The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-04-17


~ be so Time will
demonstrate the
probabilities OF war with the mother
country, but while Time Is getting
ready 10 make her demonstration
United States citizens are wondering
where Uncle Sam keeps his powder
dry.
Uncle sam selected New Jersey az
The state In which TO keep his powder
Try, end Il took a year before a suiia-
bic place could be found.
First Of an. the location must be- one
easy Of ACCESS TO and not FAR remote
from the great center Of trade. New
York city From New York city
means Of reaching any part Of the earth
can be secured, n Il can be- secured
al all, and IN the event Of war the
United States might want 10 send pow
der TO very remote spots to protect her
Interests
That was the reason why the powder
depot must necessarily be located
near New York city Another requisite
vas that the spot must be some dis
lance from any thlckly populated dis
trict for the sake of safety IN case Of
an explosion. And sin another. and q
very important consideration. gas that
The tract % land on watch The powder
depot was 10 be placed must be- Of suf-
hcieni acreage 10 permit OF the growth
u the great storage depot should me-
'ogslty demand Il
Il was in 1879 seventeen years ago
that the experts deputized By Uncle
Sam TO find n suitable location for his
main powder depot hogan their search
Place after place was visited and looked
over but every one lacked some es-
scntlal point Some were too Gar away
from a railway line. others IN too close
proximity 20 towns or villages and not
a few would have been excellent loca-
lions had there been sufficient land
Bot late IN 1850 an iicai spot was
found away mp In the northern portion
20 Morris county. nestled Ia q pictur-
osaue valley. known a. the Berkshire
valley. On the Green Pond range o.
tagged mountains. about Eve miles from
Dover This 70 where Uncle sam keeps
his powder dry.
The place was known as Picaiinny.
an Indian name. which means divided
mountain. and for some years the ac-
ceplel name by the government was
the Fioatinny powder depot. but finally
some one objected TO the homely Indian
name. and now the place "a known %
tlc government as the United States
government powder depot, But the old
Indian name. about which the Indian
romances and the tales Of he old Midcle
Forge arc clustered. Will always stick
90 the place. and the natives Tor years
1 come viii refer to Il as the pioatlnny
powder depot
The old Middle FORGE works were in
operation back az Tar as iiO years ago.
and the remains Of the massive Old
tlmbors and an occasional bit Of heavy
shaiting or a broken cog wheel are still
visible under the great trees that shad-
"a the workmen who at that day forged
the nails with which the houses for
miles around we're built u Is an bis
iorical spot and abouuda On Indian De-
geuds and wild tales OF the early set
Hers In northern New Jersey
The tract Of land comprised 1900
acres when purchased. but 300 acres
were set OF a icw years ago for the use
OF the navy department.
At the head Of the tract to ths
nor,h. Picatlnny lake. into which the
jagged peaks Of picatinny mountains
are mirrored. lies between two mlnia-
lure hills. Il Is a cold spring lake.
and the woods. In many parts consist
Ing OF the heavy hrst-growth timber.
run down the hin slopes to the waters
edge. A great dam keeps back the wa
ter which would otherwise low over
the lower portion OF the valley where
the buildings are located. The water
flows over the dam when the lake rises
TO a ruflciea, height, and lazy, black
botiomed river coils Itself like SER
pent through the eastern part OF the
valley.
The entrance to the government pow
der depot could never be mistaken for
anything than an entrance to govern
ment property Great. massive iron
eaics bar The way. and thcse gates look
nll the more formidable because they
swing from posts which we're impro-
visod from old cannon. But the gates
open easily, oven q child could swing
them. 80 perfect are the bearings.
Once through the gates beautifully
rounded and well-kopt road stretches
out through the valley to the north
for a quarter OF a mile. On each aide
OF the road are double rows OF shade
trees. one Of sugar maple and one Of
elm on either side These trees are
young yet. not having been planted
more than fifteen years. and they do not
give a great deal OF shade. but IN ten
years more the tops OF the trees win
meet above. and the suns rays will
never find their way through the thick
foliage 10 the road beneath. Between
this road. which enters the ives. side
Of the tract. and the Hill that bounds
the eastern side. stretches the fertile
meadow land on which everything nee