Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-03

E1wo new national parks-one on
the extreme eastern coast Of the
United States and the other on
4 the far western-will soon be
thrown open 20 the people or the ma
ZION The bill providing for the estab-
Iishnent of the Sieur des Monts Ma
tional Monument, which differs from
national park in name only. on Mount
Desert Island, Maine. has already been
signed by President Wilson. and the
House and Senate have agreed to the
terms of the hill providing for the es-
tahlishrrent of another federal reser-
vation in the Hawaiian Islands. thus
adding two rev public Fairgrounds to
the number already open.
Interest in the Sieur des Monts Ma
tional Monument is based on two novel
features of the reservation-the fact
that The territory is the free gift of
number of citizens of the United States
~ the people of the nation and that
this IS the first national park to be
opened east of the Mississippi
Some years ago DIR. Charles W. Eliot.
then president of Harvard University.
and George y. barr. publlc-spirlted
citizen of Boston, who owned large
tract of land Mount Desert Island
inst south of Bar Narbnr, decided that
:;is section ought 70 belong to The peo-
rle OF the United States. both on &C
count of the great natural beauty of
the section and because OF its historic
associations.
Accordingly. they Interested n num-
OF OF the other owners of land in the
Vicinity in the proposition until theY
had secured the deeds to over 1000 acres
of the finest scenery on the island
E-rf1f anil his aSSOciat ties then took
III, n.rt ~ up with Congress. with the
resl.l. hat the government accepted the
free gift Of the tract. with the proviso
hat it was TO he thrown open to the
:,eople as a federal reservation. to be
Governed as a national park by the
department of the Interior. The name
-7.eur des Monts" was appended at the
request of the donors, Lord of the
Mountains having been one of the
early French appellations for this
section.
Precedent for the congressional act
IN accepting the Mount Desert tract was
found in the gift, some years ago. of
Muir Woods. aboht 500 acres of mag
niticent California redwoods, to the gov
ernment by Representative Kent of
California. Mr.. Kent knew that, if he
did not buy up this land and give it to
the government. the redwoo,is in this
section would be destroyed in a COM
paratively short time.
DESTROYS of preserving the natural
beauties of his native state. the con-
aressman purchased the tract and saw
TO ii that Congress accepted the gift IN
tho name of the people, thus insuring
the preservation of the beautiful grove.
When the Department of the Interior
took over Muir Woods it was decided
TO use the title national monument
to designate a free gift to the govern
ment in contradistinction to the appel
Iation ma tional park" which is used
only when the land is bought or set
aside by Congress for the use of the
people.
Muir Woods on the Pacific coast and
the Sieur des Monts Monument on the
Atlantic therefore will remain as mon
uments to the public spirit and gener-
osity of citizens of the nation who
could not bear to think of commercial
vandals destroying the natural beauties
of the nation.
The new national playground on the
Maine coast is already known to thou
sands of tourists for its majestic
beauty 1t embraces more than 5000
acres of rugged mountainous country,
directly south of Bar Harbor: in fact,
its northern boundary lies within mile
of that resort
On the east it touches Schoonerhead