The sun., 1883-12-16

Early in tho history of the Park Depart
mcnt the Commissioners were called upon to
consider the proper disposition of the collec-
ton of animals. and the problem is not yet
solved In the year 1860 the city of Ham
burg presented the Park with number of
swans. and that example was soon fol-
lowed by the Company of Vintners and the
Company of Dyers of the city of London
These gifts, with few deer and other ami
mails received in the same year, obliged the
Commissioners to make some provision for
their safe keeping and maintenance. In the
next year, 1861, nearly two hundred speci-
mems wore presented, and in the succeeding
years still larger number of contributions
We're received, and thus the mcnngcric be-
came fairly established. 1t may be said to
have been created against the will of the
Commissioners. They could hardly refuse
to receive the gifts. and therefore accom-
modated them temporarily in the neighbor-
hood of the old arsenal, in which place the
menagcric remains III temporary quarters,
with outlying colonies in other parts of the
Park. Many suggestions were made as to he
disposition of the collection. but the Com
missionerS in the earlier years especially,
steadfastly advocated the plan which has
proved SO successful in the formation of
the Museums of Art and of Natural History
The prominent features of this plan were
that a society should be organized to com
struct aud manage the ZO6logica! garden,
and that the city should grant the Use of the
land necessary for the purpose, either in
| the Central Park or elsewhere. Provisional
designs were made for tho establishment of
thecollcction in Manhattan square, wherc the
area Is only nineteen acres, and insufficient
for the purpose. Since then societies have
been formed to establish n geological garden,
and acts of the Legislature have been passed
to further their schemes. After considerable
discussion, they have all subsidized. There
was no ground In the Central Park that the
people could spare for the purpose, and there
was no other site to be obtained. except at
enormous cost, that was not considered to be
too lar from tho centre OF population To be
available. The first two conditions of failure
remain in even greater force than ever be-
fore; the last does not.
Tho elevated roads have removed the latter
objection. The Harlem River is to-day more
accessible than the Central Park was ten
years ago; and when the Twcnty-third and
Twenty-fOurh wards are furnished with
rapid transit, communication with the parks
and pleasure grounds in that region will be
almost equally easy. If the Commits
sioncrs who are laying out these northern
parks cannot or will not provide the site for
geological garden, it would not be i'm.
practicable or Improbable for a properly or.
Eanzed society to purchase enough land
and such land rs would bc ominently suitable
for their purposes. Then thcy would be free
from the restrictions that would nacossaril y
bc Imposed upon them II they were granted
the use of city property, and they could
count upon the possession OF the Central
Park collection as nucleus.
The necessity for the removal of the me-
nagerie from its present location does moi
arise from the demands OF the few wealth y
property owners who live near it ON the
Fifth avenue. Their romonstrances against
the Offensive oiors and unscomly noises OF
the captive animals have been as persistent
and clamorous rs the howngs of the blaci
wolf. SO 1t would he wherever tho menascri,
might be placed in the Central Park, OF il
any park or square where the surrounding
property WAS of high value for residences
The animals must be removed, because theiI
houses and stables are crowded into spac,
Of a few acres and are merely temporary
wp,a!en buildings, half decayed, dincult /,
keep warm, contracted in their accommoda
lions, Incapable of proper ventilation, an,
productive of ali the evils that arise from
an attempt To maintain rs permanen
, structure that which was intended only t,
serve its purpose Mt the most for few years
, the area required fora geological gardrl
such as the city Of New York should have i
, at least thirty acres, ana from that TO on
+ hundred acres according as botanical gar
5 dens, libraries, and museums of natural his
Y tory, geology and similar institutions nigh
I DC added. There is no such area available i
the Central Park. A recent feeble attemp
by tie Park Board to designate site In on
q L Of the Inosi aiiractipa Dorfions Of Iha linna