them to those interested, and is frequently summoned to produce the records in the courts. During the year, in addition to these duties, he bas prepared maps of Washington Circle, Iowa Circle, Du Pont Circle, Marion Park, Folger Park, grounds south of the Executive Mansion, Reservations 70, 71, 270, and 271, Reservations 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50, Reservation No. 201, and a plan of the basement of the Executive Mansion showing sewer, water, and gas-pipes; he has also made a large map, on a scale of 1 inch to 30 feet, of the battle-field of Gettysburgh, in connection with erecting monuments to mark the positions held by the troops of the regular Army in that action, and has prepared drawings showing the plans of the engineerin charge for the proposed system of underground telephoue and telegraph wires. He has also devoted much time to careful examination to determine wbat, if any, lots in the city of Washington now occupied and claimed by private parties are still the property of the United States. It is believed that there are a few such lots, but it is not deemned proper to even slightly cloud any title by an official report until it is absolutely certain that the Government has never parted with the land; the investigations will continue as time admits, and when completed a report will be made to the Secretary of War with request that the law officers of the Government take such action as may be deemed best to protect the interests of the United States. It is earnestly urged that Congress will authorize the employmeut of a clerk to take charge of the old records; 'to properly arrange, index, and show them to parties interested will require the constant attention of a good clerk, and the only draughtsmau allowed this office would then be permitted to devote his entire time to his legitimate duties. NUMBER AND AREA OF RESERVATIONS AND NUMBER OF STATUES. Two have been added to the highly improved and two to the par. tially improved during the year; two of those formerly classed among the highly improved have been still more improved by paths, flower beds, park settees, etc., during the year. Of the six reservations receiving extra improvements during the year, two were on New York avenue between Tenth and Twelfth streets northwest, one on Rhode Island avenue at the intersection of Seventh and R streets northwest, one on Indiana avenue at the intersection of Third and D streets northwest, one on Massachusetts avenue at the interseciion of Ninth and B streets northeast, and one on North Carolina avenue at the intersection of Eighth and B streets southeast. The effort has been to distribute all new improvements as equally as possible among the different sections of the city. There are twelve statnes in the public grounds under charge of this oflice, as follows: Wasbington, Greene, Jackson, Lincoln, Scott, Farragut, Thomas, Du Pont, Rawlins, McPherson, Garfield, and Henry; all of these, except the last, were carefully cleaned off during the year. TREES AND SHRUBS. In the report for 1886 a list was submitted of trees and shrubs' form ing the ornamental planting of the various parks in the public grounds under charge of this office; the list embraced a majority of the species and varieties generally known that will thrive in the climate of Washington, and comprised in the aggregate over 32,000 specimens of trees and shrubs; since that date about 5,000 specimens have been planted out. As heretofore stated, it is intended to continue annually adding to the beauty of the parks by planting out varieties of trees and shrubs of decided merit. From time to time it becomes necessary to remove some of the trees that were set out in the early planting of the grounds; great care is exercised, and a tree is never cut down unless it is badly decayed or by its growth is seriously injuring others of more value. Efforts to prevent the injury of trees by caterpillars were continued, and in the winter of 1887–88 several bushels of cocoons were gathered and destroyed. ESTIMATES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1890. $1, 600.00 840.00 2,000.00 1,500.00 30,000.00 720.00 1, 320.00 1,440.00 660.00 660.00 660.00 Salaries of employés public buildings and grounds, etc.: For one oflice clerk City ..... ics, and laborers .. each each.... For one day watchman at Judiciary Square. For one day watchman at Lincoln Square and adjacent reservations For one day watchman at Iowa Circle... For one day watchman at Thomas Circle and neighboring reservations Square ... reservations ervations For two day watchmen at Henry (Armory) and Seaton squares and reservationis east to the Botanical Gardens, at $660 each For one night watchman at Henry (Armory) and Seaton squares and reservations east to the Botanical Gardens. For one day watchman at Mount Vernon Square and adja cent reservations... Mansion ... and adjacent reservations.... 