Evening star., 1898-03-12

cemetery situated to the southwark of the
park is probably of considerable value and
| 1t would entail considerable expense to add
| the entire tract to the park, it Is believed
| that the interests of the government will
| be equally subserved by establishing a road
| way through it along the route marked in
! dotted lines on the map, and adding to the
! park only much of the land may lie
between such roadway and the present
| boundary.
! "On the western side considerable read
| justments of boundary desirable. Com
| mencing at Woodley bridge it seems prop
| er that a small strip (marked H) should be
| added to the park, so that 1t may reach the
| line of a projected roadway shown in dot
| ted lines on the annexed map. This road
| way extends along the natural contours Of
| a hill that slopes toward Rock creek, and
when it is established the unsightly en-
| bankrnent made there for the purpose of
entering the park can be removed. 1t is
! recommended that the boundary run along
| the eastern side of this road to meet the
| present boundary of the park.
| Another extension seems desirable near
| the present western entrance to the park
| upon Connecticut avenue extended. Here
| the boundary now runs at no great dis
! tance from the avenue, and there is no
| properly leSalized right of way over the
! property into the park.
1t may be well to state here that there
! is now a lesalizcd roadway through the
! strip under consideration, Congress at
| its last session provided the authority and
| money for securing such right of way. The
remainder OF Secretary Langleys recon-
| mendations and conclusions, however, hold
| good or better now than when first pre-
| sented.
notwithstanding this, the service of the
e.ectrIc cars on the avenue makes this the
| most freQuented OF all the entrances. The
ground which it is proposed to include lies
| between the park and Connecticut avenue.
| extending southwark to Cathedral avenue
| ard northward to Klingle road. 1t is mark
| ed L the accompanying map. 1t is rep
| resented as being excellent grazing ground
! for antelope. elk deer. or llamas. Pastur-
| age for these animals is now insufficient
| owing to the wooded character of the park.
| Should the Rock Creek Park be likewise
/ extended to Connecticut avenue. as Is pro-
posed. the two public parks would then
| have a common boundary along the Kiln
| gle road, which would form common ave-
| rue of entrance.
| Congress to BE Approached.
The recommendations of Secretary Lang
! ley were never put in the concrete shape
of bills necessary for Congress to act upon,
but this will be shortly done. and proper
| measures will be prepared and introduced,
| which will cover not only the necessities
pointed out above, but Will provide for
other improvements in the park.
| Thousands of persons, as well known,
visit the park every day during the spring,
| summer and autumn seasons, and even in
! winter there are large numbers of visitors,
| who so much to see the winter beauty
| of the variegated landscape to see the
| animals in their cold weather quarters. At
| all times interesting and beautiful the park
| is steadily growing In popular favor, and 1t
| is therefore highly necessary, in the opin-
| ion of those having its interests and pur-
pose at heart, that more should be done
! toward increasing the geological collection,
| and thus increasing its educational pur-
| poses enhancing the natural beauties of
! the park by making access to them easy,
| and in a word, making the National Zoo
/ lIariP parE nv nj c
! high purpose for which it was created.
The Views of an Observer.
The thousands who regularly visit the
! park are all heartily in favor of its i'm
| provement, and the consensus of their
| views was well expressed by one who is
| wholly familiar with the park and knows
| just what it needs.
| ANY one of observance who goes to
| Geological Park by the Chevy Chase cars"
| said this person to a Star reporter, ''natur-
| ally wonders why the boundary of the park
| is not out to the line of Connecticut ave-
nue. extended.
| approaching the entrance to the Zoo on
| Chevy Chase Park sees the inclosing
| fence of the park running parallel with
| Connecticut avenue, only few yards dis
| tant. The intervening space, at first deep
| ly quilted and in places covered with deep
| uEdergrowth, further on runs into smooth
slopes and swels which would add i'm
neEsely to the attractiveness of the park
| II 1t were included a part of it. The
| same strip runs up to the Klingle road
| ard should certainly be included in the
| park, which would thus have an imDosinp
| frontage on Connecticut avenue extended
, that could not be encroached upon for
building purposes, which will certainly be
| the case in the future if the strip remains
| private property
The Alleged Cause.
II inquired" continued the speaker,
how IT happened that the margin of
ground was not embraced in the park. 50
| as to give an open frontage en- the avenue.
and was informed that the members of the
| commission which was appointed to locate
and define the parks bounds made the con-
volutions of Rock creek their central line
| of base, instead of providing themselves
with map giving the lines of the principal
avenues and streets as they would run out
when extended The use of Rock creek as q
| base prevented anything like uniformity in
| the boundary. Of course, l don't know that
! this was absolutely the cause of it: it Is
| merely what have been informed. But no
matter what the cause is. the evil should
be repaired. To secure this piece OF land
and the other plots, which Prof Langley
| mas ViS orousiy and persistently recon-
i mended In his re potts should be bought
VIII require the purchase now of orly a
| small acreage of Unoccupied and unincIosed
| ground. the value of which is rapidly in
| creasing as the city extends in that direc-
ton.
| Other Things Needed.
| Then there is another thing about the
| Zoo Park: in fact, several things. No one
| deries that the domain abounds in wonder
ful attractions. natural and wrought, but
there are striking deficiencies In it, both in
respect as to its needs as a public resort
and breathing place and the meagerness
! o. its animal exhibit when 1t is considered
! tEat IL IS owned by the government and is
b m vrvl,1 H.
been to the Forepaugh or the Barnum &.
| bailey shows, and then comes out here
| To the Zoo. will be compelled to acknowl-
| edge the infericrity existing between the
| governments exhibit, after eight years of
| supposed accumulation. and the collections
| IN the menageries 1 mention. Congress
shonlc pc more generous end appropriate
money for the purchase of animals. and
| the collection should be so complete in
| character and size and in the variety and
| NUMBER or Its specimens as to make it the
Il hest far he OF,