1885 Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings Vo 2 041

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30

[D?] Mar 7 1903

SUPT. FALCONER
CAUSES SURPRISE
BY RESIGNING

Head of Bureau of Parks Will Be-
come Superintendent of Alle-
gheny Cemetery.

WILL STAY TO PREPARE
EASTER FLOWER SHOW

Work in Such Shape That Schenley
Park Can Be Finished Within
One Year.

HE IS NOT A POLITICIAN

William Falconer, Superintendent of the
Bureau of Parks, tendered his resigna-
tion to Director McCandless yesterday.
Of all the city employes Superintendent
Falconer was almost the only one who
was not a politician. He had been re-
tained through all the changes that have
occurred. He will become superintendent
of the Allegheny Cemetery May 1. Other
resignations yesterday were: Marshall Mc-
Clain, assistant to Superintendent Fal-
coner; John Battles, Superintendent of
the Bureau of Highways and Sewers, and
John Flinn, Assistant Superintendent of
the Bureau of Highways and Sewers. The
resignation of Joseph Woods, chief clerk
of the Board of Viewers, has been in the
hands of Director McCandless for a
month.

The resignation of Superintendent Fal-
coner came as a surprise, even to Director
McCandless. The Director sent for all the
men and asked them to stay until he left
office, and they promised to do so. Su-
perintendent Falconer is willing to stay
to prepare the Easter flower show, and
as long as possible after that. He desires
to visit cemeteries throughout the coun-
try and secure pointers for making Alle-
gheny still more beautiful.

It is understood that Superintendent
Falconer will better his position in a
financial way by leaving the employ of
the city and that is his only reason. He
has left the work in the parks in such
shape that another year will complete it
and make them as fine as any in the
country. In speaking of his resignation
last night Superintendent Falconer said:

Will Prepare Flower Show.
"I decided to present my resignation
at the present time in order that the
incoming administration would not be
embarrassed in any way in choosing my
successor. There is no politics in the
matter. I never mingled in politics and
never met Recorder Brown to speak to
him more than two or three times. I
never attended a political meeting. I do
not believe that I ever saw Mr. Hays.
All my dealings were directly with the
Director. Although my resignation will
take effect as soon as Recorder McCand-
less leaves his office I am willing to re-
main longer if Mr. Bigelow requests me
to do so. If he desires I will stay and
prepare the Easter flower show.

"Now, don't ask me what I have done
since I came to Pittsburg to improve the
parks. The credit belongs to Mr. Bige-
low. He did it all. I was merely a work-
man who did his part. Under Director
McCandless my relations have always
been pleasant. But I give the credit to
Mr. Bigelow for the building of Pittsburg's
parks. He has the energy, the ideas and
the stamina to push the work. The work
in Schenley park is in such shape that it
can be finished in a year. The grading
has all been done, tens of thousands of
trees have been planted and are growing
finely, and it only remains to ornament
the grounds.

Work Is Almost Finished.
"The shelter houses are under way, the
foundations being up, and many other im-
provements are also under way. I have
been treated very kindly by Pittsburg and
its people and now that I am leaving I
wish to express my gratitude."

Superintendent Falconer came to Pitts-
burg under peculiar circumstances. The
late A.W. Bennett was his predecessor.
Before he died he told Director Bigelow
of Superintendent Falconer and al-
ready gained a world-wide reputation. It
was necessary to have Councils pass a
resolution allowing his appointment, as
he was not a resident of the city. The
resolution passed unanimously. Mr. Fal-
coner came to Pittsburg in 1896 as Super-

intendent of Schenley Park and the small
parks about the city. When the Bureau
of Parks was established two years ago
he was made superintendent. He has
made the Pittsburg parks famous all over
the country. The flower shows have be-
come famous all over the world and for-
eign journals have commented on them
most favorably.

Graduate of Kew Gardens.
After graduating from the Royal Bo-
tanical Gardens, better known as the Kew
Gardens, London, Superintendent Fal-
coner spent several years in Texas. Here
he met Professor Sargent of Harvard
University, who induced him to take the
position of Superintendent of Botanical
Gardens at Harvard. He remained there
7 1/2 years and then took charge of Charles
A. Dana's estates, remaining 12 1/2 years,
after which he came to Pittsburg.

