Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-28
A GREAT GAME PARK.
Twenty-six Thousand New Hampshire
Acres Fenced In For a Preserve.

Twenty-six Thousand New Hampshire
Acres Fenced In For Preserve.
Mr.. G. T. Ferris contributes an
article on "Wild Animals In New
England Game Park" to The Cen
fury. Mr.. Ferris says, in describing
the late Austin Corbin S New Hamp-
shire preserves:
Blue Mountain Forest park, as
the preserve is called, includes parts
of four townships and lies near the
enterprising borough of Newport,
on the Concord and Claremont
branch of the Boston and Maine
railroad. 1t is said to be the big
gest game park in the world, except
one owned by the Duke of Suther-
land in Scotland and one or two
royal demesnes ON the continent.
Or course, in making comparisons,
one must exclude those immense
public preserves, as big as provinces,
where the British government Of
India seeks to save the elephant
from extinction, and our own ma
tional parks in the west.
The name of Blue mountain at
taches to the entire spur of hills
which bisects the park, while Croy-
don designates it's highest shoulder,
rising to the height of nearly 5000
feet. The steep and densely wooded
heights of Croydon, curving like a
hump, break the sky line in the
shape of a camel's back. Near by
a skirting canyon opens carriage
route across the mountain. In char
aoteristics it belongs rather to the
Green mountain than to the White
mountain range, though it seems
disconnected from both. The YER
dure Of an immense forest of spruce,
fir, hemlock, pine, birch, beech and
maple infolds it to the crest, with
here and there a brown patch of
clearing. The greater part of the
Corbin Enclosure consists of aban-
doned farms, many of them already
beginning to bristle with saplings,
for the woods are on the march.
Dismantled houses, with windows
and doors gaping like holes in a
skull; ramshackle barns rotten and
weather stained, the wreck of stone
fences thickset with brambles-
these meet the eye at every turn.
The general outline of the park is
that of an ellipse, with respective
diameters of about AZ and II miles,
and the surface is cut diagonally by
a backbone 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 big
ness of tho park by figures, but let
the II va demesne consid-
lie the size of
RIBS; 80 times
i Tue area OF Central park, New York
almost 10 times bigger than Fair
mount park, Philadelphia, or Ia
times the acreage of the whole park
system of Chicago. Roads, many
of them thoroughfares of days gone
by, variously intersect the inclo-
sure, and an excellent carriage track
crosses the park from east to west
through the picturesque notch. On
the western side the declivity is
more sloping and open, but has the
same agreeable diversity Of scene.
A wire fence, partly mesh, partly
barbed, nearly feet in height and
~ miles in circuit, confines the four
footed tenants within it's steel bar
rier. The same posts which support
| the fence until the trees which have
been set shall have grown to take
their place string telephone con-
Meeting the nine substations at the
different gates with the central sta
ton, the home Of the superintend-
ent, the Corbin villa and the town
of Newport. The keepers and other
employees of the park vary from rs
to SO, according to the season of the
year. 1t need scarcely be said that
the needs Of attendance compel a
vigilance which never rests. Merely
to watch the fence, lest it should
have parted somewhere by accident
or wanton malice, requires an in
speotion twice a week.
Appetite For Breakfast.
There are many who desire q good