The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-09-28
'UFFER BARGAINS IN
SUMMER RESORTS
Owners Of Run Down Places Would
Sell Uncle Sam Property of Little
Commercial Value.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2S.--if uncle
sam wanted 10 go into tile summer
resort business, now would be his
golden opportunity. He has scores OF
chances TO acquire for song hotel and
resort property OF great scenic beauty,
though possibly OF little commercial
value, according to the agents boom
Ing them. Whether Uncle Sam will
bite will depend upon the National
forestry Commission.
The efforts 10 sell are being made
underline Weeks Forestry law, other
wise inown as the Appalachian Forest
Reserve act Last spring. when adver-
tisemants were issued for land to be
purchased with the $iI, oee,0 ee appro-
sFiatd by that law, the rush began.
kNal continued since then until near
ly cry owner of busted" down
attn heel summer resort In the noun
tain ections of the southeastern
stats asd New England has tried to
unloid up1n the government. The
offeB are sull coming In.
Already oRcr 100000 acres have
beer offered FOR sale 10 the govern
mem. All OF this is not summer re-
sort property, but1a considerable pro-
portion OF Il is. TheStesort property
Is rot offered for the buildings on II.
but for the beautiful parks" about
then. which are always heavily TIM
beIed and suitable for forestry pur-
poses, according TO the promoters II
allthe land offered were TO be bought
II would probably cost Uncle Sam
$40 .000,0 900 instead OF 100000.
One OF the leading summer resort
"fsrest reservations which the gov
eminent has been asked to buy Is the
Natural Bridge In Virginia. for which
something like a quarter OF million
is wanted. Accompanying the OFFER
was q beautiful painting of the bridge,
which was great Cor scenic beauty but
cid not seem to be much for timber
y charge was made for the picture,
4 was explained The promoter OF
his property did not admit II, but II
Is we'll known, that the Natural Bridge
has died natural death In recent
years. Nobody ever goes there now.
As a resort II Is failure. Ergo, why
should not paternal government go
20 the rescue OF the owners? That Is
q question for the Forestry Commits
sion to answer
A large number Of other resort and
hotel properties In the White Noun
tains and the much advertised Land
of tie Sky" or Sapphire Country" OF
Carolina are being offered to the gov
,ernmcnt at ridiculous whether
ridiculously high or ridiculously low
will be for the Forestry Commission
10 say. officials OF the forest service
have mapped out certain areas within
which II Is thought desirable TO buy
and for the protection OF forests and
he conservation of steam flow. Some
N these areas include summer re-
ports; but that does not mean that the
,orest service wants those resorts pur-
shased.
Recently, under pressure from the
Maine and New Hampshire senators,
the foresters extended these areas In
New England by $4,000 acres. or this
26.160 acres are In Maine, In the heart
Of the summer resort region, and "a
900 acres In New Hampshire, near
Berlin, where the largest paper mill
In the world Is located. This extern
sion OF area includes q large part OF
the watershed OF the Androscoggin
river. which Is said TO need protec-
ton. Another rush of the summer re-
sort people Is expected.
Forests have been cut and
badly burned In their vicinity and Il
detracts from the scenic outlook OF
their properties. Certain big White
Mountain hotels want the government
% buy whole mountains so that the
.rees thereon will be preserved for the
)enefit or their guests, and II Is be-
, ieved that Uncle Sam will acquire
most Of the Presidential Range Of the
White mountains. Lands are being
,ressed upon the government for $50
o 800 an acre, but few IL any OF these
will be bought.
Most of the purchases which the
forestry Commission will authorize
viii probably be cut-over and waste
Ands which can be obtained for few
collars an acre. The commission may
meet here next month.