Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-02
O6en This Georgia E1dorado

Oben This Georgia E1dorado
" through the mountain heights of
Georgia there winds a gigantic chain
Of nationally owned forest lands,
more than one hundred and fifty thousand
acres Of enchanting country, which If made
generally accessible by roads and trails will
become for the people of this and other States
a true Eldorado of pleasure and health. By
1.-The people" we mean not merely the FORUM
ate hundreds who have means and leisure
for extensive vacations, but also the thou
sands and tens of thousands who, while I'M
able or unwilling to visit sO-Called resorts,
would find q camp amid the green and blue
OF those life-renewing hills quite affordable
and their very hearts desire. Few services
would prove more valuable to the common
wealth's human interests, more helpful to it's
child-life and to its pent-up burden-bearers
OF home and office, farm and town, than to
open to them the recreation and Joy of this
vast mountain park.
An important step to that end has been
recently suggested and ought to be taken
forthwith. A fund of some nine million dol
lars was appropriated by Congress in 1919
for 'the survey, construction and mainte-
nance of roads and trails within, or partly
within, the national forests Now, certain
notable links in these national forests are
composed of the Georgia lands to which we
have referred In Union and Fannin coun-
Weeks Bill of 1911, sixty-eight thousand
acres wherefrom to conserv,' the head waters
of streams flowing to the Gulf; and also, in
Rabun and Habersham counties, elghty-f1ve
thousand acres as like protection for the
streams flowing to the Atlantic. The former
reservation is part Of the so-called Chero-
kee National Forest, and the latter part
of the Nantahala; both will be extended
from time to time and will play more and
more important role in the nations great
system of forest eSerVes.
Assuredly, then, a seasonable and rightly
presented request should bring to bear for
the opening up of these Georgia lands por-
ton Of the nine .1llllOn dollars approprl-
ated for such purposes. Under the law, the
Secretary of Agriculture, who is given charge
of the fund, is authorized to survey, con-
struct and maintain any roads or trails
within a national forest, which he finds
necessary for the proper administration, pro-
lection and imprOveh ent of such forests, or
which in his opinion is of national lmpor-
lance" Engineers of the Federal Forestry
Bureau are convinced from careful study
of the matter that roads and trails are now
needed for the reservations in Georgia, ana
will lend their valuable support to move
ment to that end. Moreover, 1t was just sucn
regions as these that former Secretary Lane
of the Department oe the Interior, had IN
mind when he declared "There is no reason
why this nation should not make its pupllc
health and scenic domain as AVAILABLE TO all
its citizens as Switzerland and Italy make
theirs The aim is to open them thoroughly
by road and trail and give access and accom-
mediation to every degree of income. InaC
broad-visioned policy could FIND no more ap-
propriate field of application than In the
wondrousy picturesque and healtn-sNlhS
realm of the national forests of Georgia.
In his highly interesting remarks to
conference recently held in his office to
consider this matter, Secretary McLendon'
of the Georgia Department of State, direct
ed attention to some OF the charms anu
treasures of the country ultimately 10 pe
embraced in the Cherokee and Nantaha- d
reservations There are numerous noun
tains. he pointed out, which, il they were
in Europe would be shrines for pilgrims
from all the world, but which to many
Georgian are as unknown as though they
were ten thousand miles away instead Oh
within an easy journey from any part OF
the State Among those exceeding four
thousand feet in height he mentioned:
Enota, 4,768 feet; Rabun Bald, AIT feet;
Chestnut Bald, 4,600 feet; HightoWer Bald,
Asst; Blood Mountain, 4,463; Tray Noun
tain, 439S; Slaughter Mountain, 1870:
Coosa Bald 4,287; Eagle Mountain, 4,28O;
Wolfpen Ridge, 4,251; Chimney Top Noun
tain, Apo; Horsetrough Mountain, 4,O52;
and Blue Mountain, 4,045; while between
three and four thousand feet are Leveland
Mountain 3942; Cowrock Mountain, 1857;
Spaniard Mob, $3.50; Strawberry Top, g.
744; Gumlog Mountain, 3,743; CLASSY Knob,
$3.50; Round Knob, 1892; Bell Mountain,
3,446; Cedar Cliff Mountain, 1891; Snake
Mountain, 1865 Round Top Mountain, g.
$780, Harris Mountain 1921; Turkeypen
Mountain, 1927; Frozen Top, $3.50; Yonah
Mountain, 3,173; and Tesnatee Gap, 3,13S
feet How many Americans, how many
Georgians, asks Secretary McLendon, know
these "heaven- kissing" hills? Or how many
know that in Dawson county of this State
is next to the highest Of the nations water
falls, the beautiful Amicalola? North Caro-
lna's famous Ashvlle, he observes, has an
altitude of 1896 feet; but the towns To-
Gated in this mountain region of Georgia
have attitudes as follows: Mountain City,
2,161 feet; Hiawassee, 1884 feet; Clayton
1859 feet Young Harris, 1928 feet;
Blairsville, 1892 feet; Clarksville, 1872
feet; Porter Springs, 1,7S1 feet; Tallulah
Falls, 1929 feet; Cleveland. 1871 feet, Mt
Airy, 1922 feet; and Dahlonega, 14S4
feet; so that in northeast Georgia the ma
ton 81 beginning the creation of nation
al playground of ncalculable value and OF
national Importance
If further evidence of the national i'm
portance of these forest lands were needful
it could be found in Secretary McLendon's
reminder that Georgia has within her Dor.