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Buildings. 
The contract of the Department of Parks with the John 
H. Parker Co., for the erection of the Museum Building, 
Power House, Stable and Closet group, is being rigidly car- 
ried out by Commissioner Moebus. A minor correction, 
relative to the size of the front brick, was found to be neces- 
sary, and a change has been made in the positions of some 
of the drain-pipes within the Museum ; both of these modifica- 
tions have received the approval of Mr. Gibson, architect. 
The work has been under the constant supervision of Mr. 
Brooks, an inspector of the Park Department, and has been 
repeatedly looked over by Mr. Daniel Ulrich, the Commis- 
sioner’s Chief Engineer; in the progress of this work, and 
of other operations, Commissioner Moebus and Mr. Ulrich 
have made many valuable suggestions, and for these, as well 
as for their uniform courtesy, I desire to express my sincere 
gratitude. 
Museum. Stakes marking the corners of the excavations 
for the Museum were set for the John H. Parker Co., con- 
tractors, on January 6th, and a construction shed for the ex- 
cavators was built on January 21st. On January 22d, sub- 
contractor Geo. Hudson began removing the top soil from the 
site, piling it, under our direction, at a point just to the east. 
The excavations were continued through the late winter and 
early spring, and the concrete footings for the walls and pil- 
lars were begun on May 24th. The first bricks were laid in 
the walls on May 31st. The construction work was then 
actively continued, the first iron pillars being set early in 
July. The building is now completely enclosed, except a 
portion of the dome, as shown by the accompanying photo- 
graph, and interior work is going on rapidly. It will prob- 
ably be ready for occupancy by mid-summer. 
Power House. The points marking the corners for the 
Power House excavation were staked on January 19th, and 
the work of excavation proceeded parallel with that for the 
Museum. The concrete footings for the walls were begun 
here on June 17th and were followed immediately by the 
