architect. This statue or memorial consists of a long marble terrace with an equestrian figure of General Grant in the center and auxiliary groups at the ends representing field artillery, and cavalry. A photograph of the accepted design is herewith.

A site for this memorial has been selected on the axis of the Capitol to the west of First street west.

By act of June 28, 1902, Congress appropriated the sum of $50,000 to enable the commission to commence the erection of the memorial, and authorized the commission to enter into a contract or contracts for the completion of said memorial for a total sum not to exceed $240,000. Under the authority thus conveyed a contract covering the entire work for the erection of the memorial has been prepared and submitted for the signatures of the sculptor and architect. The contract provides that the memorial shall be completed within five years from the date the contract is signed.

STATUE OF GENERAL MCCLELLAN

By sundry civil act approved March 3, 1901, Congress appropriated $50,000 for the preparation of a site and the erection of a pedestal for and the completion of a statue of the late Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan.

Under date of May 3, 1901, the commission in charge issued an invitation to sculptors to submit competitive designs and published the terms governing the competition. In answer to this invitation 19 sculptors submitted 21 models during the month of April, 1902, which were exhibited in the basement of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in May. From the models submitted four were selected by the commission for further competition, and the artists of those four were requested to submit an enlarged model of their design.

This they did, but as none were satisfactory to the monument commission, or the advisory commission, all were rejected. The action of the monument commission, consisting of Hon. Elihu Root, Secretary of War; Hon. George Peabody Wetmore, United States Senate, and Gen. George D. Ruggles, is shown in the following resolution:

JUNE 17, 1903.

Resolved, That inasmuch as it appears by the final letter of advice from the advisory committee, consisting of Messrs. Saint Gaudens, French, and McKim, that no model submitted upon the competition is satisfactory, the commission exercises the right reserved in the programme of competition and rejects all the designs and models submitted.

The commission will now attempt to get a satisfactory model and statue from a distinguished artist without competition.

STATUE OF GEN. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN.

This statue is being made by Mr. J. Q. A. Ward under a contract made several years ago.

At its meeting June 17, 1903, the monument commission having it in charge decided that the statue should be located in Sheridan circle at Massachusetts avenue and Twenty-third street, between Q and R streets NW.

STATUE OF ROCHAMBEAU.

As stated in the annual report of this office for the fiscal year 1902, this statue was completed and unveiled in May, 1902, and work commenced restoring the ground around the base of the pedestal. In

July, 1902, this latter work was completed by grading and sodding the ground, constructing gravel and asphalt walks and finishing out the park coping. The following inscription was cut in September, 1902, on the north side of the pedestal:

**By the Congress **

May XXIV, MDCCCCII.

MONUMENT TO GEN. HUGH MERCER.

By act approved June 28, 1902 (Statutes, Vol, 32, part 1, p. 491), Congress appropriated the sum of $25,000 for the erection of a monument at Fredericksburg, Va., to the memory of Gen. Hugh Mercer, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War, the city of Fredericksburg to furnish the site. By indorsement of July 26, 1902, the work of erecting the monument was assigned by the War Department to this office. On November 1, 1902, the officer in charge, Colonel Bingham, submitted a report of a visit made by him to Fredericksburg, and of an inspection of the several sites proposed for the monument. On February 10, 1903, the Secretary of War issued an order relative to the acquisition of a site, the submission of designs for the monument, and the approval of the same by him, the said order. to be carried into execution by the officer in charge of public buildings and grounds. On April 8, 1903, the Secretary of War addressed a communication to Mr. Edward V. Valentine, a sculptor of Richmond, Va., inviting him, in accordance with a recommendation of the city council of Fredericksburg, to submit, on or before October 1, 1903, in this city, designs for a bronze statue of General Mercer, not equestrian, together with plans for a granite pedestal and accessories, and on April 10, 1903, Mr. Valentine accepted the terms of the

invitation.

LINCOLN.

To one having charge of most of the existing monuments in Washington and having official connections with those which have been provided for but not yet built, it is constantly brought home that there is a striking omission in the lists. To Washington has been erected the grandest monument of the world, while to the man who stands only second to him in the love and esteem of the American people no suitable memorial at the nation's capital has been built or provided for. It is understood that the real reason for this apparent neglect is the difficulty of deciding upon the form and location that this memorial should take.

It is respectfully suggested that this matter receive early, vigorous, and continuous attention; that everybody be invited to contribute ideas on the subject, and that as soon as possible a design and location be decided upon for a national memorial to Abraham Lincoln.

SETTEES, TOOLS, MANURE, CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR OF POST-ANDCHAIN FENCES, AND REMOVING SNOW AND ICE.

During the year 285 park settees were repaired and 316 painted. All settees in the parks were examined, and those found loose were refastened to the ground with stakes and wire.

Repairs were made to lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, and miscellaneous tools; edge tools sharpenened and kept in good order, and new tools purchased from time to time as required.

About 1,200 cubic yards of compost was made by mixing stable manure with good soil, and, together with about 143 cubic yards of clear manure, were spread upon park lawns.

The raising of the grade of B street NW. north of the compost grounds on B street between Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets by the District government resulted in the surface water from the streets being discharged into these grounds. To prevent flooding, the grade of the grounds has been raised fully 15 inches with earth and coal ashes received free of expense. The fence inclosing the grounds was repaired and a new gate put up.

Repairs were made to iron post-and-chain fences, posts out of line were straightened, and chain tightened. Iron post-and-chain fences. were erected around eleven of the small triangular reservations hitherto uninclosed, requiring 278 posts and 2,181 feet of chain. Chain was also run through the posts which had been set in position around nine other reservations during the previous fiscal year, requiring over 2,500 feet of chain. At 5 reservations where the area was enlarged by the narrowing of the sidewalks by the District government, it was necessary to add to the length of the fences, and this was done by erecting 28 additional posts and placing 259 feet of chain.

