The Washington critic., 1888-05-26
WASHINGTON CRITIC
rHE zoo1oa1CAn cARpEN.
Mr. Hornaday Warmly Favors the Prof.
enh "a OnfIinnd In ME-. Rcch,a RiII.

days New York Herald relative to the
Geological park or garden proposed to be
established at the National Capital and
the bill relating thereto introduced in the
Senate by Mr.. Beck. Mr. Hornaday says |
of this bill:
ut provides for n commission of three |
persons-the Secretary Of the Interior, |
the president of the District Board of |
Commissioners and the secretary of the |
Smithsonian Institution-which is au
thOrized and directed to make an inspec-
ton of certain lands lying along Rock
Creek and acquire, either by purchase or
condemnation, or both, tract not ex-
ceeding one hundred acres IN extent for
the purpose of National Geological
Park. The site is to be selected some.
where between Woodley Lane Bridge
and the Klingle Bridge and must include
section of the creek. After the park has
been fairly established 1t is to be turned
over to the custody of the Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution, who will assume
the direction of IL. OF course, provisions
are made for the making of necessary inn
provements, erection of buildings, etc"
How the Idea Originated.
"The idea ofthe desirability and neces-
sity of such an institution was forcibly
impressed upon the mind Ex-senator Beck
by the crowd of people the Senator saw
one day in the building containing our
collection of living ANIMALS here at the
Museum. The building was every day so
crowded with visitors wanting to see
every living thing we had that very often
IL was difficult to find standing room IN
IL. / once saw Professor Langley COM
PEELED to wait at the door for two or three
minutes before 1t was possible for him to
enter. And ofthese daily crowds about
every other intelligent man or woman
would say, There ought to be regular
geological garden here in Washington
Need of Such an Institution.
"0urs is the only great nation that can
not boast of such an institution. More
over, we need and must have a suitable
place in which to preserve representatives
of our great game animals before they are
all exterminated. The Buffalo is already
practically extinct, so far as his wild state
is concerned the mountain goats will be
wiped out in about five years, or even
less; the moose, the antelope and the Carl
bou are all going fast, and so are the
mountain sheep, elk and deer, i could
give you facts to prove this was 1t neces-
sary, but every one who has paid any at
tention to the subject knows this is so,
and proof is unnecessary.
The American Bison.
"Where' do you suppose the great
American bison was first seen by Euro
peans? You cannot answer. There are
few who can. 1t was at the City of
Mexico. when Cortez and his followers
put in their first appearance there. Mon
tezuma, the King of Aztecs, maintained
well-stocked menagerie tor the advance
ment of science and the instruction and
recreation of his people, and in it was a
huge bull buffalo, which had been
caught near the Rio Grande and trans
ported hundreds of miles overland.
Rather enterprising King for heathen
And yet, until few days ago, until two
bufialoes were- presented to us by Mr.. II.
G. Blackford of New York, this great and
glorious Government of the United States
had not live buffalo to its name, save
the few wild ones in the Yellowstone
Park, which are liable to straggle beyond
the limits and be killed tomorrow.
Other American Animals.
"The very first steps taken should be
those calculated to secure good herd of
each of the large and noteworthy species
that is threatened with speedy extermina-
ton. Then the next thing would be to
form collection of American quadru-
peds, birds and reptiles, which should be
the finest in the world OF course il
would be both desirable and necessary to
include many animals from the Old
World; but the special feature should al
ways be extensive collections of Ameri;,
can forms, the finest procurable and
shown under the best conditions possible
to secure.
The Proposed Site.
"Of course no one can say at present
just what the shape or boundaries of the
site will be, but there is one section within
the stated limits which is so perfectly
and, / might even say, so gloriously
adapted to the purpose, that think it
would be hard for the commission to se-
lect any other. What is known as the
Adams mill property lies right through
what is the centre of this desirable area,
through which Rock Creek Describes a
big but very perfect letter S, thus giving
the greatest possible length of stream and
valleyin the shortest distance. The creek
itself is very beautiful stream, with
sandy bottom, pebbly banks, and in one
place very picturesque rapids. The OPP
portunities for beaver dams and houses,
otter Slides seal ponds, waterfalls, and
ponds for aquatic birds and mammals of
all kinds are simply unriyaled. No
geological garden in the world has any
thing like it. On either side OF
the creek bottom the land rises, in gentle
slopes in some places, peculiarly adapted
for buildings and yards, with good
places the land rises from the creek in q
rocky precipice eighty feet high, fitted up
with lodges and shelves and crevices that
would delight the heart of any noun
tain sheep, goat or ibex that ever lived.
About half the entire tract is covered
such as beech, birch, sycamore, oak and
also evergreens. Last week, while in
specting the ground, l counted eleven
kinds Of trees IN sight at one time. 1t is
a perfect beauty spot, both grand and
picturesque, and all the picturesque fea.
lures which have been so earnestly and
artifeially striven for in the building up
of all the European geological gardens,
are there already, formed by nature in
the most liberal way.
How to Reach the Park.
From the Executive Mansion to what
would naturally be the entrance to the
park it is precisely two miles and eight
hundred feet, as the streets run, which is
the same as no distance at all. The Four
teenth street cars run within five squares
of il now, and whenever the park is es
tablished there will be a race between the
street railway companies to see who will
reach the gates first.
What Would the Scheme Cost?
"Owing TO the fact that the picturesqu,
features of the ground have already beer
made by nature, and also that if takeI
now the site can be purchased at wha
are merely nominal prices compared will
what it will cost two or three years hence
1 will undertake to prove TO the satisfac
small expenditure on the part OF the Gov
ernment we can have the finest Zoo in tn
world. The fact that the grounds are al
ready made is saving of 100000 to th'
plan"
Excursion to Luray Caverns.
A select excursion to the wonderful