Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-31
MAI. RIDLEY ADDS
NEW BEAUTY SPOTS
TO DISTRICT PARKS
Recreation Features Also
Given Special Attention
+ During Past Year.

OUI lily Z QSl ICoIs
All the public parks and reserva-
tions in the District of Columbia were
| maintained in good condition. and
material improvements made in sew
eral, during the past fiscal year, ac-
| cording to the annual report of Mai.
| c. s. Ridley, the engineer in charge,
submitted today. Special efforts were
features of Rock Creek Park, East
Potomac Park. West Potomac Park.
! in the vicinity of the Lincoln Me-
muriAi "a judiciary Park and Montrose
Rock Creek Park Betterments.
Among the improvements in Rock
Creek Park way the clearing and
| grading Of a road from Beach drive
to Daniel road on the line of Ritten-
house street, the construction of a
foot bridge of chestnut logs at the
swimming pool. in the creek just
north of Pebble bridge, the con-
struction of wide footpath along
,, the north side of Morrow road from
the traYsfer Of the old lodge house
formerly in West Seaton Park to a
point in Rock Creek Park at the
junction of Morrow and Beach roads
for the use of the park police. An
| increase in the park police force is
ter control of traffic and the protec-
ton of the park. s
During the yer sixty additional
parcels of privately dMned land re-
quired for the parkway along lower
Rock creek connecting Potomac Park
with the Geological and Rock Creek
parks were purchased at cost of
$206,646 and negotiations are in prog
ress for five more parcels appraised
at $3.50. All the surveys for the
parkway have now. been completed.
253,674 Climb Monument.
More people went to the top of: the
Washington Monument last year than
in any preceding year. The. total
number of visitors last year is stated
at 25s,e74. of whom 20O.5o4 went up
in the elevator and 53.170 walked up
the stairways. There was a total of
1854 visitors on the fifty-eight Sun
days and holidays, being an average
of 908 on each of those days.
Fourteen park spaces. containing
92.933 square feet or 2.133 acres were
added to the park system by transfer
from the District Commissioners dur
ing the year. The largest parcels OF
ground so transferred were the space
bounded by Nebraska avenue and Van
Ness and 41st streets. containing
3S,273 square feet. and the space
bounded by Arkansas avenue and
Emerson and 18th streets. containing
1886 square feet. Other good sized
parcels transferred were lae areas
bounded by Arkansas and Georgia
avenues and Farragut street, by Ne,
braska avenue and Van Ness and AND
streets by Rhode Island and south
Dakota avenues and 24th streeI
northeast and the parking on n
street between gath and 2Sth streets.
A. the same time the total park
area was reduced by the transfer to
the district Commissioners OF strip
of land 2h feet wide along the west
side of Meridian Hill Park between
Florida avenue ana Crescenr rh tetai
area Of public reservations under tne
charpe of Mai. Ridley now is '2,749 acres.
That il exclusive Of the tidal basin IN
Potomac Park. which contains 1Ag acres
New Roadwnys and Walks.
other improvements made during
the past year included the cohs1ruc
tion Of new roadways IL IN ths mas. sronnds
south of the Executive Mansion, IN
Jndiciary Park, Meridian Hill fark,
Montrose Park. Rock Creek fafk anu
in East and West Potomac PARIS.
At the propagating garoemns, manumant sua,H
grounds, 6ss,2oo plants, valued at at
s41.592. we're propagated during the
year and distributed among the parks
and reservations, a small surplus
being given to hospitals and public
institutions.
Many Shrubs Replaced.
lowing to the increased cost OF
park maintenance says Maj. Ridley,
mo funds could be allotted for i'm,
proving some of the small unimproved
reservations, as is previous years. but
special effort was made toward re-
placing dead and damaged shrubs in
the various parks.
"The improved parks and park
spaces were maintained in fairly good
condition during the year. 1t was inn
possible to keep them up to the usual
standard. owing to the recent largely
Increased labor and material cost and
the fact that a, the small ,;das increase iner ass
Commensurate with the actual in
crease in the cost of the work.
'sThe special efforts made by this
office during recent years to renew
the bare places and wern borders s Of +
grass seed have been continued dur
Ing the year, greatly improving their