Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1919-06-12

CURED by the federal government. If the forest
service does oppose its establishment, national
park leaders say, it will be because it opposes all
national park legislation. Again the reason for
THIS general opposition is plain The agricultural
department is waging public campaign to get the
cohtrol OF the national parks away from the in
terror department and hence is endeavoing to dis
credit the rival department in every way.
The forest service was created in 1905 to take
charge of the national forests, which were then
set aside for strictly Industrial and commercia
purposes-scientitic forestry, numbering and graz
lng-and transferred from the interior department
to the agricultural department. Now the forest
service is developing the recreational possibilities
OF the national forests and wants to get back ma
tional park areas which have been taken from ma
tional forests by act of congress.
In view of President NIerrick's declaration that
the Mississippi valley controls 50 per cent of the
men in congress, the progress of the park bill in
congress will be well worth watching
Middle West Has No Park
The progress of the bill will be well worth
watching for another reason: The establishment of
this park involves question of congressional pol
icy for which there is no precedent This is un-
doubleday the reason why no action whatever was
taken by the last congress bill for its estab-
lishment. The question is this: Hitherto congress
has established national parks out of the public
domain; 1t has never voted an appropriation for
the purchase of privately-owned property for ma
tional park purposes Will it make a new depar.
ture in the case of this national park?
About 2O,0OO,000 people are within nights ride
by rail OF the park site Thus the location of the
park is feature of decided interest There is no
scenic national park worthy of the name between
Rocky Mountain in Colorado and Lafayette in
Maine. Yet this proposed park lies in the center
of q circle trimmed by Chicago Milwaukee, ST.
Paul. Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha and st.
Louis. Several railroads touch it. River trans
portation is available.
The bulk of the tourist travel to the national
parks islnow by private automobile. The park site
is convenient to the tran sentimental motorist
The selected area lies along the Mississippi in
northeastern Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin It
totals about $4,000 acres, land and water The
river area is about 1900 acres; the two states own
the land under the river the federal government
controls its navigation.
One tract of land in Iowa Of 1871 acres has been
appraised at ss2,755. Another tract on the Wiscon
sin side contains 7,458 acres and has been an
praised at $141O42. A third tract is Wisconsin
state park Of 1851 acres there is a reasonable
prospect that the legislature would turn this over
Mrs. Martha B Mum of New York, who owns the
125 Iowa acres which form the scenic keystone of
the park, offers to donate this land appraised a.
$1,000 Thus the federal government is asked to
appropriate 1928 1877 SO for the purchase OF about
5000 acres out of $4,000 acres.
This area may be truthfully said to have scenic
historic and educational features of natfona, i'm.
portance. Careful private ownership has protected
the heavy forests, which are still practically nr
meval. The hills rise abruptly from the river 70
about 500 feet The view from Pixies Peak and
the nearby Pictured Rocks have more than a local
reputation. The broad sweep Of the river is mag
nificent and there are attractive islands. There
are deep ravines and valleys containing springs
lakes and streams. Many bayous. home Of the wa
ter lilies, meander from the river.
Indian mounds are many in the park Site There
is. for example, system of them half mile long