The snow and ice were removed as soon as possible after storms from the walks around and through the various parks and park places. The snowfall of last winter was not heavy and the sum allotted for removing it was sufficient for the purpose.

PAINTING WATCHMEN'S LODGES, IRON FENCES, VASES, LAMPS, AND LAMPPOSTS.

Part of the iron fence around the White House grounds, three of the watchmen's lodges, the iron post-and-chain fences inclosing Du Pont Circle, Farragut Square, Stanton Park, and 69 of the small triangular reservations, consisting of 3,488 posts and 27,190 feet of chain and the iron post-and-bar fences around four other reservations, consisting of 208 posts and 1,664 feet of bars, the iron-railing fence around reservation No. 179, the iron railing around the statue of General Jackson in Lafayette Park, 170 lamp-posts, 144 lamps, and 7 plant vases were painted.

WATER PIPES AND FOUNTAINS.

Repairs have been made to water pipes and valves from time to time where necessary, new valves put on, and new iron extension boxes placed over valves to replace old boxes. In the autumn the water was shut off from the various parks, the hose valves removed, stored in the shops at the nursery, and repaired and repacked during the winter. In the spring the valves were replaced in the parks. During the year water pipe was introduced into 6 reservations hitherto unprovided with irrgiating facilities, and additional water pipe was laid in the Executive Mansion grounds, Lafayette Park, and the Smithsonian Grounds, requiring the laying of 222 feet of 1-inch lead pipe, 664 feet of 14-inch galvanized-iron pipe and 1,010 feet of 2-inch water pipe with necessary hose valves, and shut-off valves with iron boxes over them. There was also laid 167 feet of 14-inch water pipe for supplying fountains and 136 feet of terra-cotta pipe and 769 feet of 4-inch cast-iron pipe to drain them, and 32 feet of 4-inch cast-iron pipe and 688 feet of 6-inch

cast-iron pipe laid and 7 brick drain traps built for draining park walks. The total length of pipe laid for all purposes during the year was 3,658 feet.

The valve on the Capitol spring pipe line, located just south of the Potomac reservoir near the Howard University, was found to have been buried about 4 feet by the filling up of the ground. The brick manhole around the valve was therefore built up 6 feet higher, which brought it 2 feet above the present level of the ground. Repairs were made to two of the other valves on the line. At the request of this office an analysis of a sample of water from the Capitol spring was made in the office of the Surgeon-General of the Army and the result furnished the Superintendent of the Capitol.

There are 24 fountains with basins in charge of this office. Two additional ornamental iron fountains were erected during the year, and one of the old brick-and-cement fountain basins was replaced with a new ornamental iron fountain. Repairs were made to the cement basins of these fountains wherever needed, and they were cleaned out, stone copings repointed, stains removed from them, and the supply and waste pipes and valves maintained in order. The jets which, with a few exceptions, are of very simple character, were removed from the fountains in the autumn, the water turned off, jets requiring it repaired, and all replaced in the spring. Two of the large iron fountains were repainted.

There are 24 drinking fountains in the various parks and they have been maintained in good order and repairs made when necessary. At the approach of winter the water was shut off and the dippers removed. In the spring the dippers were replaced and the water turned on. Eighteen of the fountains were repainted.

The following parks are lighted with arc electric lights:

The number of gas lamps in the public grounds not connected with meters lighted nightly during the year was 234 from July, 1902, to January, 1903, and 233 from February to June, 1903.

In addition to the gas lamps mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, there are 71 burners in the Executive Mansion grounds connected with the meters in the Mansion.

All of the gas lamps in the public grounds have been maintained in good condition, minor repairs made, and old lanterns replaced with new boulevard lamps as the old ones became unserviceable.

It is earnestly hoped that the system of lighting the public grounds by electricity will be extended to the Smithsonian grounds and to the various improved parks throughout the city.

CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR OF ASPHALT PAVEMENTS.

The following tabulated statement shows the area of asphalt roadway and foot-walk pavements constructed and repaired during the year:

In addition to the foregoing there were constructed 339 square yards of asphalt floor and 37 square yards of granolithic floor at the stable of the Executive Mansion.

DEPARTMENTAL TELEGRAPH LINE.

The telegraph lines now under control of this office are as follows: The line of overhead wires consists of 82 poles, covering a distance of about 3 miles, with a length of about 16 miles of wire. This line starts from the Lemon Building, where the main battery is located, and runs to the State, War and Navy Department building, thence to the Executive Mansion, thence to the Treasury Department, thence to G street, thence to Eighth street, thence to H street, thence to North Capitol street, and thence to the Capitol. Connected with it is one running from the Treasury Department along Fifteenth street to Ohio avenue, thence to Fourteenth and B streets NW. to the Agricultural Department, one down Fifth street to the Pension building, and one from the Treasury Department building, up Fifteenth street to I street, to Fifteen and-a-half street, to K street, near Vermont avenue, connecting with the building temporarily occupied by the offices of the Department of Justice. There is also a short line running on the poles of the Western Union Telegraph Company from Fourteenth and G streets NW. down Fourteenth street to the building occupied by the Department of Commerce and Labor on the east side of Fourteenth street between Pennsylvania avenue and F street. This connection was made in May, 1903. There are about 500 feet of 13conductor Patterson cable running from the cable pole in the Capitol grounds into the basement of the Senate and 250 feet of 20-conductor cable running from the cable pole on the corner of Seventeenth and G streets into the State, War and Navy building.

During the year the main and local batteries received necessary attention, and were maintained in good working order. All crosses and