New-York tribune., 1910-08-31
WOULDN'T SELL TO STATE
Timothy |. Woodruff Explains
Purchase of Kamp Xii! Kare.
PAID $4,000 FOR ESTATE
Value Of Adirondack Land Great
ly Increased-The Forestry
Investigation Ended.

Albany, Aug. 30.-With the testimony of
Timothy L. Woodruff. former president of
the Forest Preserve Board. public sessions
OF the Investigation which Commissioners
Roger P Clark and H. LIE Roy Austin have
been conducting into forestry affairs ended
to-day and the commissioners. report
probably will be in the hands of Governor
Hughes within two or three weeks. The
Governor expects to resign about October
and wants to dispose of the matter before
he leaves Albany for Washington to assume
his duties on the United States Supreme
Court bench.
Mr., Woodruff came to Albany to-day to
testify particularly concerning the purchase
OF Kamp Kill Kare, his Adirondack estate,
which was made while he was president of
the Forest Preserve Board. He said he
wished to correct certain impressions which
had gone forth that improper methods had
been used in acquiring the property That
such an impression had gained currency
was a source of regret TO him. he said as
nothing but the most honorable motives
had characterized his official actions.
"To Silence Imputations."
NV object in asking for hearing said
Mr.. Woodruff at the outset. was 10 silence
for all time the imputations and insinua-
tons with regard to my conduct as presl-
dent of the Forest Preserve Board. No one
ar that time took a greater interest in the
work of forest preservation in the Adlroh-
dacks and the Catskills than | did. The
tn,putation has been made that by some
wrongful method ! acquired my kamp XIII
Kare estate I would have acted in VIOLA
tion of nv obligations 70 the state had II
while president of the board, acquired any
nroperty which it would have been OF ad-
vantage to the state to have acquired IL
the state could have acquired It IN TINS
instance the state could not get thls Pleoo
~ rronartv as the owners declined to
make it public property, because TWO fillleS
from il were two lakes upon which MI 'u-
rant had spent thousands OF dollars IN lih-
provementS
AZ woodruff rroduced documents show
80; +ba+ the property embracing Lake
-, an which his camp Is located, had
been advertised for sale. separate from
rro,,,ehin in which it is located, as
nrivate preserve seven years before ne
,,rcbased il II was after the Forest
r,aserve Foard had bargained with the
Forest Park and Land Company, OF Whlch
Mr. Durant was president. for the purchase
of the township. including the shore LANDS
Of Raouette Lake and reserving lakes SUM
rer (now Lake Kora) and Lake Shed mo"
sagamore), that Mr. Woodruff purchaser
his estate for $4,000
The purchase of the Raquette Lake tract
IN Township by the state for $4,000 MI
Woodruff said, had been discussed Win
Governor Black and approved by him. MT.
Woodruff pointed out that the statement
that the state could have purchased the
property for $4,000 was erroneous.
increase of Land Values
Mr.. woodruff read from q report on the
propertv made by Harry Bradley, state
forester, In 1894 in which he gave 1t as his
opjnion that 1t was worth AT that time
more than S476. 900. After the company had
made the $4,000 offer the Forest Preserve
Board was organized and $l,FN,Oo0 appro-
priated to buy forest lands. Prices I'M
mediately went up. and Mr.. WoodruH
thought the state fortunate in having ae-
qured the land at $4,000, which to-day, he
declared. is worth at least Sl,0Cao00
Mr. Woodruff was asked about a hotel
conducted by Wellington Kenwell on state
land about eleven miles from the Wood
ruff camp the headwaters OF Moose
River. Although on state land, the state
had paid Kenwell $3.50 for his inter
est and household effects in 1901, and the
buildings eventually were burned by dirsc-
ton of Mr., Woodruff.
Asked if his son and party of college
students had not made the place their
beadouarters Mr.. Woodruff said that such
was not the case. and added that he had
only spent one night there in his life He
also exDlained the erection of small
shelter for two Of his canoes which was