Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-09-06

in this city who think il no crime to destroy any,
thing belonging 10 the government. The wooden
fences are broken and carried away, the houses
placed in the trees for the protection OF the spar
rows and other birds have been broken, and the
birds themselves stoned from place to place.
The seats, in a few instance, have been broken
and nearly all OF them torn from their fastening.
The flowers are broken from magnolia and other
trees when in bloom, and often to their great
injury. Limbs are broken from the larger trees.
and some OF the smaller trees are nearly ruined,
by having their leaders broken, which spOils the
symmetry OF the tree. The grass is walked on,
and In some places walks across it have been
worn, to prevent which wires have been placed
to keep people in the walks.
In trying to improve. besutify and sdorn the
various enclosed reservations in the CITY, b.
planting choice and rare shrubs and flowers IL
them. the as siStanCe of the citizens who reside
here should be confidently expected TO protec,
| them, as such improvement is made more for
| their benefit than for that OF the government.
| In this connection | am glad to say that all ap-
plFcations TO the chief of police for assistance
have been received with kindness and promptly
answered, and the pubic press has ably Sec
onded my efforts in this direction.
The water pipe leading from Smiths spring.
and which supplies the Capitol with water, has
been tapped by one w. r. Clark for the purpose
OF supplyin ing hog yard near the Baltimore and
ONO railroad depot, and in accordance with the
actot Congress, approved July %, 1856, noti-
lied the United States district attorney thereof.
would state that the expenditures of the office
have not exceeded the amount appropriated by
Congress, and therefore no appropriation 10
cover any deficiencies will be required.
The steps taken for the prosecution of the
works for the fiscal year ending June 60, 1873,
| are as follows:
Advertisements have been and will be issued
asking for proposals to do all work of such a
nature as can be sdvantageously done by con-
tract.
The work necessary to improve the public
grounds is of such a character that It cannot be
zone by contract, and It will be done by days
labor, and large force is now at work. Those
Improvements with appropriations large enough
will be completed during the present fiscal
year, as well as all the work to be given out by
contract including the chain bridge.
MONUMENTAL AND sMITHs OMAN G ROUNDS.
General Babcock calls att ention to his letter
to- 10 Congress OF May IA, 1872, asking appropria-
grounds, Armory square and reservation be-
tween Sd and 9th streets, south of the canal.
An amount sufficient - construct fountain
in the Smithsonian grounds has been added to
the estimates TO enable him to complete these
improvements in accordance with the plans OF
Mr.; Downing, the landscape gardener, who first
laid them out.
birds and animals have been frequently Of
Tered 10 place in the public grounds, which l
have been unable to accept, from the fact OF
having 10 suitable place to keep them. A small
sum Is asked to enable me to build cages, SHEDS,
fences, etc., for this purpose. There is no fea-
ture that will add more TO the attractiveness of
the public grounds than the introduction of a
few birds and animals"
THE NEW JAIL.
As reservation No. Il formerly selected as a
site for a new Jail has been abandoned by the
commissioners appointed by the last Congress
to select such, Gen. Babcock recommends
apRIfio o at SUFFICIENT to grade, drain and
and make what has heretofore been a
waste and nuisance a beautiful park. There
and that it is being rapidly settled and impro yed
by the city are good reasons why this reserva-
ton should be Improved, to say nothing about
its close proximity to the capitol.
He recommends
THE IMPROVEMENT OF STANTON PLACE,
on Penn sylvania avenue, east Of the Capitol.
During the mast O Hsar DG 3Ssrs have ,ssn laid
10000 feet of sod ,i56 feet Of gas pipes, 1922
feet of water pipes and go feet Of drain tile
1925 feet OF stone tagging, 1000 feet OF
and lC0 square yards of brick pavement,
and about 5000 square yards OF gravel walks
been taken up and relaid, to accomplish which
1862 Gays labor of men and 1888 days labor of
horses and carts have been expended, and over
1900 cubic yards OF earth removed.
THE NORTHERN MARKET.
at having been decided by the district au.
thorities to remove the Northern Liberty market
from Its present site, the ground reverts to
OF this department, and being situated at the
intersection of Massachusetts and New York
avenues OH 9TH street, and in locality densely
populated and far removed from any improved
reservation an estimate is submitted for lis inn
provement and the reservation Immediately
west Oft.
IN HIS ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATIONS
for the next year, Gen. Babcock includes the
following:
For granite coping Tor fence in front OF
the Executive S6,175
Completing Improvements on reserva-
lions 3IS
improving stanton Place 900
improving Lincoln 1000
Improving site Northern Liberty market, 900
Improving Judiciary square................ 10 900
trees, boxes, 5000
For =. 900
for annual repairs Executive mansion. 10 900
For rel urnlshlng DO. do. 10000
For fuel do. do. 5000
For care, protection, and continuing per-
manent improvements of greenhouse
at Executive mansion. 10 OoO
FOR repairs OF government water pipes. 10000
For coping, iron fence, &C., Executive
4UUOO
For salaries of employees OF public build
ings and grounds .... ...... ... Al 1921
In speaking of
THE WASHINGTON AQUEDUCT
he reviews at length the work of laying the 81
and 36-inch water mains, and the work done
during the year in connection with the aque-
duct. He recommends that the bottom of the
distributing reservoir be excavated TO the level
OF the iron mains leading from it, or a maxi
mum depth of - feet The expense Of this work
would be about 500, 900.