Evening star., 1926-04-11

was SCTlDUlcu OIi SAC
edge of newspaper
clipping relating the Governments oe
sire to establish a great national park
IN the eastern section of the United
States. preferably in the Southern Ap-
nalachian Mountains. And TO-DAY
there is every reason to believe that
the very area mentioned by the author
of the message will in a few weeks
become a mart of the Shenandoah Ma
tional Park.
1t NAV Justly be said that the Shen-
andoah National Park, when 1t Is ere
ated by this Congress, will owe us
existence to so brief a message, Tor
it was dispatched just at the time the
commission appointed by secretary OF
the Interior Hubert Work TO nno d
suitable site for the Easts flrst realiy
great national park thought 1t had
brought its search to successIui
elimination in the Great Smoky
Mountains of North Carolina and
Tennessee. .
The events that resulted in rapid
succession after Harold Allen, a
Washington attorney. had scribbled
his suggestion across the corner OF
the newspaper clipping turned the
commission and its plans completely
upside down. however, and made II
possible for the Government TO create
its park within three hours ride OF
the National Capital, in the heart OF
the historic Blue Ridge Mountains OF
Virginia and within a single days ride
of 40, ,000, 900 city-bound Americans.
Right in the midst of civilizations
despoiling swirl was IL vast area OF
mountain wonderland-a sylvan realm
of forests and streams and majestic
mountain peaks that was destlned
from the beginning to become the
playground of the National Capltai
and a haven Of rest and peace Tor the
people Of the whole eastern part OF
this country.
Mr.. Allen happened by the merest
chance to read In The Evening Star
that DR.. Work had set his heart on
making the establishment of a ma
tional park in the Southern Appa-
lachian Mountains one Of the out
standing achievements of his admin
istration, and that he had appointed
a commission of the best out-of-doors
men he could find to select the most
appropriate site. Mr.. Allen, having
spent many Summers at Skyland. was
one of the few who knew that this
great area had been preserved down
through the ages for just such an op-
portunity to serve humanity.
So his note was dispatched to
George Freeman Pollock. proprietor
of the Summer camp at Skyland, who
in turn discussed IL with George Judd
of the Washington firm of Judd q
Detweiler, and a devout believer in
the destiny of the Blue Ridge Noun
tains. A few days later those three
pioneers sat on the porch of Mr.. Judd s
II, nf tho Winds "
and looked down upon the beautiful
Shenandoah Valley 5000 feet below
and dreamed of the great national
park that was to come.
X i. x X
WHEN Col. Glenn Smith, secretary
w of the Southern Appalachian Ma
tional Park Commission, received
letter from Mr.. Allen shortly arter
this meeting inviting the commission
to view the Blue Ridge Mountain area
before making its decision final, ne.
like most other Washingtonians. did
not believe an area worthy OF being
a national park could be found SO
close to the National Capital and
within the heart of the Nations most
populous States.
More out of courtesy than in antici-
patton of finding anything worth
while. he persuaded Maj. William A.
Welsh, general manager of the Pal-
isades Interstate Park, and another
member of the commission to Just
run down to Luray and take look
to stall off any protests later. 80
early one morning these two men
found themselves being greeted at
I,urav. Va, not by one delegation, but
by two.
While Mr.. Pollock and some of his
friends were urging the commission
ers to hurry to Skyland in time Tor
lunch another group was insisting
that the really best place to estabiish
a national park was In the Massanut'
ten Mountains, 10 miles across the
Shenandoah Valley, and pleaded win
the. commissioners not to waste thell
time climbing arduous peaks arouno
Luray. But. having seen the Mas
sanutten area before and definitely
deciding that 1t was not national park
caliber, Col. Smith and Maj. Welch
started for Skyland.
Upon reaching that place they hur'
ried to a room and agreed that after
riding around for a few hours and
satisfying themselves again that no
national park could ever be found In
that vicinity, they would politely tell
Mr.. Pollock they had engagements
back in Washington and would have
to make their regrets Immediately.
But they hadn't yet glanced out over
the cliffs into the valley, nor back
over their shoulders to the sea OF
primeval wilderness that awaited
their doubling eyes.
The peak of Stony Man Mountain
more than 1000 feet above the sea
level and about 5000 feet above the
Shenandoah Valley, was their frst
stop. From that mass of grim
granite. they gazed on the left down
the Shenandoah, where history was
made half a century ago, and on the
right their unbelieving eyes Travelled