Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-29
RICH JERSEY LAND
FOR RECRUIT CAMP
6000-Acre Tract, Pointsville
to Wrightstown, Leased
by U. S.
DEFEATS CROP INCREASE
Offsets Advance in Productivity.
Less Fertile Land Might
I Have Been Used

For the great mobilization camp TO be
established here the United States will take
over between 1000 and 5000 acres Of the
richest agricultural land in New Jersey.
The land selected for the camp surrounds
Lewistown and reaches TO Just outside
wrlghtstown, which is Just beyond Mount
Holly, in Burlington County II is not more
than twenty miles from Camden at It's near
est point
New Jersey has waged a great campaign
at the appeal Of the Government to Increase
the acreage under cultivation this year. but
the land required for the encampment Of
$4,000 men will far more than Offset the
Increase
About thirty farms will be used for the
camp site. These are in the most pro-
ductive section of the corn and potato bolt
and the crops that could be harvested from
seed now in the ground would amount to
many thousands of bushels. Wneat is also
extensively grown as is a variety Of garden
truck.
wrightstown at one end Of the camp
ground, is the center Of a great dairying
Industry and the shipping point for milk
producers. the farms of several Of whom
will be condemned for camping purDoses,
The Government, II is understood, viii
pay the farmers from S33 down to S25 an
acre for use Of their farms the first year
and $40 an acre a year thereafter, the
leases to extend one year after the war.
The committee Of land owners, who made
this assessment valuation, are Benjamin
Harker, Samuel Bishop and Wilbur Davis.
The majority Of the farms are occupied
by their owners and among these owners
today there was a general expression Of
disappointment at the War Departments
decision in favor of a camp at this location,
SELECTION CRITICIZED
As one farmer explained il. the owners
are patriotic enough to be willing TO sacri-
hce their homes for the reeds Of the Gov
erlment especially as the compensation is
fair, but there is considerable criticism Of
the use Of productive farm land for the
camp when thousands Of acres of pine land
well drained and well adapted 20 camping
purposes. is to be found but a few miles
furtheBainland, and with even better trans
port facilities
The farmers. upon receipt Of news that
the War Department had actually ar
ranged for the camp began immediate
preparations to Vacate Their crops will
be left In the ground for the army en-.
gineers TO handle as they please owing
to the extensive improvements TO be made
In the way Of buildings, camp streets, water
supply, etc, few Of these crops will reach
maturity The camp II is expected. win
be ready for occupancy by August Is ana
big corps Of army engineers is expected
TO reach here this week to plan the opera
tions.
Among the farmers who will give up
their homes are William Stevenson, Doug
las Stackhouse. Jackson Decamp. Thomas
Hartshorn, w. II. Davis, william Stevens,
Water Davis. Benjamin Harker, Sarah Lip
pincott, Catherine English. Samuel Earl,
Harvey Cox, William Davis. Lewis Yerkes
4. J. Platt, John Davis Samuel Bishop
BENJAMIN Frazier, II. Kirtz John Bishop,
]. Fl. Atkinson and A. II. Parker.
The site includes virl~ally all of Lew
10 TngaV.N .N..gII.
Wrightstown. The State road from Cam
den to Lakewood and North Jersey shore
resorts via New Egypt bounds one side
OF the camp.
BIG WATER PROBLEM
Providing the water supply will ne one
OF the biggest problems confronting the
engineers. The surface water from the
highly cultivated lands is not suited for
drinking purposes, and at best there are
only three small brooks and a small pond
on the site. Several excellent artesian
wells have been drilled in the vicinity how
ever and IT is understood that well drilling
viii be one of the first activities Of the en-
gineering corps.
To provide the necessary TRANSFORMATION
Facilities to and from the camp officers
ngure that II will be necessary virtually to
rebuild the railroad systems Iewistown
is the terminus of the little union trans
portation railroad, whose other terminus Is
ihehtsto"h IL IS the only Independent
railroad In the State, its stockholders hav-
ing refused TO sell to the Pennsylvania
Railroad on several occasions The Penn
sylvania runs through from Camden via
Pemberton to Lewistown, and a spur of the
Pennsylvania known as the Kinkora
branch, connects Lewstown with the Tren-
ton division at Kinkora. A survey Of these
lines has been completed and il is under
stood that rebuilding of the roadbed and
double-tracking OF the system to give the
camp an outlet in at least three directions
will be commenced within a fortnight.