The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-02-17
WILLIAM c. WHITNEY AS A LANDHOLDER
Late Sportsman and Fnancier Was an Extensive owner "
His Park in the Adrondacks Con-
+ans sxtv.Four Lakes Many Beautiful Camps.

tie Upper lake, the finest camps on
the park are on the Forked lakes. The
clubhouse on Little Forked is one or
the most elaborate of It's kind In the
woods The striking beauty of Forked
lake is its growth Of cedar forests. 1t
is five miles long and irregular In
shape, with deep indentattons in its
northern shore, in addition to the pc
culiar parting at one point from which
it gets its name. In addition to the
cedars, there are many tall white pines
/ of the first growth.
Little Forked lake Is far from the
line of travel, and the wild conditions
are seldom disturbed, and one often
sees deer feeding on the shore.
large number of men are employed on
the park throughout the year. The
duties of some of them are to protect
the shooting and fishing from pOach-
ers, and the others are engaged in lum-
bering operations. Telephone wires
stretching for miles through the forest
connect the lodge Of the superintend-
ent with the houses Of the game pro-
tectors scattered among the lakes and
ponds on the preserve and the camps
at Little Forked and Big FOrked lakes.
The lakes and streams TEEN with
fish, and the supply is kept up by
fish hatchery. The preserve is overrun
with deer and Mr.. Whitney sent to 1t
larger game, including moose from
Canada and beaver. The twenty elk
turned loose at Forked lake by the
state a few years ago were well cared
for in the Whitney park. In the Whit
ney forests about 5000 or 5000 acres
are cut over each year and the spruce,
pine and balsam above ten inches in
size three feet from the ground re-
moved. All the hemlock and for about
200 feet from the shore lines Of each
lake the first growth timber is left
standing. The conifers on the tops of
the hills, which, if removed, would
leave an opening for the wind, are
also left.
Mr.. Whitney was the largest proper
ty owner in Massachusetts. He owned
10000 acres of land in Washington,
Lee and LenoX, in the Berkshire hills,
where he had one of the largest game
preserves in the east. Mr.. Whitney's
agents began buying property on Octo-
Der mountain, one of the most slightly
pieces in the Berkshire hills, as far
back as 1895. SO quietly were the pur-
chases made that it was not until buy
ing had been going on for eight months
that it became known that some one
was attempting to acquire vast hold
ings. In 1896 an order was sent to his
LenoX agents for the construction of
a camp on the mountain. 1t was to be
built and furnished in thirty days.
With feverisn excitement contractors
began work. Hundreds of labOrers and
carpenters were employed, and by
working day and night by the aid of
calcium lights at night a large and ex-
pensive camp was completed in con-
tract time. Then came the announce
ment from Newport that Harry Payne
Whitney and his bride, Miss Gertrude
Vanderbilt, were to occupy the camp
on their honeymoon.
The development Of the mountain
into a game preserve followed. From
Jackson's Hole, in Wyoming, car loads
Of elk and blacktail deer were shipped
to LenoX. These We're followed by buff
falo, moose and Angora goats. A quail
and pheasant breeding farm was estab-
lished, and for several seasons in the
fall Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Payne Whit
ney entertained shooting parties on the
mountain.