6 



ZOOLOGICAL PARK COMMISSION. 



thereon, and the said map shall be filed and recorded in the public records of the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia ; and from and after that date the several tracts and parcels of land 

 embraced in such zoological park shall be held as condemned for public uses, subject 

 to the payment of just compensation, to be determined by the said Commission, and 

 approved by the President of the United States, provided that such compensation be 

 accepted by the owner or owners of the several parcels of land." 



" That if the said Commission shall be unable to purchase any portion of the land 

 so selected and condemned within thirty days after such condemnation, by agree- 

 ment with the respective owners, at the price approved by the President of the United 

 States, it shall, at the expiration of such period of thirty days, make application to 

 the supreme court of the District of Columbia, by petition, at a general or special 

 term, for an assessment of the value of such land, and said petition shall contain a 

 particular description of the property selected and condemned, with the name of the 

 owner or owners thereof, and his, her, or their residences, as far as the same may be 

 ascertained, together with a copy of the recorded map of the park ; and the said 

 court is hereby authorized and required, upon such application, without delay, to 

 notify the owners and o: cupants of the land and to ascertain and assess the value of 

 the land so selected and condemned by appointing three commissioners to appraise 

 the value or values thereof, and to return the appraisement to the court ; and when 

 the values of such land are thus ascertained, and the President shall deem the same 

 reasonable, said values shall be paid to the owner or owners, and the United States 

 shall be deemed to have a valid title to said lands." 



In view of the desirability, in selecting said site, of taking into account the value 

 of the various parcels of land which the Commission has the power to include, the 

 Commissioners hereby invite you, as an owner of property in the region indicated, to 

 furnish them not later than May 1, 1889, with a written statement of the lowest price 

 at which you will agree to sell, for the purpose named above, the following-described 

 real estate, which they understand is owned by you, viz : 



There is open for inspection in this office, between the hours of 2 and 4 p. m., a map 

 showing the Rock Creek region, on which are laid down the names of real estate 

 holders, and the bounds and contents of th ir properties, so far as these are known to 

 the Commissioners. 



John W. Noble, 

 Secretary of the Interior, 

 William B. Webb, 

 Pres. Board Com. Dis. Col., 

 S. P. Langley, 

 Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, 



Commis8ioner8 



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