Columbia issued final judgment confirming the awards made by the commissioners in the case. The accounts for the purchase of the land have been settled by this office as fast as they were presented by the owners, and at the date of this report only 3 out of a total of 14 accounts remained unpaid. The work of constructing the portion of the roadway between Virginia avenue and Twenty-first street already owned by the United States was commenced about the middle of August and completed by November. The roadbed was excavated, graded, and macadamized, brick gutters were laid, cement curb built, concrete catch basins constructed, and drainpipe and water pipe laid. The following shows the work done: The work of building an embankment for the roadway through the low ground between Twenty-third street and the river, which was commenced in May, 1908, was continued up to September 1. The filling for this embankment was received without expense to the United States; from July 1 to August 31 11,900 cubic yards of material being obtained in this way. In April, 1909, work was commenced for rough grading this embankment and by June 30, 5,330 square yards of surface had been graded. There are submitted with this report, to illustrate the improvement of Potomac Park, a plan of the park showing north B'street extended and the inlet bridge, and one photograph showing the inlet bridge. This bridge, which will also contain tidal gates and a lock, is being built by the Engineer Department across the inlet to the tidal basin. It is expected that it will be open to traffic early in August. TREES, SHRUBS, PLANTS, FERTILIZERS, AND SKILLED LABOR FOR THE GROUNDS OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. The grounds received a good coating of thoroughly decayed stable manure during the winter months. This was raked off in the early spring and the grounds left in good condition. The shrubs that had been killed during the winter were removed and replaced from the Potomac Park nurseries with stock specially purchased. Trenches were dug in the Potomac Park nurseries for planting the evergreens that were purchased during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908. These were used in the remodelling of the eight evergreen beds at the Library during the past autumn. There were purchased during the fiscal year 500 evergreens, 150 cubic yards of well-rotted stable manure, and 200 square yards of good clover sod, which was used in the improvement of the grounds. Nine hundred and eleven evergreens were used in the plantings. TREES, SHRUBS, PLANTS, FERTILIZERS, AND SKILLED LABOR FOR THE GROUNDS OF THE CAPITOL. The 58 flower beds and vases on the terraces of the Capitol were maintained in good condition during the year. In October, 1908, the summer flowering and tropical plants were removed to their winter quarters at the propagating gardens. The soil in these beds and vases was renewed and filled with dwarf evergreens and spring flowering bulbs. Early in May of the present year such of these shrubs as had not been winterkilled were removed and planted in the Potomac Park nursery for future use. The flower beds and vases were dug and again filled with tropical and summer flowering plants, and the fountains on the east and west sides of the Capitol were filled with aquatic plants. There were purchased during the fiscal year for the Capitol grounds 944 evergreens, 121 palms and flowering plants, 8,800 spring flowering bulbs, 20 cubic yards of stable manure for covering bulbs, and 20 square yards of clover sod for bedding margins. There were planted in flower beds and vases 14,500 miscellaneous flowering and foliage plants for summer decoration, and 1,500 dwarf evergreens and vines for winter decoration, as well as 8,800 bulbs for spring bloom. BAND CONCERTS. The concerts in the city parks by the Engineer Band from Washington Barracks and the Cavalry Band from Fort Myer, which, with the approval of the Secretary of War, were inaugurated in 1904, were given again in the summer of 1908 and resumed in June, 1909. The concerts were given on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, in the following-named parks: Judiciary Park.-July 9, 14, 30, August 13, 20, 27, September 3, 10, 17, 22, 29, 1908; June 8, 15, 22, 28, 1909. Smithsonian Grounds.-July 10, 16, 31, August 10, 25, September 1, 14, 25, 1908; June 7, 21, 1909. Franklin Park. July 6, 21, August 3, 17, September 4, 15, 1908; June 14, 25, 1909. Iowa Circle.-July 13, 23, 28, August 14, 28, September 7, 1908; June 17, 1909. Dupont Circle.-July 17, August 21, September 21, 1908; June 24, 1909. Washington Circle.-July 27, August 11, September 8, 28, 1908; June 4, 18, 1909. Garfield Park.-July 7, 20, August 4, 24, September 18, 1908; June 10, 29, 1909. Lincoln Park.-July 2, 24, August 6, 18, 31, September 24, 1908; June 3, 11, 1909. Reservation 314 (Logan Park), Anacostia, D. C. (Pierce street, between Washington and Jackson streets).-July 3, August 7, September 11, 1908; June 1, 1909. To accommodate the bands a portable bandstand and camp stools were provided, which were hauled to the park the day of the concert and removed the day following. Lamps were provided at the night concerts for the musicians. Ice water was also provided for them. In addition to the concerts mentioned above, the usual Wednesday afternoon concerts in the Capitol grounds and the Saturday afternoon concerts in the grounds south of the White House were given by the Marine Band, from July 1 to September 30, 1908, and in June, 1909. Concerts were also given at the new band stand in Potomac Park by the Marine Band on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from April 17 to May 29, 1909, and by the Marine Band on Tuesday afternoons and the Engineer Band and Cavalry Band on alternate Saturday afternoons in June, 1909. RESERVATIONS OCCUPIED FOR INAUGURAL PURPOSES. Under authority given by Public Resolution No. 38, approved January 27, 1909, the Secretary of War granted permission in February to the Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to erect viewing stands on the sidewalk in front of the Executive Mansion, on the south side of Lafayette Park, and on reservations 34 and 35 at Pennsylvania avenue and Ninth street NW.; to erect a temporary kitchen. on the north side of the Pension Office building in Judiciary Park, and wooden approaches to the four entrances to that building in connection with the inaugural ball; and to give a display of fireworks on the Ellipse in the President's Park. All of the various structures were removed by the committee after the inauguration and the grounds cleared at their expense. No permanent damage was done to the grounds so occupied, and the entire cost of restoring them to good condition was only $67.55. STATUES. There are now 29 statues in the public grounds under the charge of this office, 1 in course of construction (that of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant), and 7 in contemplation-those of Pulaski, von Steuben, Jefferson, Barry, Columbus, John Paul Jones, and Kosciuszko. The four following statues were completed during the fiscal year, as described in detail in a subsequent part of this report: Statue of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. Erected in circle at Massachusetts avenue, Twenty-third and R streets NW.; cost $50,000. Sculptor, Gutzon Borglum; unveiled November 25, 1908. Statue of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Erected in reservation at Connecticut avenue, Eighteenth and M streets NW. Pedestal provided by the United States at a cost of $4,000. Statue presented by the Longfellow Memorial Association. Sculptor, William Couper. Unveiled May 7, 1909. Statue of John Witherspoon. Erected in reservation at Connecticut avenue, Eighteenth and N streets NW. Pedestal provided by the United States at a cost of $4,000. Statue presented by the Witherspoon Memorial Association. Sculptor, William Couper. Unveiled May 20, 1909. Stephenson Grand Army Memorial. Erected in circle at Louisiana avenue, Seventh and C streets NW. Pedestal provided by the United States at a cost of $10,000. Memorial presented by the Stephenson Grand Army Memorial Association. Sculptor, J. Massey Rhind. Unveiled July 3, 1909. Attention has been given to all the completed statues during the year, and the pedestals and bronze figures have been maintained in a cleanly condition as far as possible. The status of the statues completed during the year, now under contract, or in contemplation, and the work accomplished during the year are as follows: STATUE OF GEN. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN. The sundry civil act, approved March 2, 1889, appropriated $40,000 for the preparation of a site and the erection of a pedestal for a statue of General Sheridan, the site to be selected and the pedestal erected under the supervision of a commission composed of the Secretary of War, the chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, and the chairman of the Sheridan Statue Committee of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland. An additional appropriation of $10,000 was made in the sundry civil act, approved March 3, 1891, for completing the statue and pedestal, and $10,000 was appropriated in the sundry civil act, approved May 27, 1908, for unveiling the statue and improving the site." On April 23, 1892, the Society of the Army of the Cumberland entered into a contract with J. Q. A. Ward, a sculptor of New York, for designing, modeling, and delivering in the city of Washington, on or before July 1, 1898, an equestrian statue of General Sheridan. Mr. Ward worked for a number of years upon a model of the statue, but for various reasons did not complete it for submission to the commission until the winter of 1905. Finally, at a meeting held December 24, 1906, the commission rejected his model. On June 17, 1903, the commission selected as a site for the statue the public reservation known as Sheridan Circle, at the intersection of Massachusetts avenue, Twenty-third and R streets NW. On May 4, 1907, the officer in charge of public buildings and grounds was instructed by the commission to secure an artist to provide a statue, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. In July, 1907, Mr. Gutzon Borglum, a sculptor of New York, was selected, and on July 26, 1907, the commission entered into a contract with him to produce and erect the statue with pedestal, the entire work to be completed within two and one-half years. On January 8, 1908, the sculptor submitted a small plaster model of the statue and pedestal which was approved by the commission. The full-sized clay model was completed in June, 1908, approved by the commission, cast in plaster, and sent to the foundry to be cast in bronze. The work done during the fiscal year was as follows: Excavation for the foundation was commenced August 3 and the pedestal and statue had been erected by November 21. One of the platform stones was chipped when set, but in order not to delay the dedicatory exercises, it was temporarily placed in position and replaced by a perfect stone in January, 1909. The statue was unveiled with impressive ceremonies on November 25. For these ceremonies three viewing stands were erected and the other necessary preparations, such as issuing invitations, tickets for seats, etc., were made by this office. The stands were taken down after the ceremonies. In May the inscription was placed on the pedestal, and four bronze lions' heads were placed in position by the sculptor, completing the monument. In June a cement coping was constructed around the circle, the ground regraded, soiled and sodded, 4 gravel walks were constructed leading in to the statue from the street sidewalks, and the water service extended, all by this office. Two photographs, one showing the statue and the other the unveiling, accompany this report. MEMORIAL TO GEN. ULYSSES S. GRANT. The act of Congress approved February 23, 1901, created a commission composed of the President of the Society of the Army of the |