The log cabin Democrat., 1909-09-20

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 New York has but recently dscoy- cred a new summer resort right with in the metropolitan district, and it is only just beginning to utilize it. This Is the Palisades park, which belongs jointly to the states of New York and New Jersey and stretches for miles along the western bank of the Hud son. The ground from the top of the cliffs to low water mark and several places at the top of the cliffs were ac- quired five years ago in order partly to stop the destruction of the Pali- sades by stone quarriers and partly to prevent this, the choicest spot around New York, from getting into the hands of real estate dealers, and so being cut up into building lots and thus taken away from the general public.
 A commission, consisting of 10 New York and New Jersey business men, was appointed to look after it and one or more of these visit the park every day.
 ANSN luih hciS nave Just uloCONci cu what an ideal spot this is for camp ing. All along the shore are tents. in which boys and men and often wom- en, too are living close to nature. The debris washed down from the Pali- sades by the waters of the ages has formed a beach, sandy and smooth in some places, rocky and overgrown t,, l. t. noI, any one may pitch a tent, except in a few choice spots, where small fee is required, but it is necessary for all to obtain a permit from the commis- sion and also to obey the rules that are laid down by it.
 The beach is reached by boat easily, but one can walk along the shore from the Fort Lee ferry, or, better still, take a trolley car to the turn at Main street, Fort Lee, and then walk about mile along the road In a northwest erly direction and down flight of primitive stone steps. There are also other points further north at which one can descend the cliffs. Along this stretch of beach the campers may be found. Their tents and fires are wis ible from the far upper west side of Manhattan. say from about One Hun dred and Seventy-second street up to Spuyten Duyvil. In some tents are whole families. the father going to and coming from business in a motor boat and rowing across to and from Manhattan or walking to and from Fort Lee or Coytesville, N. J. In oth- CTS are parties of young men. In one group is band of volunteer life savers. who keep beacon burning at night and encourage the boys of the other camps to learn to swim and dive. There are boats that may be hired by the day, week or month. There Is excellent fishing for eels and crabs; the water, while not quite as salty as the sea, is more than brack- ish and the river in many places is so shallow that at low tide one may walk half way across to New York.
 Franklin Hopkins. the broker, of No 25 Broad street. is one of the most active men on the commission that has charge of this strip of park and has really made 1t his hobby. A few days ago he took the writer in a mo- tor boat for a tour of the camps.
 Two years ago these hills were in a very. very bad condition" he said. as he pointed out their beauty. Camp CTS used to come over in whole fami- lies, set up great tents and take in boarders. The sanitary conditions were appalling and the conditions of morality were little better. There was really canvas tenement district here in the woods and a vandalism that showed only too plainly that there would be few natural beauties along the shore left If these people were permitted to go their own way To stop this 1t was made a law that camping permit must be obtained and that no tent could remain up for more than four weeks out of any year. If certain rules and laws were violated the campers must go. permit or no permit.
 We have picked six men who have lived under tho Palisades nearly all their lives to do the patroiing and the work here"
 At sight of . thin spiral of smoke rising from amid the trees the captain reved asAoss