Central Park Mall Concert

“It was generally understood about town yesterday that Dodworth’s Band would give their last concert of the season at the Park yesterday afternoon, and the consequence was an immense gathering of people. The Mall in the vicinity of the music stand was one mass of variegated humanity in light silks and ribbons, and extensive bows and new silk hats, and the play grounds were so thickly studded with base ball clubs of the irrepressible small boy tribe that it was a wonder to an outsider how they all managed to knock the ball about and run their bases without killing a few hopefuls or breaking the crania of the little fellows who were huddled together in small groups all over the grass… Although it turned out that no definite time had been fixed for the close of the musical season at the Park, and that so long as the weather will permit of it the band will do its hebdomadal task of melody, the general appearance of the Park showed quite plainly that the day could not be far distant when the gayly frescoed stand will be left alone in its silent glory every day in the week, for the grass has already lost that light green hue which the hand of early spring spread over it four months ago… Besides, to add to the general gloominess of the scene, a dark cloud all the afternoon shut out the sunlight that had streamed down so brightly in the morning, and a chilling, damp wind whistled through the trees that are half stripped of their foliage…” No further mention of music.