The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-13
STOCKING GAME PRESERVE
Bison and Elk for Psgah Reservation
in North Carolina.

in North Carolina.
The United Forest Service, through
its local representative in Asheville
N. c., has just announced that the
herds of bison and elk for stocking
the Pisgah National Forest and the
federal game preserve of more than
$4,000 acres are expected to arrive In
Asheville about the middle of March
The great fence enclosing 250 acres
lying on both sides of the scenic
Pisgah motor road to the Pisgah hunt
ing lodge of the Vanderbits. $500
feet above the sea level, has just been
completed and is ready for the recep-
ton of these great animals which for
merly roamed these mountains cen
turtles ago. The elk are being ship
ped from the Yellowstone Park herds,
while a portion are coming from the
Blue Mountain Game Preserve OF
New Hampshire, the gift of Austin
Corbin and sister, of New York. The
Pisgah National forest and the Fed
eral Game preserve lie mostly in the
counties of Buncombe, Henderson,
Pennsylvania and Haywood, on the
watersheds of Davidson and Mills
Rivers, both of which are tributaries
Of the French Broad The Indian
name of the French Broad is "Tah.
keeostee," which means Racing
River" Asheville, the metropolis of
Western North Carolina. is located
ten miles from the eastern boundary
of this forest. Leading out from this
wonderful mountain city, situated on
the rolling hills of the beautiful Ashe,
vile plateau, in the heart of the Blue
Ridge Mountains" are beautiful con
crete, asphalt and macadam roads,
coursing the mountain territory in all
directions. The Pisgah motor road,
which taps the South Hominy sand
clay road IS miles west of Asheville.
was built by Mr.. George w. Wander
bilt, two years before his death, at a
cost of $4,000. 1t is seventeen miles
in length. Where this road crosses
the lower slopes of Mount Pisgah is
located the summer home of the
Vanderbilts overlooking the beautiful
valley and Asheville plateau, in di.
rect line with which, fifteen miles
away by air line, is the beautiful
Biltmore mansion.
tract of about 400 acres around
Pisgah Lodge in the very heSN of the
national forest and game preserve,
was reserved by Mrs Vanderbilt
when the sale OF the $4,000 acre area
was made to the government, at a
price considerably under the amount
named by Mr. Vanderbilt to the gov
ernment before his death. 1t was her
desire to perpetuate this great forest
area as established by Mr. Vanderbilt.
under the name which he had given
ii, "Pisgah Forest" and her wish was
gratified in the name "Pisgah Ma
tional Forest" in all government lit
erature and maps. This great area is
alive with game of all kinds especial
ly pheasants, wild turkey and Virginia
deer, which were introduced here by
Mr. Vanderbilt during his life time
and given all the protection possible
under existing laws. From small
herd of deer introduced by Mr.. Van
derbiIt in the early 90s, the herds
dition to this there are numerous
small fur.bearing animals, as well as
considerable number of black bears,
a species common at one time
throughout the southern Appalachian
mountains, but which are now found
only in certain localities.
The American Bison society states
that buffalo at one time roamed in
great herds throughout these Appala-
chan mountains of North Carolina n
fact not commonly known. This buf-
falo and elk pasture is located on
both sides of the Pisgah motor road
while two or three underpasses have
been constructed which will permit
the great animals to roam the pasture
on both sides of the beautiful noun
tain highway. This motor road is
open throughout the entire year and
maintained by the forestry depart
ment of the United States government
from the Asheville Office, Verne
Rhoades, forester in charge. AS a
game preserve the forestry depart
ment has announced that no hunting
will be allowed for perhaps one or
two years, although the overflow OF
game from the game preserye has re-
stocked the mountains adjacent there
to. and good hunting is enjoyed by the
residents and visitors to this section
Printed regulations governing fishing
| In the federal game preserve are now
in press and will be ready for distri
| button about March twentieth.