Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-21
CARE OF THE PARKS
Colonel Bingham's Report on Opera
tions Of the Year.
sG J
e G
Wide WALK AROUND HE Eclipse
An Earnest Plea for the Establish.
ment of Fountains.
T II E P Z BLIC INGS

eff Washington Is not the most beautiful
and attractive city in America, surely as
the capital city it should be made So" says
Colonel Theo. A. Bingham. corps of en-
gineers, in his report of work done on
public buildings and grounds in the Dis
trict of Columbia during the past fiscal
year. He goes on to say:
The parks and park places so freely dis
tributed through it by the wise forethought
of the great man who laid it out, and
which are conceded to form one of its chief
attractions, should be maintained in the
very highest condition of improvement.
This only be done by liberal appro-
priations from Congress for their support
as they are the exclusive property of the
United States. y 1t is also conceded
that our parks. by the manner in which
the improvements are maintained, evidence
more care than generally exercised in
such work except where large expenditures
are made. This is encouraging in view
of the fact that 1t is believed that less
amount per acre IS expended in their care
and maintenance than in any other 10
cality where similar park systems are
maintained.
This condition of affairs is in some meas
ure. due to the great care exercised by
the government in making expenditures for
the purchase of materials and for pay
ment for superintendent, labor, etc. 1t is
a notable fact that the government has
been appar entity fortunate in securing good
material. and very good service in all
work connected with the parks.
Unfortunately for the next fiscal year,
the appropriations for this very important
work have been reduced. and while there
is every evidence that what has been done
is fully appreciated, it is feared that the
great work yet to be accomplished is not
fully realized. 1t is earnestly hoped that
the Congress soon to convene will eyince
that interest in our beautiful parks that
their Importance demands, and that suft1
cient funds may be allotted to push to
speedy completion projected and necessary
improvements in manner commensurate
with their Importance, not only for the
purpose Of adjoining the capital city, in
which all citizens have a just pride, but to
furnish an example OF simple landscape
gardening and park ornamentation that will
have a direct influence in aiding to elevate
the taste of all visitors, and that may
eventually lead to the transformation into
beautiful parks of many pieces of waste
ground adjacent to the cities of the coun-
try"
ONCE building for the President.
Col. Bingham devotes a chapter to
pairs and improvements at fhe Executive
Mansion and says:
Attention is again invited to the i'm
rortance OF providing suitable offices out
side of the Executive Mansion for the
President of the United States 1t
is earnestly hoped that this Important mat
Ter may no longer be delayed and that
action may be taken att the approaching
ses sion of Congress toward erecting d suit
able office building for the esident of the
Attention is again invited to the conser-
vatory. the frame of which is of wood,
rapidly decaying and almost IN a dan
gerouS condition. \ new irof suo.rsirl,c-
ir
essary repairs are made from time to
time to the old superstrueture, but it
seems almost waste of funds to patch I'D
portions of an old decayed wooden frame
with wood which will also decay, when a
violent storm might possibly wreck the
structure at any time. The
White House stable should be removed
from the grounds fronting the Sta.e De-
partment and the beautiful new Co-co,an
Art Gallery. where it is an eyesore and
manitestly out of place, and whore it now
seriously 1nterferes with the development
OF mat part or the nations, parks"
The Washington Monument.
In regard to the Washington national
monument he says: "Vandals continue to
give annoyance by occasionally chipping
pieces IRON the outside or from memorial
stones In the inner walls. Whenever de-
tected these thoughtless persons are ar
rested. but. as a rule when brought 10
trial escape with small fine Every eff
tort mas been made to maintain the monu-
ment and its machinery in good condi-
ton. 1t Is believed that the elevator is as
safe as 1T is possible for man to make II
and every effort is made to prevent acci-
dents. During the year ended June
81. 1897. there were 165,:595 visitors to the
top of the monument, making a total of
! 400. S22 persons who have visited the ton
since the monument was thrown open TO
the public. October 3, 1855 1t Is a note
worthy fact that no one has yet been kill
ed or fatally injured. either during the
erection of the monument or it's admins
tration since completion
Care of the Reservations.
The main part of the report is taken up
with a description of the condition and
needs Of the various public reservations
The area covered by the parks and park
spaces in the District under charge of Col
Bingham is about 4G5 acres, of which all
but forty-eight acres are improved. There
are 3Ol reservations, varying In size from a
few hundred square feet to eighty-two
acres. Col Bingham says that an effort is
made each year to add to the list of i'm
proved reservations, but the progress is
slow, owing to the lack of necessary funds.
Estimates are submitted for the partial
improvement of the following: Reserva-
ton No. 10 (north Of the navy yard), reser-
walton No. 10 (Howard University Park
and reservation No. 49, at the intersection
of New Hampshire avenue and NJ street.
'Ihefe are still 16S OF these little spaces
unimproved throughout the city," says Col.
Bingham, land If the general appropria-
ton for various reservations could he in
creased to $4,000 annually they could be
gradually transformed into exquisite little
parklets. and add greatly to the beauty Of
the capital city,
Fairgrounds Unused.
The children's Fairgrounds in the ellipse
aouth of the Executive Mansion were
opened for lawn tennis. croquet. cricket
and kindred games. but the privilege has
never been taken advantagebof. Applica-
lions were made, however, to use the
grounds for foot ball games. but were de-
MED. hfi
Fairgrounds" says CnlcIfel Bingham.
"should be set aside in VARIOUS parts of the
city for the of children, not to be
by grown persons or half
grown youths, nor to be used for games
prohibited under the police regulations of
the District. Howard University Park
either highly improved OF in its present
condition, could well be selecteN for this
purpose. and many of the smaller reserva-
tons throughout the cityj,DgWtfich have not
been highly improved could 1be set aside
for playing lawn. tennis. ,eFoauet and kim
dred games" otir :;
A Walk Around TIC ,ElIipse.
In a special chapter in reYari to. the ell