The Washington times., 1916-05-27
Mann MAKES PLEA
FOR GREAT OLD OAK
Minority Leader Delivers EIo-
quent Speech for Purchase
Of Dean Tract.

E~S"S"N hoor tchucr III the uouno' 10 =
lover OF nature and grower OF
flowers.
He spends his vacations out OF doors.
ana prefers to train a rose bush or q
morning glory vine to nestle to the
side Of some cottage than to make q
political speech.
.o whsnsysr he gets a chance, Mr.: Mann ann
the green things that 80 to make up
natures landscape. He owns q
famous flower garden In Chicago.
prcbabiy that IL why Mr.. Mann ..r who
IN u;f III. se sss to aTSI IN. m House ss
yesterday OF the wonderful beauty and
spread OF IAN old oak tree" that stands
upon the Dean property. The minority
leader confessed that many times he
property SO that he might sit beneath
The unusual discussion In the House
wns incident to Mr.. MondelPs motion
g include. in the District appropriation
bill an allowance for the purchase Of
the Dean and Patterson tracts. Con-
gresham Fitzgerald said he understood
the Dean estate was anxious to sell to
the Government.
Error, Says Mann.
Mr.. Mann said this was In error. Then
Mr.. Mann asked for five minutes In
which to talk about the old oak.
Il am quite sure the gentleman from
New York tMr. Fitzgerald is incorrect
the tract have been msking any eff
fort to dispose OF II to the Government.
For years thee has been talk about tho
Government buying the Dean tract
tfon with young Mr.. Dean. who certain
~ displayed to me no eDxicty to have
the Government purchase the PROPERTY.
,"on the contrary. he stated that IL
wonld have to determine to do So very
quickly, because tho owners Of tile
property had carried II and thew were
Eoing to dispose of It, and the, Thought
than the Government would be Willing
to pay for II.
II believe they have had. through the
District Commissioners, or through the
grounds, or somebody. n proposition 10
scell II to the Government at the as-
sessed valuation.
Handsome Piece of Property.
That. however. Is not what l am
specially Interested In. 1 look over this
property every morning. I have looked
seft Tor many years. going by It. Inere
10 not a morning now that 1 do not
stand at my window and loo kat that
1T Is the handsomest piece OF prop
erty that I ever saw in a city. / never
nave seen any other piece OF property
IN any city as handsome as this. do
40 with It II It purchased il. / do not
mink there is great necessity for an
additional park In that locality.
But there 10 one oak tree on the
b. the Government and n sur r1 Sn eGns go
tnat the people could 90 under It. II
y many times older than the city OF
New York. There is no tree anywhere
AZ large as this old oak tree on the
Dean place, which has a wider spread
than any tree In any other city in the
United States.
wsiian Islands. planted by a man still
living. that has a spread larger than
this room; but / know or no place
where they have as handsome an old
S Ssa tree as there T. right By the Dean
or my apartment.
III had the money would buy the
ground myself for the privilege OF liv-
ing under the shadow Of that old oak
the Government will ever take any such
delight in trees or beauty"
Fitzgerald Agrees.
After Mr.. Mann's tribute to the
oAh ooh' cbbHldn
agreed that the tract was a beauti-
full one, but the Government could
not go into the business OF buying
trees at high prices.
Mr.. Fitzgerald. as chairman of the
Appropriations Committee, showed
little sentiment over the matter. Mr..
Fitzgerald said the plot is not needed
as parg and the Government could
have but three Ideas in purchasing 1t:
''First, to accommodate those who
own It and wish to sell It; second, to
crafty those who live under the
same roof with the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois; and, third.
TO buy the biggest widest-spreading
tree s IN any municipality In the Unit
Mr.. Fitzgerald said further that
gentlemen living where the gentle
man INT. Mann1 lives would dislike
to see the property built upon"
That is a mean little fling" re-
torted Mr.. Mann. II will be out of
upon"
Mr.. Mann said he had not insisted
upon the purchase az the tract, but
he merely wanted to call attention to
its beauty and the opportunity the
Government has to acquire IT.
Tho Dean tract Is located opposite
the Highlands, at the top OF Connecti-
cut avenue hill. and Mr.. Mann, who
lives in that apartment, is a daily ad-
n1irer of its beauty