The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-05-10
MAMMOTH CAVE
NATIONAL PARK
Movement Started Declares
Kentuckian.
Says That $6s0,000 Is Sufficient
to Secure the $4,000
Acres Of Land.

| Washington, May 6.-New and in
teresting testimony In support of tn
Thomas bill providing for the pur
| chase of Mammoth cave and its en-
virons, to be maintained as nation;
park, was given before the Hous
Military Affairs committee today o,
Hunter NJ. Merriwether, OF Kansai
City, a former Kentuckian, and DR.. J
N. Mccormick, of Bowling Green
secretary of the State Board of Healti
for Kentucky, both representing the
National Conservation congress.
The importance of the passage Of thi,
bills. as an economic move was stressed
by Mr.. Merriwether, who argued that by
failure to conserve the property and sur
rounding forested Land, embracing all
told 5000 acres, erosion would ensue ant
Green and Nolin rivers would be a con.
slant drain on the treasury to prevei,
filling in. 1t would cost the government
s, 100000 In a few years time to keep
Green river navigable. he contended.
Mr.. Merriwether favored an amend
ment to the bill fixing s65o.OOo as the
maximum limit to be paid by the gov
eminent for the $1,000 acres in lieu OF
the 100000 called In the bill. OPP
ti9ns on 1890 acres of land around
Mammoth cave, procured by Mr.. Mer-
riwether for the governments ad-
vantage. were filed with the commi.
tee.
He said he procured these options
on a portion of the territory suitable
for the park and that should be con-
served. because he believed i a = hasIs
price for the other land could be de-
termined for condemnation purposes by
the cost of acreage on which options are
held. He believed the average cost per
acre Of the $1,000 acres exclusive of the
cave property should be between s1l
and sl2 an acre.
In forceful manner, Mr.. Merriweth-
er urged that the Mammoth Cave Nation
al park idea is one demanding exception
al consideration and made the point
that this natural. wonder is very close
to the center Of population of the Uni
ted States and as National park, could
be visited by many thousands Of patriotic
Americans annually. A beautiful descrir-
tion of the cave country and Green river
was given by Mr.. Merriwether.
The activeness Of Mammoth cave as
a health resort was elaborated upon by
DR.. Mccormack. who Is ex-secretary of
the National Health Association, and VIII
has been travelling a great deal lately
lecturing on health and science problems.
The declaration that the assassinated Pres
ident Garfield might have recovered from
his bullet wounds could he have been
moved into Mammoth cave and its cool
and invigorating air. was made.
Based on a scientific investigation which
he made In Mammoth cave a few years
ago DR.. Mccormick told of the physical
in Mammoth cave, of the Inns.
stone formation and the ease with which
the cave would deteriorate should 1t be
neglected.
Pure afro the temperature Of Nam
moth cave. averaging Sc degrees, would
have saved the life of President Gar
field, declared DR.. ]. II. Mccormack.
More people," said he. die each day in
the United States from preventible dis
Eases than were lost on the Titanic.
The speakers were presented by Repre-
sentative r. Y. Thomas. Jr., author of
The bin. Col. NJ. II. Crump. of Bowling
Green; ID. w. ]. McGee and A. C. Janln,
'ne Of the Mammoth cave trustees.
we're present.
"All We hope for in this session of con
sress Is favorable report on the BILL
'aid Col Crump. The committee took no
lction today The hearing was on the
Thomas bill to appropriate sl.OoO.ooO for
he purchase of the timber land over
he cave