The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-30
NUN WHOOP FOR WYNDYGOUL
RED WEN SAVE THOMPSON SETON
NATURE ACADEWH.
eos CObs and Other Connecticut Tribes
Turn Out for Big POwwOw Against New
Haven Roads Threat 10 DespOII Their
10 Acre Nature study reservation.

pV fhVEC NAtuEC SNNuy ncsVENANlOus
Greenwich, Conn, Dec. 2g-Science,
=. represented in the person of Ernest
Thompson Seton the Seton Tho mpson)
Won a notable victory here this afternoon
when the citizens of this place, in town
meeting assembled, voted TO petition the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Rail-
road 10 abandon its tear c ompelling plan
for running the new Danbury and Green
vloh branch through Thomson Seton's
farm and prayed the corporation to run,
instead, through property belonging to
Mis-. A. A. Anderson, Mr.. Thompson's
naighbor. This il the resolution finally
adopted by the meeting after some warm
debate.
RESOLVED, That the operation OF the
Danbury branch as contemplated by the
New York, New Haven and Hartford will
bp "A great advantage to the interests of
tnis town, both commercially and as tend
ing to develop and enlarge the residential
1%"ction; and be 1t
"ResOlced, That the original layout, ex-
tending in a straight line northward from
the white bridge through the land of Eliza
beth VI. Anderson and others will be the
least Objectionable, on account of a smaller
number of bridges required and because
less destruction Of private property will
le effected; and we hereby protest against
tho last proposed layout Of said branch
through the land of Ernest Thompson
Seton"
But this bare and formal statement does
not begin to tell the story Of the natural
i-t's fight against great odds Of wealth and
influence, a fight for what the author says
n prominent educator who came from Bos-
Ton described as the most important idea
launched in America since 1874 1t all has
20 do with those very interesting people
Indians.
Once upon a time that is the onliest
way to begin any story hat has to do with
lndiansl it seemed that a very good but
hadly misguided mar who lived in New
York used to make an annual practice OF
gathering together a few hundred poor
boys from the tenement districts east of
the Bowery.
Mr.. Thompson Seton told THE Sun man
arol { IL yesterday.
These boys the we'll meaning philan-
,hropist used to take up the Hudson River
~ the Catskills and turn 'em loose upon
the countryside with the injunction that
they should then proceed to enjoy nature.
But these unfortunate young persons had
never read any works upon natural history,
and Of course it was foolish to expect them
10 know how to enjoy nature. AS might
have been foreseen, like the man IN The
Bowery," they didn't have a good time
at all.
The scenery didn't appeal to them in
the least. 1t wasn't a bit like Chatham
square, They didn't know what to do
with it, not having been instructed by any
illustrated editions. The miserable CON
sequence was that when the phllanthroplst
went to look for them he found most OF
them smoking cigarettes and shooting
craps behind the barn.
You see" said the author Of How to Tell
the Wild Flowers from the Birds as he
concluded this melancholy narrative, 1T
was nonsense To expect these urchlns to
know what 70 do with themselves IN the
country. You might just as we'll scoop up
a seine full of catfish, throw them on land
and tell them to go and have a good time.
Well, and here we are getting back 70
Greenwich. Mr.. Thompson Seton observed
in this unrestricted condition of the youth
Of the land a long felt want. He went TO
work to fill il. He bought sixty acres OF
land in the outskirts of this Connecticut
town, called it Wyndygoul, organized the
Woodcraft indian and made his home the
reservation of the tribe.
The organization OF the Woodcraft
Indians" said Mr.. Thompson Seton, begun
Elk wears ago to spread the principles OF out
door life, has reached all parts OF North
America and numbers about 1000 camps,
VARYING from fifteen to four hundred MEM
bers each, and now including all ages ana
sexes. although begun for boys. This
woodcraft movement | feel TO be my life
Whatever may be the range Of the move
ment, Wyndygoul is its vortex. Here the
bows of Greenwich and Cos Cob have been
llred in summer by the author of Diary OF
the Anopheles Culex.' Here they camp
out and learn to enjoy nature under the
naturalist's personal SUPERVISOR. he taxes
a personal interest in each one OF ms charges
tells them the most wonderful stories OF
animal life and guides the growth OF the
Youthful mind until it is able to tell why
geese walk Indian file and how humming
birds get their curious names.
Such refnements of wOOdcraft AZ the
stalking of the red deer, for example, are
carefully taught. Mr.. Thompson Seton
has a stuffed deer which he SO cunningly
places amid the woods that halt a Inle
OF you couldn't tell the difference. Ihen
he takes a stick, to the end OF Wnlch Is
attached a deer's hoof, and snoops around
making tracks with il that lead TO the
stuffed animal. Then the youthfui Indians
are turned loose TO track the tlmld peastle
down. Once located, the upholstered VEN
ison is quickly filled very full OF arrows,
which the boys shoot from bows provided
hv their inst ructOr.
This is only one of the ma ny joys OF the
.ummer season to BE- had at Wyndygouland
II seems impossible that any boy could
experience them and come away anything
but an expert in the rare art OF enjoying
nature, Anyhow, the boys OF
and Cos Cob approve of Mr.. lhom pson
ION anu Ills LlCbLlONo' DN' N~'N
their parents.
Consequently, when it was propose to
run "A railroad right through tn e haunts OF
the furtive red deer there was a noWl that
increased in volume until IL C Eliminated IN
= t~o-day'5town meeting.
EXThe original route surveyed Tor the de-
GJoiler Of the Thompson Seton joys or nature
academy did not touch Wyndygoul at all.
Il ran through the $50 acre estate OF Mrs.
Elizabeth Milbank Anderson. Mrs. Ander-
son is the wife of A. A. Anderson, the artist,
and the daughter Of the late Jeremiah Mil
bank, the New York ~tinancier. The late
Mr.. Milbank made most OF his money IN
railroads, and his daughter consequently
may be supposed to nave a gretty good pun
IN railroad circles. The. evidence points
that way, at all events, for soon after the
original route was located Greenwich folks
were surprised and panied 20 learn that a
second route had been decided on and that
II cut through the heart Of Mr.. Thompson
Seton's Indian reservation. .
When this became known the author or
Half Hours with the Best Nipers' was in
England Int Mrs. m Seton raised