Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09


Park, his mind naturally turned back
to the early days of our own National
Geological Park and his active interest
in its establishment, and how, after he
had achieved the goal he worked so
hard for, he seemed to drop abruptly
out of the picture so far as Washing
ton was concerned.
Mr.. Hornaday came to this city and
to the National Museum about 1888,
during the administration of Spencer
F. Baird, who was secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution from 1873 to
1887 At first he was the chief taxi
dermtSt, and some of the groups he
designed and mounted were marvels
of perfection. He was man of charm
ing personality and was greatly liked
by all who knew him.
From the time Mr. Hornaday frs.
came to the National Museum he had
in mind the forming here of zoologi-
cal park, and in this connection he
had the sympathy and cooperation
of the. assistant secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, G. Brown
Goode, for at this time Prof Baird was
in declining health and had turned
over to Mr.. Goode practically all of
the administrative work of the lnSti-
tuition, thus putting the assistant Sec
rotary in position to be most help
full in advancing the geological park
Idea.
When Lanier Heights was subdivided
and put on the market, about 1886,
Mr. Goode and several other employees
of the National Museum, including R.
I. Geare and ]. B. Smith, erected
homes in this section, until then I'M
improved country property. Mr.. Goode
was so fascinated with the scenery in
cluded within what is now the park
area that he built his residence on
Summit avenue, which was not far
from the top of the old stone quarry,
just to the south of Quarry road, where
his view of this part of Rock Greek
Valley and the winding creek was I'M
obstructed, and here, on September 8,
1896. he closed his eyes in peaceful
rest.
Tor many years before the National
Geological Park came into being
there existed, from time to time, a
number of small collections of wild
animals in the District of Columbia,
and as early as the Civil War period
there were at st. Elizabeth's Hospital
black bear, three eagles a white
owl, red fox and deer.
On June 81, 1870, bill was intro
duced in Congress to incorporate the
Washington Geological Society, and
Henry D. Cooke, George w. Riggs,
James c. Kennedy, Spencer F.. Baird.
Gen. o. o. Howard, T. w. BARLEY,
Joseph Casey, Horace Capron. James
c. Mcguire and George Taylor are
mentioned as the incorporators. The
objects Of this society, as outlined in
the bill. are: "for the purpose
of establishing and maintaining a
geological garden in the City of WASH
ington. and that they, the said incor-
porators, may purchase or lease any
real or personal estate required for
the purpose aforesaid, and after the
said geological garden shall be estab-
lished, the said company, for the pur-
pose of paying the expenses of the
same, may charge and receive fee
for entry thereunto not exceeding Is
cents for each and every person over
the age of IL years and 10 cents for
each and every person under said age:
Provided, That said society shall, for
at least one day in each and every
week, open said garden to all classes
for a charge not exceeding 10 cents
each.
Sec 2. And be it further enacted,
That the said society may from time
to time import into this country from
foreign countries free of duty, all
birds and animals necessary for the
establishment of said garden; and in
consideration thereof the said society
shall do all in their power to introduce
valuable animals, poultry and birds,
and furnish the same to persons or
societies requiring the same at the
beast possible cost.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted
That the said society be, and is hereby,
authorized to use, under the direction
of the water register registrar) of
the city of Washington, without
charge, the Potomac water for the
purpose of hydrants, ponds and foun-
tains in said garden.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted,
That the government and directors of
the said society shall be invested in
said corporators; and that they shall
have full power to make and prescribe
such bylaws, rules, and regulations,
as may become proper and necessary
for the management of the property
and interests of said society not con-
trary to this character or the laws of
the United States
Sec. S. And be it further enacted,
That Congress shall have the right to
amend. alter or repeal this act at any
time"
The location of the site for this pro-
posed garden is indicated on
map for 1881 as being the place for
the Proposed Geological Garden"
and is the tract of land once belong
ing to Abraham Young, one of the
City's original proprietors. It hes
north of C street and east of Fifteenth
as the Youngsboro tract At the
northeastern corner of the city this
property may be identified by any map
bf the Federal Territory, which shows
where Florida avenue abruptly termi-
mates, leaving quite slice cut out OF
the logical lines of the city, sufficient
to attract most any ones attention.
This deviation, made by Mai. Len
FAINT, was due to the urging of Mr..
Young, principally in order to save an
unusually copious spring located on
this tract, variously called Youngs
Federal, Gibson's and Stoddert's
Spring. L'Enfant, however, did not
make this change in the plans of the
city until he was instructed to do so
by President Washington.
Just what became of this proposed
geological Garden is hardly worth