The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1922-06-15
WOMEN LEAD MOVEMENT TO CREATE MA
TIoNAL PARK IN GEORGIA MOUNTAINS
By Francis w. Clarke


While thousands of people of the populous states of
the Atlantic seaboard make transcontinenta journeys
every year to the wild and rugged scenery of the
western mountains few of them know that they could
enjoy scenery equally attractive within nights trim of
their homes reversing the old prover5 about Carving
Goals to Newcastle the people of the contested east
ern cities could enjoy all the mountain scenery they need
by staying at home.
In the mountains of North Georgia and western North
Carolina there is scenery unsurpassed in beauty any,
where 1t more beautiful than the bare and rocky
crags of the higher mountains in the because the
southern mountains covered with virgin timber and
IN the summer furnish kaleidoscope panorama of foil
age and underground which cannot be found anywhere
else on the American continent
For years the people have been able to catch glimpse
OF this beautiful country around Asheve N c. section
but until recently the pretest most attractive part
OF the mountain district has been almost inaccessible
Just now, however, movement is well under wav
which has for end the construction of system of mod
ern paved highways which will enable tourists to visit
the hitherto inaccessible mountain regions The Allan
ia Constitution took the initiative in this movement and
the government highway department, the government
forestry bureau and the Georgia state highway depar
ment are working In close cooperation carry out
constructive program, which will make this attractive
mountain section accessible the year round
The United States government recently has nurcbasod
TWO immense tracts of land in North Georgia which are
TO De used as forest preserves One of these is known
as the Cherokee National forest and the other is the
IN
tect the headwaters of the mountain streams which form
the source of the Savannah river while the other will
be used to protect the streams which form the Tennessee
Ooosa and Chattahoochee rivers which flow into the
Gulf of Mexico
Georgia women are active in urging the government to
Dedicate these forests to public use by DECLARING them
hatlona park reservations national recreation play
grounds To make these receationa centers accessible
he government has an appropriation for building high
ways reaching all points of superior interest in the re-
served sections
When the government finishes this program which will
not be far distant, the of Georgia will have COM
peted through its highway department the construction
OF man trunk highways crossing the state Much of this
system has been finished and from Atlanta to the
mountains the trip be made without undue hardship
but when the work is finished the Georgia mountain
section will be accessible splendid highways from
Knoxville and Chattanooga on the west Ashev;e on tho
north, Greenvle, Spartanburg, Columbia Augusta and
Charleston on the east; Atlanta, jacksonville Rome
Gadsden, Montgomery and New Orleans on the south.
In the Blue Ridge mountain sections of Georgia every
type of scenery is found. Some of the highest peals
east Of the Rockies stand like sentines against the sv
lines. Great mountain pateaus almost as level as floor
but situated several thousand feet above the sea level
stretch forth for many miles Rushing roaring rv-
picturesque waterfalls of every kind cataracts and
RAPIDS peaceful mountain lakes and pools abound thru
out the entire section
Undecipherable labyrinths of forests" all of virgin
timber where the woodlands axe has never been welded
are found Wild flowers in myriads of colors abound
Hunters and anglers find it paradise Unlimited space
for camps large enough to house a large part of the
country's population exists
This delightful playground is located within nights
ride of Washington and Baltimore and only a few adj
ditional hours to New York and New England 1t will
form the mountain playground for the dweers in the
valleys of Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers and
for those who live in the coastal plain section from Bos
ton and New York down the Atlantic seaboard and
around the peninsula to the plains of the gulf coast
Even with the road construction program unfinished
thousands of people visit this mountain region in the
summer and many large and spacious country homes
have been built it. Some excellent summer resort
hotels now in operation and when the road develop
ment is finished palaces will be erected
The Georgia mountain section is forging to the front
of the most popular and winter resorts
of the country. The climate is cool in summer and
mild in the winter the temperature seldom dropping to
extremely low figures and never rising to a point of
terrific heat
THE STORY OF THE BERRY SCHOOL