Evening journal., 1897-12-31
A GREAT GAME PARK.
rwenty-sIx Thousand Acres Fences
In for n Preserve.

Blue Mountain Forest park, as the
preserve is called. includes parts of four
townships, and lies near the enterpris-
ing borough of Newport on the Concord
& Claremont branch of the Boston g.
Maine railroad. 1t is said to be the big
gest game park in the world, except one
owned by the duke of Sutherland in
Scotland, and one or two royal de-
mesnes on the continent. or course in
making comparisons one must exclude
those immense public preserves, as big
as provinces, where the British govern
ment of India seeks to save the ele-
phant from extinction, and our own ma
tional parks in the west.
The name of Blue mountain attaches
to the entire spur of hills which bisects
the park, while Croydon designates its
highest shoulder rising to the height of
nearly 1900 feet. The steep and dense-
ly wooded heights of Croydon, curving
like hump, break the sky line in the
shape Of o camers back; near by
slSirting canyon opens a carriage route
across the mountain. In characteris-
ties II belongs rather to the Green
mountain than to the White mountain
range, though it seems disconnected
from both. The verdure ofan immense
forest Of spruce, fir, hemlock, pine,
birch, beech and maple infolds it to the
very crest, with here and there brown
batch of clearing. The greater part of
the Corbin inclosure consists of aban-
doned farms, many of them already be-
ginning to bristle with sapFngs; for
the woods are on the march. Dis
mantled houses with windows and
doors gaping like holes in q skull, ram
shaclSle barns, rotten and weather
stained, the wreck of stone fences thick
set with brambles-these meet the eye
at every turn.
The general outline of the park is
that of an ellipse with respective dia-
meters Of about AZ and IL miles, and
the surface is cut diagonally by back
bone of mountain running northeast.
The lower slopes and the meadow levels
are diversified with brooks and swamp
land, while extensive groves Of second
growth profusely dot the surface. 1t
is in these that the wild swine, the pro-
genitors Of which clashed their tusks
against the boar spears of medieval
kings. and barons, root and propagate
their kind with a fecundity which is a
marvel to the keepers.
One can scarcely grasp the bigness
| of the park by figures. But let the read
cr fancy a demesne considerably more
| than double the size of Boston and all
| its suburbs; 30 times the area of Gen.
trail park. New York; almost ten times
bigger than Fairmount park, Philadel-
/ phia; or II times the acreage Of the
whole park system of Chicago. Roads
many of them thoroughfares of days
gone by, variously intersect the in.
closure. and an excellent carriage track
crosses the park from east to west
through the picturesque notch. Or
the western side the decllvity is more
sloping and open, but has the sam'
agreeable diversity of scene.
A wire fence, partly mesh, partly
barbed, nearly eight feet in height anC
% miles In circuit, confines the four
footed tenants within its steel bar
rier. The same posts which supper
the fence until the trees which havl
been set shall have grown to take thei
place, string a telephone connecting
the nine substations at the differen
gates with the central station, the hom
Of the superintendent, the Corbin villa
md the town of Newport. The keep
ers and other employees of the parl
vary from 25 to 90, according TO tn
season of the year. It need scarcely b
said that the needs Of attendance com
pei a vigilance which never rests. Mere
ly to watch the fence, lest it should hav
parted somewhere by accident or wan
ton malice, requires an inspection twic
week.-G. T. Ferris, in Century.