Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-11-06
A GREAT GAME PARK.
Twenty-six Thousand New hsmpshir'
Acres Fenced In For Preserve.


Acres Fenced In For Preserve.
Mr.. G. +. Ferris contributes an
article Cal "Wild Animals In New
England Game Park" to The Gen.
fury. Mr.. Ferris says, in describing
the late Austin Corbin's New Hamp-
shire preserve:
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 i'll the world, except
one owned by the Duke of Suther-
land in Scotland and one OF two
royal damesnes OH the continent.
OF 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
tionai 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 its 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 a carriage
route across the mountain. In char
notoriatic- IL .b.lonss rather tu the
Green mountain than to the White
mountain range, though it seems
disconnected from both. The ver-
dure OF an immense forest of spruce,
fir, hemlock, pine, birch, beech and
maple infolds it to the crest, with
hero and there 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.
Dismantlcd houses, with windows
and doors gaping like holes i'll Il
skull; ramshackle barns rotten and
weather STAINED, the wrcck Of stone
fences TIL, set with bralnbl0s--
these meet ,lc eye at every turn.
The general outline of thn park is
that Of an eilipse, with respective
dame .cls Of about AZ and II miles,
and the s"I GO is cut diagonally by
a backLu.., of mountain ranning
northeast. 40 lower slopes and
the meadow levels are diver sitied
vita brooks and swamp land, while
extelrivc groves of second growth
profu:ely dot the surface. 1t is III
these that the Ia swine, the pro
g.M:tors of which clashed theil
tusls against the boar spears OF
medieval kings and barons, root
and propas to their kind with 4
fccundity which is marvel to the
keepers.
Che can scarcely grasp the big
ness Of the lark by figures, but lei
the reader fancy demesne consid
erably H. ore than double tho size OF
Boston ulitl Ill its suburbs; 30 times
the are; .f Central park, New York
almost 10 times bigger than Fair
mount park, Philadelphia, or l.
times the acreage of the whole parl
system Of Chicago. Roads, many
OF them :horoughfures of days gone
by, various]y intorsect the inclo
sure, and III excellent ca,riage tract
crosses ths park from east to wes
through the picturesque notch. Or
the western side tho declivity il
more sloping and open, but has thu
same agreeable diversity of scene.
A wire fence, partly mesh, partly
barbed, nearly feet in height ant
~ miles in circuit, confines the foul
footed tenants within its steel bar
; rier. The same posts which supper
tho 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 tow
of Newport. The keepers and Other
employees of the park vary from 81
to SO, according to the season of thu
year. 1t need scarcely he said tina
the needs of attendance compel (
vigilance which never rests. Merely
to watch the fence, lest it should
have parted somewhere by acciden
or wanton malice, requires an in
snpCfintl tWina a week