The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-09
PARKS SCORE
BIG ADVANCE
Nearly Half a Million Persons Visited
Our National Parks Last Season.
Increase of 80 Per Cent.

If any one doubts the success of the
movement to develop our nations /
parks, he has only to examine the
record for the season just passed.
There were people. many thousands OF
them, who predicted that the immense
forward stride of national parks popu-
larity which began in 1918 would
lapse into a limp with the coming of
the first war summer. Some OF these
thousands doubted whether the ma
tional parks would even be opened !:
in fact many such inquiries were made
OF the department of the interior dur
ing the spring The fact is that Sec
rotary Lanes prediction at that time
that park patronage would fully equal
last years has been more than full
Allied; the first summer OF war brought
to the national parks an lncreas Sc
which far exceeded the dreams OF the
most optimistic.
The Case In Perspective.
The season of 1917 registered an in
crease In national parks patrona ge
more than SO per cent in advance OF
the season OF 1916. In numbers,
4ST,3Ss persons visited our national
parks this last season as against 35S, =
0os the season before, itself record
season. In numbers. the increased
patronage amounted to 1882 per-
sons, And this in a war summer with
the nations eyes ayed intently upon
the eastern trenches,
Before we consider what this enor-
nous increase means. let us examine
a few more facts. In 1910. 19S.60S
persons visited the national parks. In
1911. visitors mum bered 224 407, an in
crease of little more than IL per
cent. IN 1912. they numbered 229 534.
an increase OF a little more than 2
per cent. In 1913 they numbered 252,-
1853. an Increase of nearly ! 0 per cent.
In 1914. they decreased nearly per
cent to 24o193. In 1915, when the
foreign war and the Pacific expositions
turned the nations eyes and steps
westward. 335, 2s9 persons visited our
national parks, ar Increase Of 80 per
cent
eS far ths figures are scarcely note
worthy. They represent nothing be-
yond common expectation. And a con-
siderable rea ction was TO he expected
To follow the westward rush Of exposi-
ton year. II would have been reason
able TO expect the record of 1915 TO
return to the level of 1914, or even.
by the doctrine OF average advance, to
fall somewhat below IT,
The New Movement
On the contrary. the year set up
n new national parks high record.
Patronage advanced 81 per cent over
exposition year to s5s.0n5 persons.
The reason was that meantime the
movement i'm the department of the
interior to secure the recognition by
America OF Americas scenic suprem-
acy had got to grips with the situa ton
and tho opportunity. and that Amer
lea was taking tbs ,hipt. as Aneric e.
can. he depended upon doing. In other
words, America was discovering her
self
And that brings us up TO The cur
rent season when, in spite OF the wa r,
In spite OF the worry, in spite Of the
upsetting OF every national and most
business and domestic habits. in spite
of sudden and .nsistent economic
stress, national parks patronage scores
by far its greatest season with an In
crease thirty-four thousand greater
even than the great increase OF expof-
ton year
This years increase alone exceeds,
by 43.27s persons. or so per cent. the
total attenda nee at our national par ks
for 1909. only eight years ago.
The reason for so astonishing a de-
yelopment In the face Of conditions so
strtkingly less favorable Is the subject
OF much speculation by railroad men
and others interested in the psychol-
ogy underlying transportation.
The Psychology of IL.
cit looks to me-" said one railroad
Official ynicing an opinion generally
shared, that the people came to the
conclusion that II WAS pretty good
summer business to store up n lot of
strength and courage aga inst the hard
strain OF the winter. and that they
picked the national parks as the best
place In the world TO do IL. They're
waking up to their national parks, all
right
The national park service, accord
ing TO an official OF the department OF
the interior OF which il is part.
recognizes in this extraordinary ma nj
festation the peoples approval Of the
efforts which II has made, under the
direction Of congress. TO develop these
resources and to make known to the
nation its unsupported possession OF
the nobIest scenic heritage on earth