The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1919-08-28

1here is no question that the Indiana dunes
worthy of national park honors October 80 1916
y pubic hearing was held in Chicago by the in
t..1or department in pursuance of "a senate resolu-
uoh' In September, 1917. printed report by
director stephen T. Mather of the national park
service was issued. This report eliminated from
consideration all of the dune country exceI, a
s'rlp along the shore of Lake Michigan about a
mlle deep between Mers in Lake county and
Nlchgan City. After describing the 6unes with
considerable enthusiasm, Director Mather saws:
assuming, without further description of actual
""'tiohS In this dune country, that the sand
uunes OF Indiana are equal to those in any other
section oil the country; that they the most ac
eeSSlb'e dunes; that they possess extremely inter-
eSuhg nora and fauna that they offer unparalleled
opportunities TO observe the action of the wind
anu us influence on the sand and plant life; that
the Lake Michigan beach is beautiful and offers
patmhg 1acliltles for multitude; that the recrea.
uonai uses of the region are myriad should thew
or large section of them be preserved for nresent
and future generations? If they should be pre-
served. are they worthy of inclusion in a national
parKF And If they are worthy of consideration as
possible national park. would 1t be practicable
TO establish them rs such park for the benefit
and enjoyment of the people?"
lie answers the first two questions a,nnboticouv
In the affirmative. He says this region should be
preserved to the people for all time and that II Ia
worthy of national park honors AS to the third
question he thinks 1t one of legislative policy 10
be determined by congress, inaSmuCh as the dumas
are not public lands and private lands have never
been purchased for national park purposes He
thinks the park should contain from 1000 to IL oOO
acres. extending Is or 60 miles along the lake Ua
finds that options secured by Spectators vary
between $3.50 and 5000 an acre. with one troct ~
1900 acres held at $1,000 an acre
"Manifestly" says Mr. Mather none of +boso
lands actually worth $500 acre at this tirna
figure less than $500 an acre probably renreSe,ts
the actual value of the average tract of land nat
under the influence of urban values due IN nrox
unity TO cities. Practically all of the larger hold
incS must be purchased in their entirety | believs
that 1900 to $4,000 acres of dune lands can nroh
ably be secured for park purposes for approNimata
ly $500 an acre. The purchase price of parl, ~
the size suggested would therefore be bet,veon
81 10000 and $2600,0O0"
The proposed Dune National park is reallv .
wonderful place. In the first place the dunes ara
an un!nhabted wilderness. The fact that thor, l.
nm uninhabited wilderness within few miles ~
the center of popAation-in 1910 at bloomington
Iud-and at the very doors of Chicago. the second
city of the nation and the fourth city of the world
is in itself marvel incidentally, the dunes ara
within Il few hours by rail and automobile of 20
oOUOO0 people This makes them unique as Il pub.
lie playground
Again: The dunes are n different world from
the monotonous fairness Of the Chicago plain
They are 81 country of hills and buns gullies and
valleys. There are all sorts OF interesting yaria.
tons: Little lakes. streams. bogs. meadows The
bluffs above the beach imposing The beach
itself is d wouder-broad, smooth clean. free from