Evening star., 1924-11-10
PARK SITE SEEKERS
co DEEP INTO HILLS
Begin Ride Through Noun
tains Before Making
q. recommendation.
By a STAFF Correspondent.


SKYLAND. Va, November 10
Bidding farewell to the snug luXuries
of this rustic title highland camp,
The committee that came here from
Washington in search of suitable
site for the Easts first great nation
al park plunged deep into the wilds
of the Blue Ridge Mountains today
and will not emerge until Wednes-
day evening, when 1t will drop down
into the Shenandoah Valley for one,
night at Harrisonburg. Stonsman
Mountain, which bids fair to become
the 1.000-mile reservation the Gov
ernment plans to create in the
southern Appalachians, welcomed the
experts with open arms Saturday.
stretched out before them some of its
loveliest vistas and yesterday trapped
them in a lashing sleetstorm that
turned its stern granite peaks into
giant fingers of glistening ice.
Accompanying the committeeman
on the first two days of their tour
We're a number of prominent scien-
lists, naturalists and business men
from Washington and a representa-
tive delegation from different parts
of Virginia. Today, however. all
but DR.. H. w. Temple. head of the
committee. the other members of the
commission, Il few newspaper men
from Washington. Baltimore and
Richmond and the guides returned
to the valley. From now on the
itinerary calls for hard riding and
even some outdoor sleeping until
the tour of inspection comes to
conclusion at Staunton. more than
hundred miles south, late Thursday.
Start Made Early.
Up at daybreak, the inspecting
party ate a hearty breakfast, bade
hurried adieu to those who had ac
companied them during the first two
days and set off at a hard gallop
for Hawks Bill Peak, 1850 feet high,
stretching straight up from the great
primeval forests of Stonyman. Next
will come dash to Bald Knob,
Fishers Gap. Franklin's Cliffs and
Dark Hollow Ravine, the path to
these places winding through mile
after mile Of sweet mountain laurel,
ancient forests of balsam and past
high tumblinE waterfalls.
( The goal for the night will be a
tiny log cabin bungalow. $500 feet
up the slopes of Stonyman, where
camp will be pitched. Gathered
around roaring campfire last night,
the committeeman and their escorts
had a heart-to-heart talk and, al
they could not reach decision now
even if they wished to. there was left
q distinct impression that this area,
so close to the National Capital and
on the edge of Americas thickest
populated area, is running well up
front in the race for selection.
In short address Col Glenn 5.
Smith of the United States Geological
Survey pointed out that Congress
probably will expect Virginia to do
it's share in the matter of purchasing
the land needed if the committee de-
cides this area is best adapted for
the establishment of the park.
Would Improve Chance.
The State, he indicated. would i'm
prove the probability of the park i'm
mensely IL 1T could offer to donate the
part of the vast acreage that VIII be
required. Col Smith said that the
Government will bear all expenses
for the improvement of the property
and maintenance of the park once
IT is established. 1t will build mod
ern roads, establish we'll kept bride
trails and create foot paths to Sc
questered little corners where the
wanderluster may tramp far from
even the comfort of horse and saddle.
Attractive hotels, similar to the ia
nous hostels in the Western parks,
will be built In short, the place
will be made a fairy playground and
great outdoor museum at the ex-
pense of the Government IL 1t Is Sc
lected The committee has been tre-
mendously impressed by Stonyman's
accessibility. 1t is within days
travel by train and only a day and
half by motor from one-third Of the
Nations population. Within that
radius thirty million toiling Amer
leans dwell.
It's nearest competitor, the great
Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Is
more than 700 miles from Washing
ton, and 1000 from New York.
Gentlemen" one speaker said, you
might just as well establish this
Eastern park in Chicago for all the
good it will do 80 per cent Of the
people of the East, If you go farther
South. Here, however, is one Of Gods
most beautiful gardens, high in the
historic Blue Ridge Mountains Of
Virginia, the State of history. IL /
may say So within easy access of
the people of both the North and
the South. And it is an area typical
of the section you seek to perpetuate
in its primeval State"
William J. Showalter, assistant edi-
tor of the National Geographic Maya
zine declared that within a radius Of
180 miles of Stonyman are some of
the Nations most sacred historical
shrines-Mount Vernon, the birth
places of George Washington, Madi-
son, Monroe and others, Appomattox
and Gettysburg, Yorktown, and g. host
of others, and all easily reached from
here over perfect automobile roads.
Would Be Popular.
1t was unanimously agreed that the
establishment of the park here would
make it the most popular park In the
country. Already thousands of tour
lists travel long distances to visit
those spots. Many more would come
if they had such a garden spot in
which they could stop and rest amid
natures own cure-all tonics, before
beginning the long trip back home.
The sudden coming of the sleetstorm,
which incased the entire mountain in
sheath of ice, pleased the commit
teemen.
One of the things they would like
to do in the Eastern reservation is
encourage Winter sports, and they
saw Immediately that there will be
enough snowfall and ice here to
make possible great toboggan slides,
skiing and other healthful sports to
attract the people away from crowd
ed cities for a few days in the great
outdoors even during the Winter
months.