The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-09-23
A new YORK MILLIONAIRE BUILDS
HIMSELF A HOME ON MACKEY ISLE
Joseph F. Knapp, Man of Many Enterprises, De
veloplng Magnificent Country Estate and
Game Preserves In Currituck Sound
BY w. o. SAUNDERS.

joseph Palmer Knapp is a New
York millionaire merchant, >, b.
Usher and clubman. Mackey
Island is one of those numerous
islands in Currituck Sound, half
OF it marshland, feeding ground
for wildfowl in winter, formerly
conslderd undesirable for any
other purpose. The original set
tier Of the island has been dead
so long that all but the name of
Mackey has been forgotten. A
few years ago Joseph Palmer
Knapp discovered Mackey Island.
He bought it, built himself
home there, stocked the island
with much game and is making
of it one Of the greatest show
places in Eastern North Carolina.
"A superintendent and Is to 80
persons are employed in de-
veloping and looking after the
property and Mr. Knapp's island
pay roll averages $1,000
month.
Mackey Island is a domain of 1000
acres a thousand acres of it is marsh.
The rest of it is mostly second growth
woodland. It is about six miles from
Currituck c. H, Or about 26 miles from
Elizabeth City as the roads are 1t is
less than a quarter of an hour from
Elizabeth City by airplane.
Joseph P. Knapp bought AIackey
Island from Thomas Dixon, the novelist.
and play writer in 1915. Mr.. Dixon had
bought it from the John L. Roper Lum-
Der Co, who had seen in it only several
million feet Of merchantable timber.
When the Roper company had cut the
timber off they sold the denuded island
to Tom Dixon for $25, 900. No one knows
just what the present owner paid for it.
Since the purchase of Mackey island
in 1915 Mr.. Knapp has built himself
a beautiful Colonial home on the south
west shore of the island, furnished as
elegantly as a country home at Newport
or Narragansett Bay and equipped with
every modern convenience, including its
own refrigerating and ice making plant
installed at a cost of nearly $1,000 The
electric lighting, plumbing and heating
are as modern and complete as anything
found in a city mansion.
Stocked With Game
Having built a fit abode for a million
lire who loves fishing and hunting and
he company of a few select friends,
Joseph P. Knapp has set about to make
# Mackey Island a great country estate
Ind great game preserve, all in one.
He has stock the island with Mongolian
'heasants, quail and deer and started
arm stocked with cattle, swine and
poultry.
To the native quail already abounding
IN the island, Mr.. Knapp has added 25O
birds bought from a quail farm in the
North He bought 500 Mongolian pheas-
'nts and turned these birds of beautiful
'lumage loose on the island to breed
md make game for himself and , his
riends Here and there on the island he
has created clearings in which buckwheat
ind milo maize are planted to make life
'asy for the birds and make them acces-
;ible
The pheasant is wild bird and is in
:lined to keep secreted in the densest
and underbush unless coaxed
nto the open by an abundance of choice
rain. The pheasant readily come into
he open for buckwheat and milo maize
md there the hunter may get a good
hot at them. But the hunter must not
Mss his mark, for at the first fire of
he gun the pheasants rise with the
oar of an express train and take to the
woods where they are not easily located
gain. Mr.. Knapp has attempted to shoot
heasants only once since he stocked his
sland with them two or three years ago.
1ast winter he brought down two birds.
After picking up the poor dead things
nd admiring their brilliant plumage he
aid, cts a shame to kill a thing as
retty as that; don't think shall ever
hoot another" And his friends say he
asn't. He is letting the pheasants breed
nmolested and in time they may become
o thoroly tame and unafraid that they
7il come up and adorn the spacious
AVN of his home. Only the foxes and
aecoons have disturbed the pheasants
n Mackey Island since Mr.. Knapp fired
ne first shot into them, and he is going
Concluded on Page g.