylkill Second and Schuylkill Third (Twenty-first and Twentieth) was originally kept by a person named Honey-afterward, we think, by Fouquet-and the last occupant was A. d'Arras. It contained six acres, and was the largest public garden. Old Lebanon Garden.-This garden was located at the corner of Tenth and South streets, and extended back to Shippen (now Bainbridge) street, and opposite Ronaldson's Cemetery, which in 1829 had been two years under way as a new cemetery, converting an old skating-lot into it. On Fourths of July fireworks were generally displayed. There was an old dilapidated sign hung in front of the garden. There were verses on the sign, and pictures above the verses. On the east side was inscribed: "Neptune and his triumphant host On the opposite, or west side, was the following: "Now calm at sea, and peace on land, Has blest our continental shores; Our fleets are ready at command To sway and curb contending powers." Over the old Lebanon Tavern were these lines: "Of the waters of Lebanon Good cheer, good chocolate and tea, By John Kenneday." The following are reminiscences of two aged persons of notable events: "Passing down Tenth street a few days ago, my thoughts took me back to Wednesday, March 4th, 1829, the day of the inauguration of General Andrew Jackson as President of the United States. It was celebrated by a portion of the then |