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you that the Board of Park Commissioners cannot approve of plans 
until they are submitted in a complete form, together with specifica- 
tions. 
We believe that Mr. R. W. Gibson is in every way qualified to 
do the work, and also that Messrs. Lord & Burnham are among the 
leading contractors in their line, and while we look favorably upon 
your selection, we cannot approve of their appointment nor of the 
plans, until the same are completed and the locations of the various 
buildings given. 
Yours truly, 
S. V. R. Crucer, 
President. 
This letter was submitted to Mr. R. W. Gibson and to the 
Lord & Burnham Company, together with the action taken 
by the Board of Managers, and they were requested to com- 
plete the plans and specifications, as required by the Commis- 
sioners of Public Parks. 
The plans and specifications, since prepared by Mr. Gib- 
son, are submitted complete to the Board at this meeting ; 
those prepared by the Lord & Burnham Company are also 
submitted very nearly in complete form, only a few days 
more of office work being required to perfect them. 
The detailed study which has been needed to bring the 
plans to their present condition has required much time, but 
it is believed that the plans are now satisfactory in all respects, 
and that the buildings constructed from them will admirably 
serve the purposes for which they are designed. 
The general plan of the grounds, showing the positions 
selected for all the principal departments of the Garden, the 
roads and paths, together with grade sheets, showing the sys- 
tem of drainage, water supply and sewerage, were finally 
prepared by the Commission of Experts appointed on June 
17, 1896, in codperation with the Committee on Plans; it 
was submitted to the Board of Managers with the approval of 
the Committee on Plans on November 30, 1896, and was 
unanimously adopted by the Board on December 12, subject 
to such changes as may hereafter be found necessary. 
