Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-13
A PLEA EOR THE sszOO.n
representative Breckinridgo Urge
Reasoas for Establishing ID,

L
IN connection with the amendment providing
fof geological garden In Rock Creek valley which
was non-ooncurred In BY the House yesterday, M
Breckinridge had printed In the Record q state
mens supporting the proposition, representing his
own views ana those OF senator Beck, who Is at
sent rom Washington on account OF sick
Mesa M. Breckinridge's paper, In urging
the need OF Q geological garden, said:
10 the 1rst place many specimens OF our most
important and conspicuous North American quad
ton 50 Tar as mis- existence In the wiid stale Is
coaeerhed Toe great American bison, the granaest
a anu once tne most valuable ruminant on the
eaItn - already considered by naJurauSts as an
exunct animal In The whole Of the British pos
sessions not single Wild buffalo remains In the
between eight and ten millions existed as late as
Ine building OF the Union Pacinc Railroad In 1858,
Say t noa snort years ago, Liners exist 10
I'VE buuatoes In wild state. OF these NIFTY head,
OF less, are in Northern Texas, and will ali be
saaughtereo by hunters next 1aii sud winter The
remaining seveaty-nve head are In the Yellow
Stohe Park, but every year q number or head
, WANDER OUT on the north and west, and are
pIoMpty Killed by The hunters who Gag rly watch
LOT them. six nontns ago The Government mad
not i've buffalo anywhere in its possession, nor
total determination OF the species IL Is true that
various private parties own captive Duffaloes, but
the species Is in danger OF being lost through
crnSS-Dfse0ing With domestic cattle.
The naturaiists OF this country, and even Of En-
gland, declare that Il Is tue duty or the National
Government TO secure a herd of American bison,
ana preserve 1t under The best conditOos not only
Ior Inc public OF to-day, but Tor iuture genera
lions But for the wise fOreIhought OF the car OF
rectfon toward the last Representatives Of the
european bison, or aurochs, tuaL species would
have been utterly extermlnated long ago. Science
ana the public demand that tue United states
government should do as well by Inc last repre-
sentatlVeS OF our most characteristic Quadruped.
age n New aor6 patron 20 science,
In Nebraska and presented them TO the National
Museum, where they may % seen to-day-ths
possession Of the Government But instead OF two
only, We should nave herd OF at least twenty head.
lt aas been predicted by those who are In posses
sion OF all the facts that within years rare
and really wonderful Rocky Mountain goat will
also De totally extinct in the United states. At
the Cincinnati exposition, I'm tue Smithsonian ex-
hibit there now displayed seventy SKINS OF the
mountain goat, which were brought into Denver
and SOLD for the paItry sum OF so cents apiece
And yet this animal exists In so few localities and
Is really SO scarce IN numbers that Only largest
J scientific museums In this country and Europe
! have even stuffed skins. American naturalists
| and sportsmen assure US that tue elk moose,
| antelope, caribou, black-tailed deer, grizzly
bear, wolf, beaver, otter, wolverine, and
many other large Quadrupeds That could be
| approaching extermination Railroads arr being
built everywhere and sportsmen now 60 every
wnere In pursuit or every uvin tning that Is large
! enough 10 snpot with gun Or catch with a HOOK.
II We are ever going TO bring together q national
c0lleCuon Oh uVinK creatures 10 luSJrAt0 the AMI
NAL lie OF our forests, fleds, and waters IL must
| De done now. We are permitting all these great
| animals to be exterminated, just as We permitted
| the determination VI the buffalo, and IL We take
| no steps TO preserve living examples OF them-at
least In geological garuen-ln tue eyes OF science,
OF the pubic, ami the world we Will be mex
| cusaDle."
THE LOCATION AND THE COST.
In relation TO the location and cost Mr.. Breck1n-
ridge said: ST Is declared py those whose iudg-
] ment In such matters Is worthy OF acceptance,
that the site selected on Rock Greek, between the
crossing OF WOodley road and the Knngle road, Is
lncompara6ly The best That could 10 round within
radius OF miles OF the city OF Washington and
by Its natural features Is magnin-
Gently ,. adapted to The purposes in
possessed by no similar Institution In the world
| The abundance OF water in the stream, and the
| course or the stream Itself, are worth more than
| 100000 TO any such an institution The picI-
uresQue features or valley, HILL slope, and cn are
unfiyaiied large portion OF the tract Is covered
| Vita . hne grown OF virgin forest, which affords
| an abundance OF shade, and the drainage is per-
| Iect Tine maximum estimate Of the cost OF the
SITE OF l2l acres Is &l42, 600, tut there is good
ground for the belief that ,nis estimate u too hgn,
and that no board OF appralSement could
CONSIDER the whole tract worth more taan an aver
age OF $1,000 per acre. or S12l, 900. BY many even
that 10 Regarded too hlgn an estimate. The ground
is owned oy seven different partes but the largest
portion Oh tue site desired 50 acres OF the L. ans
estate, las never been In the market. The gIuund
Hes sudcienty near the city 70 render the garden
| easy OF access, which Ia a very Imperial
| point The London Zoo lies in the heart OF
London, and no one wild deny that an accessible
location u a matter OF prime Importance THIS
! site was not CHOSEN uDlu all tue Government
! reservations around Washington had been care
FUZZY examined, from The Arlington cemetery
around 10 Inc Eastern Branch OF The Potomac.
| The Potomac fals were fully considered, but II
was believed tnaL while 1t would De almost impo,-
| sibie To make so low piece Of land y liable
| habitauOn Tor mountaineering animals, II would
also lost four times nucn to maze IL habta ule
at all II would TO purchase tue site GU ROCK
Creek. A geological garden must have Dry knobs
AND Wel-uraIne1 slopes 10 faaAe IL even habla oie
lor wliu beasts IN rainy weather. It was decided
mat IL WOULD Dc serious ana costly mistake u
locate the gardens ON the hats even though tue
GROUND cost nothing In purcn .se-noney. The site
on ROCK Greek Is to-day, without Lne expenditure
or single dollar, ueauIlIui and pic. ureoQue
park with features or lovelneSS Tor when cay
| VI New YORK would gladly pay y, 0O0UO0 were 1t
posSioie, TO place Juen IN CenLrai Park by the
expenditure VI money"