Superintendent Falconer will succeed
John Perring, who retires after being
Superintendent of the Allegheny Ceme-
tery for almost 30 years. He will occupy
the old Shoenberger mansion after he ac-
cepts the new position.

[D?] A Unique Official.
News of the resignation of Superintendent Fal-
coner of the Bureau of Parks will be received
with regret by the community, which has formed
a high estimate of his value as a public official
during his seven years' service in Pittsburg. Mr.
Falconer was unique among municipal officials in
that he was not a politican, that he did not owe
his position to political influence and held it
solely by conspicuous demonstration of superior
qualification for the work entrusted to him. How
much of the credit for the beautifying of the
public pleasure grounds is due to him the people
have judged for themselves. What he has done
for floriculture in Pittsburg is familiar to the
thousands who have thronged to the Easter exhi-
bition and the chrysanthemum show.

The lesson of his record is of timely interest
just now, when an administration under which
appointments are to be made solely for compe-
tency is entering office. Fulfilled to the letter
this would give to the city officials in every posi-
tion as well qualified and as conscientious in the
performance of public duty as Mr. Falconer has
proved himself to be. But to secure that much-
to-be-desired result it will be necessary to pursue
the same policy which led to his selection. The
supreme test must be fitness, not politics.

Gazette
Mar 17 1903
RESIGNATION
OF FIVE CITY
EMPLOYES

Falconer Leaves Park Bu-
reau to Go to Alle-
gheny Cemetery.

BATTLES ALSO QUITS

WILLIAM FALCONER, superinten-
dent of bureau of parks.
JOHN BATTLES, superintendent of
the bureau of highways and sewers.
JOHN FLINN, assistant superinten-
dent of the bureau of highways and
sewers.
MARSHALL McCLAIN, assistant su-
perintendent of Schenley park.
JOSEPH WOODS, chief clerk in the
bureau of viewers.

The above five employes of the city
have handed in their resignations, to
take effect when Director J. Guy Mc-
Candless of the department of public
works retires from office.

William Falconer is one of the lead-
ing horticulturists in the country, and
resigned to accept the position of su-
perintendent of the Allegheny ceme-
tery. He is to enter upon his new
duties the first of May.

Superintendent Falconer said last
night that his resignation is not due to
politics. His new position will be more
remunerative than his present one, which
pays $3,000 a year.

Mr. Falconer stated that he had fixed
his resignation to take effect simultane-
ously with the retirement of Director Mc-
Candless because he wished to leave the
incoming administration free to appoint
his successor before April 6.

"There has been no disagreement with
E.M. Bigelow," said Mr. Falconer. "I
am willing, if Mr. Bigelow wishes, to
remain and attend to the Easter show.
Mr. Bigelow and I are still the best of
friends, and I regard him as the best
man in the city for the position of di-
rector of the public works department."

BROUGHT HERE BY BIGELOW.
Mr. Falconer has been in the city serv-
ice, first as superintendent of Schenley
park and later as superintendent of all
the city parks, since 1896. Under his ad-
ministration there has been a remarkable
improvement in the public pleasure
grounds of the city.

E.M. Bigelow was instrumental in
bringing Mr. Falconer to Pittsburgh. For
twelve and a half years previous to com-
ing to Pittsburgh Mr. Falconer was super-
intendent of the estate of Editor Charles
A. Dana, in New York, and for seven and
a half years prior to entering Mr. Dana's
service he was superintendent of the
botanical gardens of Harvard university.

Mr. Falconer is a native of Scotland.
He is a close friend of William R. Smith,
superintendent of the United States botan-
ical gardens at Washington, D.C., who is
also a Scotchman. Mr. Falconer is a
graudate of the Royal Botanical gardens
at Kew, near London, which belong to the
British government. He graduated from
the Kew gardens in 1872.

He is a member of a large number of
botanical societies of the country and also
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, of which he is the
oldest member of Pittsburgh. He is
president of the Florists club of Pitts-
burgh and Allegheny, of the Botanical
Society of Western Pennsylvania, a life
member of the New York Florists club, a
life member of the Massachusetts Horti-
cultural society and a member of the
American Pomological society.

As superintendent of the Allegheny
cemetery Mr. Falconer succeeded John
Perring, who retired on a liberal pension
after a service of between 25 and 30 years.
Mr. Falconer succeeded A.W. Bennet at
Schenley park, who was appointed by
Director Bigelow to the position upon Mr.
Falconer's recommendation.

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