The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-05-23


(Prepa.ed by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. D. c.
Millions know their city parks from
everyday use, and they have been OF
hope to go to their national parks, but
the phrase state parks" is new to
them Even most reference books will
be searched in vain for any mention
Of these newest of public recreation
grounds.
State parks are pocket editions OF
our great National Park system. They
are the stop-over places Of the motor
ist. They perch on barren peaks and
preserve tree-bowered lovers lanes
beside running brooks. They take In
such shrines as Lincoln's birthplace
and James Whitcomb Rlley's "old
swimmin' hole" They perpetuate far
older history than that to be found in
history textbooks. Starved Rock park,
Illinois, commentaries the time when
Americas inland region was a sea ;
when the cosmic happenings Of mil
lions Of years ago deposited the shells
and precipitated the lime which
formed the magnesium layer Of this
region
Iowa invited its citizens to an hours
auto ride from prairie land to fairy
land" In Wisconsin you can rent an
island for ten dollars a year. State
parks save the open play spaces amid
dense populations of the East and they
keep out encroaching farm lands Of
the Middle West. Kip Van Wrinkle
sought surcease In skittles from a
shrewish spouse, but the city man to-
day, harried by a hundred worries. can
take wife and children for a 4S-hours'
rest to the hills where Rip retreated.
Our own parks bear evidence of our
new governmental ideal. Originally a
park, says Noah Webster, was IAN In
closed piece of ground stocked with
beasts Of the chase, held by prescrip-
ton or the kings grant" To-day
park might be defined as IAN unin-
closed piece of ground stocked with
beasts. not to be chased, or killed. held
by prescription Of the people for their
own use"
Nobody knows exactly how many
state parks there are In 1923. Two
years ago a survey by the National
Park service showed that % states
had state parks. The movement has
taken such a hold within the last few
years that the park area. within those
states has expanded materially and
other states have embarked upon park
programs
Hartford SGT the Example.
Hartford has park which is an
early example Of the best sort Of civic
publicity and also established a park
precedent. Search your memory and
see whether you have not forgotten
most of the statistics and slogans
which greet you upon huge signboards
placed along the railway tracks by
trade bodies Of many enterprising
cities. But nobody who has entered
Hartford by train, In daylight, is likely
to forget the sylvan beauty Of Bush
nell park, which adjoins the station
with the tree-shaded Connecticut cap
tol building set on Its central hill.
Horace Bushnell worked for five
years to persuade his neighbors to tax
to buy this tract. Thus |
Bushnell park is a monument marking |
the first time IN history when the |
people bought tract with their own !
money to be used as public park.
Exactly opposite to the days when
eudal barons used q park to keep the
public out is the era when the essen
ial element Of park Is that King
Auto and Sovereign Pedestrian must
AVE easy access. Colorado proclaims
hat she has a motorists camp in
very town of a thousand or more
'eople. Iowa AYERS that she has more
amp sites per capita than any other
tate.
New York, with forty reservations,
omprising nearly 100000 acres,
eads the list of states In the extent
I her park system. Zen million peo-
lie. 1t is estimated. can reach the Pail
AIDES Interstate park In a two-hour
lde by auto or boat.
Nowhere are parks longer regarded
8 luxuries; but in New York state
hey are an additional necessity be-
ause they protect the vitality import
MT watersheds in the north Of the
tate. Upon this protection depends
lie great industrial enterprises which
Sc hydro-electric power.
State parks vary in size from the
,ree and a third million acres of the
dirondack park in New York state.