The Elbert County tribune., 1919-08-29

There Is no question that the Indiana dunes
worthy of national park honors October 80, 1916
public hearing was held In Chicago by the In
terior department In pursuance OF senate resou
ton In September 1917, printed report by
Director Stephen I. Mather of the national park
service was issued This report eliminated from
consideration all of the dune country except
strip along the shore Of Lake Michigan about a
mile deep between MiIler's In Lake county and
hichigan City. After describing the dunes with
considerable enthusiasm Director Mather says:
Assuming without further description Of actual
conditions In this dune couptry. that the sand
uuhes OF Indiana are equal to those in any other
section of the country; that they the most ac-
cessibe dunes; that they possess extremely inter-
esting flora and fauna: that they offer unparalleled
opportunities to observe the action OF the wind
and Its influence the sand and plant life: that
the Lake Michigan beach is beautiful and offers
bathing facilities for multitude; that the recrea-
tional uses of the region are myriad should they,
or large section of them be preserved fer present
and future generations? If they should be pre-
served, they worthy of inclusion In a national
park? And If they are worthy of consideration as
possible national park. would 1t be practicable
to establish them as such park for the benefit
and enjoyment of the peopleY
He answers the first two questions einphntically
in the affirmative. He says this region should he
preserved to the people for all time and that 1t is
worthy Of national park honors. AS 10 the third
question. he thinks 1t one of Legislative policy to
be determined by congress. inasmuch the dunes
are not pubic lnnds. ana private lands have never
been purchased for national park purposes He
thinks the park should contain from 1000 TO 1900
acres. extending 10 20 miles along the lake He
finds that options secured by spectators vary
between $3.50 and 5000 acre, with one tract of
2,3oO acres held at 81 900 an
.Afanifestly." says Mr.. bather, none of these
lands are actually worth $3.50 acre at this time
A figure less than $500 probably represents
the actual value Of the average tract of land not
under the influence of urban values, due to prox-
unity to cities. Practically all of the lurger hold
ings must be purchased in their entirety believe
that 5000 to 1900 of dune lands can prob
ably be secured for park purposes for approximate
y 5000 an acre. The purchase price of a park of
the size suggested would therefore be between
SIsO0oO0 and $2.600.000."
The proposed Dune National park is realIv n
wonderful place. In the first place. the dunes are
nm uninhabited wilderness. The fact that there is
an unnhablted wilderness within few miles of
the center of population--in 1910 at Bloomington
Ind-and the very doors of Chicago. the second
CITY of the nation and the fourth city the world
is In itself marvel. incidentally. the dunes are
within few hours by rail and automobile of 90
100000 people This makes them unique as pub
lie playground
Again: The dunes different world from
the monotonous hatness of the Chicago plain
They are country of hills and bluffs. guilles and
valleys There all sorts of Interesting variu-
tIons Little lakes, streams. bogs, meadows. The
bluffs above the beach are imposing. The beach
Itself is a wonder-hroad smooth clean free from