ZOOLOGICAL PARK COMMISSION. 



3 



Greatly to the satisfaction of the Commission, it was finally able to 

 acquire a site in the region indicated to Congress by the maps and 

 models submitted at the time of the final debate*, at a cost within the 

 estimates submitted to Congress by the Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, it being in fact able to purchase here at prices lower than 

 were demanded in situations more remote from the city. In accordance 

 with its best judgment, the Commission, finding itself thus able to secure 

 more land than it had originally contemplated the possibility of doing, 

 included in the area of the site about 167 acres, commencing at a point 

 within less than 2 miles of the Executive Mansion. 



On May 17, 1889, the general location and area was determined upon, 

 and immediately thereafter the Director of the Geological Survey was 

 requested to survey the same, and prepare a map in accordance with 

 the requirements of the act for the establishment of the park. 



Although many expressed the opinion that it would be found impos- 

 sible for the Government to acquire any of the land by agreement at 

 prices which would be given by a private purchaser, the Commission is 

 able to report that of the. entire 166.48 acres included in the park, it 

 has finally succeeded in securing 131.14 acres by agreement with the 

 several owners thereof, at prices satisfactory to all concerned. The 

 Commission desires to place on record the fact that in its negotiations 

 for the purchase of this land for the United States Government it was 

 finally met by land-holders who owned nearly four- fifths of the park site 

 in a spirit of fairness, and even liberality in some cases, which is cer- 

 tainly unusual in such transactions when the Government is the pur- 

 chaser. The names of these holders will appear elsewhere in this re- 

 port, in the schedule of property and property owners. 



Of the remaining 35.34 acres in the park site, 34.49 acres will have to 

 be acquired through condemnation proceedings, which are now in prog- 

 ress, and the balance of .84 of an acre is already the property of the 

 Government. The Commission has to acknowledge the tender to them 

 as a gift of 5.10 acres of land from the Woodley Park Syndicate, rep- 

 resented by Mr. H. P. Waggaman, which was legally acquired for the 

 nominal consideration of $1. 



On November 21 the survey of the park was completed, and a care- 

 ful and accurate map thereof was furnished by the Director of the Geo- 

 logical Survey and filed by the Commission in the public records of the 

 District of Columbia, as required by law ; and your Commission believes 

 itself justified in the statement that the site is commodious, accessible, 

 and adapted by nature to the special ends it is intended to serve, in a 

 degree beyond any belonging to any other city. 



On November 22 the Commission submitted to the President, with a 

 copy of the map of the park showing the tracts condemned for public 

 uses, a schedule of what it considered to be just compensation in each 

 case, and this compensation the President approved on November 26. 

 The Commission is now proceeding to settle as rapidly as it can with 

 the owners whose lands are to be acquired by mutual agreement. 



In the following schedule the land to be acquired by agreement is 

 shown distinct from that where the owners have refused the Commis- 



(* Congressional Record, March 1,1889, p. 2663.) Mr. Dibble. * * * In the 

 first place, Mr. Speaker, the project as set. forth in the bill is for the purchase of not less 

 than 100 acres of land, as members will see from the design and plan in front of the Re- 

 porter's desk. I am speaking to the Zoological Park bill, a bill reported by the Com- 

 mittee onPublic Buildings and Grounds, iu accordance with the design and plan now 

 in front of the Reporter's desk. 