660.00 660.00 660.00 660.00 1,320,00 720.00 660.00 660.00 660.00 660.00 $51, 100,00 500,00 For contingent and incidental expenses. Improvement and care of public grounds: For improvement of grounds north of the Executive Mansion .... $2,500.00 For improvement and maintenance of grounds south of the Executive Mansion... 4,000.00 For ordinary care of greenhouses and nursery 2,000.00 For ordinary care of Lafayette Square 1,000.00 For ordinary care of Franklin Square... 1,000.00 For care and improvement of Monument Grounds 5,000.00 For continuing improvement of Reservation No. 17 and site of old canal northwest of same 10,000.00 For construction and repair of post and chain fences and constructing stone coping around reservations 1,500.00 For laying asphalt walks in various reservations 5,000.00 For manure and hauling same... 5,000.00 For painting watchmen's lodges, iron fences, vases, lamps, and lamp-posts 1,000.00 For purchase and repair of seats...... 1,000.00 For purcbase and repair of tools.. 2,000.00 For trees, tree and plant stakes, labels, lime, whitewashing, and stock for nursery 3,000.00 For removing snow and ice.. 1,500.00 For flower-pots, twine, baskets, wire, splints, moss, and lycopodium..... 1,000.00 For care, construction, and repair of fountains....... 1,500.00 For abating nuisancos.. 500.00 For improvement, care, and maintenance of various reservations. 20,000.00 For improvement, care, and maintenance of Smithsonian Grounds, including construction of asphalt roads and 8,000.00 2,500.00 For improvement, care, and inaintenance of Judiciary Square, including grounds around new Pension Building, and asphalt roads and walks leading to Pension Building. 7,000.00 For lodges for park watchmen in Stanton, Mount Vernon, Iowa, DuPont, Thomas, McPherson, and Folger reserva- $3,500.00 For supplying and keeping supplied the 76 vases in tlie New Pension Building with suitable plants and shrubs 1,000.00 Care of, repairs, fuel, etc., Executive Mansion: $90,300.00 For care, repair, and refurnishing the Executive Mansion, to be expended by contract or otherwise, as the President 16,000.00 For fuel for Executive Mansion, greenhouses, and stable.. 3,000,00 For care and necessary repair of greenhouses. 5,000.00 Lighting the Executive Mansion and the public grounds: 24,000,00 For erecting 7 iron posts each 25 feet high, and connecting them with underground wires for electric lights. 1,000.00 For electric lights for 365 nights, from 7 posts, at 70 cents per light per night, $4.90 per night.. 1,788.50 For gas, pay of lamp.lighters, gas-titters, and laborers, purchase, erection, and repair of lamps and lanp posts, purchase of matches and repairs of all kinds; fuel and lights for office and office stable, for watchmen's lodges, and for green-houses at the nursery: Provided, That for each 6-foot barner not connected with a meter in the lamps on the public grounds no more than twenty dollars shall be paid per lamp for gas, including lighting, cleaning, and keeping in repair the lainps, under any expenditure provided for in this act; and said lamps shall buru not less than two thousand six hundred hours per annum; and authority is hereby given to substitute other illuininatiog material for the same or less price, and to use so much of the sum hereby appropriated as may be necessary for that purpose... 14,000.00 16,788.50 Repairs to water-pipes : For repairing and extending water-pipes, purchase of ap paratus for cleaning them, purchase of hose, and for Telegraph to connect the Capitol with the Departments and duplicate six conductor underground cable, being a total distance of about 10,500 linear feet: Ditching, boxing, etc., 10,500 feet, at 22 cents.. 110,000 feet of conductor, at 44 cents per foot.. Supervising, expert joiners, electricians, etc., for 110,000 feet of conductor, at one-half cent per foot Contivgencies, including taking cables into buildings... 2,320.00 550.00 680.00 For care and repair of existing lines... 8,500.00 10,000.00 Total ..... 195,322. 50 In submitting these estimates, some of which are larger than heretofore appropriated and some for new work, the following explanation is presented : First.-(ne public gardener, $2,000. I have asked for an increase in the salary of the public gardener, a position now so satisfactorily tilled by Mr. George H. Brown. The duties of the office require that the gentleman who fills it shall be thoroughly skilled in the culture of trees, shrubs, and plants, and shall have a practical knowledge of civil engineering as applied to landscape gardening. Mr. Brown combines these attributes, to which he adds taste, industry, and integrity. His duties take him from one end of the city to the other. He is directly responsible for the care of the valuable collection of plants in the propagating garden, and superintends the propagation of plants that are an. nually raised for the public grounds, which this year numbered abont 350,000. Second.