26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the limited amount no change in the character of the development has 

 seemed advisable. It may accordingly be said that the principal aim 

 of the past year has been to keep the animals on hand in proper healthy 

 condition and to improve the general appearance of the park as much 

 as practicable with the limited funds available. 



The general agitation of the question of a proper system of streets 

 and roadways in the District of Columbia which has occurred during 

 the last year, owing to the passage of an act authorizing the District 

 Commissioners to establish such a system, has had its effect upon the 

 park in an indirect manner, as it has led to a fuller consideration of 

 the means of access to the park and its probable development in the 

 future. 



In the District act of August 7, 1894, the following appropriation was 

 made: 



For opening entrance into Zoological Park, from Woodley Lane road, 

 and opening driveway into Zoological Park, from said entrance along 

 the west bank of Bock Creek, two thousand five hundred dollars, to be 

 paid wholly from the revenues of the District of Columbia. 



As this appropriation was associated with others relating solely to 

 District affairs and was payable wholly from District revenues, it 

 seemed proper that the disbursement of the funds should be made by 

 the District Commissioners, who commenced the construction of the 

 roads described in the act. 



With the desire that the road might finally come under the control 

 of the park, Mr. H. P. Waggaman, a property owner in that vicinity 

 presented to the park a strip of land, as shown in the plat herewith 

 submitted. (See W.) This addition amounted to 1.217 acres, increas- 

 ing the total area of the park to 168.70 acres. 



The appropriation was wholly insufficient to complete the roadway, 

 and an additional amount was appropriated for the prosecution of this 

 work by the sundry civil act of March 2, 1895, in the following terms : 



For continuing the entrance into the Zoological Park from Woodley 

 Lane, and opening driveway into Zoological Park, from said entrance 

 along the west bank of Bock Creek, five thousand dollars, to be imme- 

 diately available, which sum is hereby appropriated out of any money 

 in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, one-half chargeable to the 

 revenues of the District of Columbia. 



In accordance with the terms of this appropriation the work on this 

 road was continued, and there is at present a heavy fill completed from 

 the Woodley road down into the park. With the very steep grade at 

 this point it has not been possible to do more than to rough out this 

 road, and it is hardly practicable for carriages. In order to complete 

 it a still greater fill should be made, the road should be macadamized, 

 and a sidewalk constructed. It will then be necessary to construct a 

 bridge across the creek at the point marked A, as the steep cliff on the 

 right side of the creek where the road now ends makes it impracticable 



