Evening star., 1926-03-31
GEOGRAPHIC BODY
BUYS PARK TRACT
National Society Donates
$4,000 for 1000 Acres of
Shenandoah Land.

Because the establishment of a grea
national park in the Blue Ridge
! Mountains of Virginia would perpetu
ate unique advantages for students
| and lovers of nature, the Nationa
/ Geographic Society has appropriated
| So 900 for the purchase of 1000 acres
| of the proposed Shenandoah Nationa
| Park, which will be presented to the
| Government for inclusion in that area
| Announcement of this donation, the
! largest single contribution made by
any individual or orga nization during
| the Washington campaign, was made
/ today by Charles j. Bell and Col. lG
! Lester Jones of the National Capital
! campaign committee. The donation
was made, it was announced, upon the
recommendation of the chairman "l
| the society's research committee, Dr
! Frederick V. Coville.
Announced by President.
The gift was announced in the fol
| lowing letter from DR.. Gilbert Grosve'
| nor, president of the National Geo
graphic Society, to Mr.. Bell:
''The suggestion which you and COL
| f.. Lester Jones made independently
to me, that the National Geographic
Society make a substantial contribu-
ton from it's research funds toward
the establishment of the Shenandoah
National Park. | have presented TO
the chairman of our research commit
tee. DIR. Frederick V. Coville.
"Dr. Coville has replied that the
National Geographic Society, from its
organization in 1888, by numerous eN-
penditures and through its magazine
and other publications, and by con
tributions, has striVen constantly to
4
raj wonders and scenic beauty of the
United States. You. as one of the
founders OF the National Geographic
Society and a trustee for the 3S years
Of its existence. are we'll acquainted
with this policy of the society.
Made Previous Purchase.
The National Geographic Society
10 years ago subscribed an amount
sufficient to purchase approximately
1000 acres of giant redwood in Cali
fornia, which the society then pre-
scented to the United States Govern
ment for incorporation in the Sequoia
National Park. thereby initiating the
save-the-redwoods movement on the
Pacific Coast.
The chairman of our research
committee further advises me that the
est the establishment of a great park
in the Shenandoah Mountains, where
unique advantages for students and
lovers of nature may be perpetuated,
and that the cor1mittee welcomes the
opportunity to cooperate and has
made an appropriation from the re-
search fund sufficient to purchase
1000 acres to be presented by the
National Geographic Society to the
Shenandoah National Park.
Motorists Paradise.
a yeritable motorists paradise will
he opened up at Washington's back
door if the Shenandoah National Park
becomes a reality this Summer, eX
animation of the Government pre-
liminary plans for developing this
proposed outdoor playground in the
nearby Blue Ridge Mountains of Vir-
ginia diScloses.
Its northern entrance Will practical
~ be the beautiful Arlington Memo
rial Bridge now under course of con
struction, over which the park bound
motor caravans will! sweep to a. great
boulevard--the new Lee highWay--a
ribbon of smooth concrete, 200 feet
wide and 80 miles long, terminating
at the summit of a great peak in the
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
But there, at a place known to the
old mOuntaineers as Marys Rock, the
motorist Will just begin to enter his
real paradise. for it is planned to build
the worlds most beautiful scenic
boulevard. to be known as the Skyline
drive. straight down the main ridge
of the mountains for more than 20
miles. 1t will eclipse. engineers as
Sert. even the famous Columbia high
way of Oregon. which attracts tour
lists from all over the world.
Scenic Wonderland
This. the park planners declare, is
only a glimpse of the vision that will
become d reality once Congress has
made the Shenandoah national park.
The plan cOntemplates a scenic Won
darland which will provide the motor
lists of Washington and other nearby
points an almost ineXhauStible supply
Of week end trips, the equal of which
no other city in the world now enjoys.
In contemplation of the completion
Of the Arlington Memorial Bridge and
certain that the Shenandoah National
Park will become a fact this Summer,
the Lee Highway Association has al
ready gone ahead with its program of
obtaining the necessary land for widen
ing the boulevard to 200-foot right
of-way. The first miles of this