-One clerk in charge of old public records of Washington City, 1,500. These records include maps, deeds, record-books, letters, etc., from the organization of the original board of commissioners, near the close of the last century, up to 1887, when the duties were turned over to the Chief of Engineers; they are constantly examined by attorneys and others interested in lauds in Washington and the person in charge of them is frequently required to produce them in courts; to index them properly, to be able to turn at once to the details of any question raised, requires familiarity with every paper. This work has for the last few years been intrusted to the only draughtsman allowed this office, and during the last six months more than half of his time has been actually employed on this duty. I earnestly recommend that this appropriation be made in order that the draughtsman may be permitted to attend to the necessary and legitimate duties of his office. Third.–For one telegraph lineman, $1,000. Under the head of " tele- . graph connecting the Capitol with Departments” will be found a full description of the telegraph system under charge of this office; it in. cludes about 8 miles of overhead wire and 2.6 miles of underground cable; there are 17 offices connected with these lines, the main battery being at this office; the lineman is constantly engaged in the care of the main and local batteries, and such necessary repairs and extensions as a system of wires of this kind requires; he is industrious, efficient, and capable, and has won the confidence of all with whom he has come in contact by faithful attention to his duties. Fourth.- For overseers, foremen, draughtsmen, gardeners, mechanics, and laborers, $30,000. I have submitted the same estimate as presented last year. The grounds under charge of this office cover an area of 413} acres, divided into 331 reservations scattered over various sections of the city. of these reservations 57 are highly improved, 47 partially improved, and 227, covering an area of about 713 acres, remain entirely unimproved. Each year we improve from three to five of those heretofore untouched, thus adding to the beauty of the city and the welfare of the neighborhoods in which the reservations are situated. These new improvements are distributed throughout different sections of the city, and are only made where private enterprise has improved property in the vicinity. Each improved reservation adds that much to the expense of the care of the public grounds, the mowing of grass, care and construction of paths, care of trees and shrubs, etc. It is earnestly recommended that this appropriation may be made in order that the beauty of these numerous parks, so ornamental to the nation's capital, may be maintained. Fifth.—One day watchman at Lafayette Square, $720; one day watchman at Franklin Square, $720. These men are earnest, faithful, and efficient; they have charge of the two handsomest parks in the city; they are busy every day of the year, and during the season of active operations are on duty from 8 a. m. till 8 p. m. Sixth.—One day watchman for Marion Square, Folger Square, and adjacent reservations, $660. These two reservations are highly improved, the one containing an area of about 1 acre, the other about 2 acres; in addition to these there are several smaller improved reservations in the vicinity; a watchman is very necessary in this locality, the nearest one being at Lincoln Square, a distance of half a mile, where his entire time is required. Serenth.-For improvement of grounds north of the Executive Man. sion, $2,500. It is proposed to remove the old broken asphalt walks now in very bad coudition and to replace them with new materials and to resurface the old roadway leading from the main road to the green. houses; the work will consist of constructing about 900 square yards of paths and resurfacing about 1,000 square yards of roadway. Eighth.-For improvement, care, and maintenance of grounds south of the Executive Mansion, $4,000. These funds will be devoted to completing necessary drainage due to raising Potomac Flats, to continuing the improvement of the northwest section of the reservation, covering an area of about 2 acres, recently occupied as a storage ground in connection with the construction of the War, State, and Navy Build ing, to resurfacing roads and paths and constructing additional walks, and to care of lawns, planting trees and shrubs, etc. Ninth.-For care and improvement of Monument Grounds, $5,000. In view of the work of filling around the monument and of the raising of the Potomac Flats, it will be necessary to continue improvements in the drainage system, the roads, paths, lawns, etc., in this reservation ; the amount requested will be applied to these purposes. |
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