e 



2 



ZOOLOGICAL PARK COMMISSION. 



On March 9, 1889, the Commission held its first meeting, effected an 

 organization, and immediately thereafter began to inspect the country 

 situated between the two points on Eock Creek that were designated 

 by Congress. At the request of the Commission the Director of the 

 Geological Survey caused to be prepared a preliminary map, based on 

 the charts of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, showing the owner- 

 ship of each separate parcel of real estate in the region available for 

 the location of the park. 



The members of the Commission made repeated personal tours of in- 

 spection to and through the various portions of the Eock Creek region 

 between Massachusetts avenue extended and the military road, a tract 

 of country over 3 miles in length, every portion of that region being 

 visited and studied until the relative merits of the different possible 

 sites for a zoological park were all considered. 



Inasmuch as the act required that the first step toward condemnation 

 proceedings should be the locating of the park, and the filing in the 

 public records of a careful map of the same, "showing the location, 

 quantity, and character of each parcel of private property to be taken," 

 the Commission found itself confronted with the danger of locating a 

 park which might afterward be condemned and appraised at a total val- 

 uation in excess of the amount appropriated. In view of this, of the 

 numerous holders, and of the excessive prices in many cases demanded, 

 it was decided to invite the various owners of lands along Eock Creek, 

 between the two points indicated, to state to the Commission in writing 

 the lowest prices at which they would be willing to sell all, or certain 

 specified portions of their lands, for the purposes of a zoological park. 



Accordingly, on April 15, a circular letter was prepared and sent to 

 each of the various land owners, and a copy of the same is appended 

 herewith, marked Exhibit A. The Commission also caused an adver- 

 tisement to be inserted in various newspapers published in the city 

 of Washington, likewise calling upon the owners of land in the Eock 

 Creek region, between the crossing of Massachusetts avenue extended 

 and the military road, to state their lowest prices for the same. The 

 replies received in answer to this circular letter and advertisement were 

 generally unsatisfactory, in nearly every case the price asked being be- 

 lieved by the Commission to be in excess of the actual market value of 

 the land, and in several instances being many times what seemed td it 

 to be likely to be asked of a private purchaser. 



Finding it impracticable to secure any co operation from the property 

 owners in its efforts to ascertain the value of land before locating the 

 park, the Commission sought in various directions data for reliable in- 

 formation as to these values ; and, among other inquiries, asked the ad- 

 vice of prominent and disinterested citizens of Washington, whom it 

 had reason to suppose possessed special ability in the determination ot 

 the value of real estate, these gentlemen giving much time and pains to 

 enable them to answer the Commission's questions, without compensa- 

 tion or reward. 



When the Commission felt that it had from these various sources 

 acquired a preliminary knowledge of the prices which might reasonably 

 be expected to result from the condemnation, it proceeded to locate the 

 park. After a full consideration of the relative merits of the different 

 available sites, it was decided that the location proposed to Congress 

 during the consideration of the Zoological Park bill was the best to be 

 found, and indeed so well adapted to the purpose in view that, apart 

 from the question of cost, it stood almost without a rivaL 



