The evening times., 1899-10-04

Park past the navy yard gate ant they will
all receive good deal of attention during
this fiscal year from the public gardener
''On the large reservation, No. 19, close
to the navy yard (between Fifth and Sew
enth and between K and Streets) some
$4,000 or $4,000 worth of work has already
been done in grading and ii is intended to
expend $1,000 more. 1t contains no less
than three and half acres, bounded by the
Pennsylvania Railroad on the north, and
when 1t is furnished with walks, laid down
to grass, and interspersed with flowers, 1t
will be fine and much needed breathing
place for the population in that vicinity II
is proposed to lay sidewalks on the east,
west, and south boundaries, to construct
gravel footpaths, to lay out lawn plots, and
sow with grass seed and TO supply the
necessary drains and cutters and provide
shrubs and flower beds and place eight
park lamps in position.
The experiment of setting aside public
reservations for the amusement OF youth,
begun some years since in the White Lot,
will be continued in Reservation 126, two
acres in size, which will be assigned to the
children and young people for baseball
park and playground. 1t will be graded,
cUrbed and sidewalked, and Will be a very
attractive park. 1t is Immediately over the
tunnel of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the
Two fountains of running water are being
provided there
Lincoln Park has during the season re-
ceved beneficial attention from the pub
lie gardener. The flower beds have been
largely increased, five or six new ones hay-
ing been added. good many objectiona-
bic trees which intercepted the view OF the
monument have been removed but your
committee has urged that considerable more
needs TO be done before the home OF the
Statue of Emancipation is made wholly sat
isfactory 10 the public eye More ethan
i 900 feet of asphalt walks have been laid
down in this park during the summer.
Want GraceIani Cemetery.
The public gardener will plant shrubs
in all East Washington parks during this
fiscal year. In all the parks to which
watchmen are supplied gas stoves will be
introduced into the lodges, adding consider
ably 10 the neatness of the surroundings
During the winter and spring many of the
parks and spaces in East Washington will
be enclosed with the post and chain fence
which will eventually enclose all the parks
of the city.
More than 10000 flower and foliage
plants for decoration have been put out in
East Washington during the summer.
iOQi SCiilHllleS HAS UlleDueQ 10 Ile
quest of the association in the matter of
! obtaining Graceland Cemetery for pub
lie park, and begs leave to report that in
its opinion it is not desirable and is not
likely to prove profitable to agitate the
subject at the present time.
"a high price has been put upon this
home Of the dead by the proprIetors and
considering the concerted and continued
effort that will have 10 be made during the
next generation TO get the Anacostia Flats
| drained and parked, We are of opinion that
the resources of the city ought not to be
divided by attempting to establish any
ether large parks on east II Street at the
present time.
"A disastrous storm passed over Wash
| ington in August and all the parks suffer
ed considerably, those in East Washing
ton especially. More than 100 trees in the
! parks of East Washington were blown
down and some hundreds more were so
badly injured as to be crippled and un-
| slightly.
Your committee has taken measures to
secure the introduction of squirrels into
i the parks of East Washington, and Colo
mel Bingham has approved the project and
directed the gardener to carry it out as
soon as practicable.
More Policemen Needed.
"The matter of naming and marking
| trees and shrubs so that their names may
be known, which was referred to your
committee, has been earnestly brought to
the attention of the authorities, and the
work has already begun. A small part of
the annual appropriation has been diverted
to this end. and some hundreds of labels
will be appended to trees in Garfield, Lin
coin, and Stanton parks during this au-
tumn, and the work will be carried for
ward as fast as practicable.
The plan of removing shrubbery and
underground from the parks begun last
year has been carried forward systemati-
cally and earnestly. The officers of the
Senate and House have eagerly co-operat-
ed, to the end that Capitol Park, upon the
east front of the Capitol, has been COM
pletely renovated.
Both beauty and safety have been in
creased; the new electric lights serve the
purpose of illumination as was intended.
and the ,wide-spreading grass plat admits
OF unobstructed vision from Street
north to B Street south.
There is need Of more watchmen in all
our parks, both for the purpose of pro-
tecing them from vandalism and of pre-
venting their being the rendezvous for
more dangerous lawbreakers. The city DO
lice force is always SO limited that the
number in the parks cannot be increased.
Your committee therefore begs leave to
suggest that enough policemen for the pro-
lection of our streets and parks might
easily be obtained IL they were withdrawn
from our public buildings and large CEN
tral parks and soldiers detailed to super-
sede them. In every other government in
the world the official buildings and the
parks in which they are placed are guarded
by soldiers instead of citizen police. and
besides furnishing agreeable occupation 10
men who in times Of peace have little to
90. it provides suitable display of ma
tional authority at the very place where
such display is needed. II this policy were
adopted 1t would be inexpensive and would
make it much moreo obvious than a mere
unfurled flag does 10 the eyes of stran-
ger what buildings are owned and occupi I'd
by the United StateS Government"