Evening star., 1926-03-22
SHENANDOAH PARK
DRIVE BEGUN HERE
At Least $4,000, Perhaps
$250,O0O, Sought as
District Quota.

Washington today began the task
OF raising it's share of the $500 900
or more that must be pledged before
the Shena ndoah National Park can
be established In the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
Before April ] a minimum Of
| $50, 900 must he pledged by the bust
| ness interests and citizens of Wash
| ington and, in view OF the fact that
Virginia alone has already pledged
| S.. 200 900. It has been declared that
| this city should arise quarter OF
| million dollars to supply Congress
with an authentic guarantee that no
doubt exists AS to the remainder of
| the fund.
Robert y. Harper, president or the
! District National Bank, Is chairna II
! of q committee OF business men III
| charge of the local campaign, ana
solicitations for donations were be-
| gun today among the larger business
: interests Of the city, which, 1t has
| been shown, will reap tremendous
| profits from tourists passing through
! Washington to and from the PARK.
| Just SO miles away. during the duil
| Summer months here. II the reserfa-
ton Is set aside.
"Buy-Acres" Plan.
A novel buy acres" plan for SUD
! scribing to the fund has been put
| into effect. 1t has been figured that
! each acre OF the proposed area VIII
cost about &s The campaign mana
! gers are asking the people to buy as
| many acres as they can AFFORD so
| that 1t will be possible to present 'he
site to the Government and thus as
sure the creation Of the Shenan ndoa n
| IL riyU nrpSQnt
sion Of Congress.
| The "buv-acres" campaign Will be
pushed vigorously throughout the
| week. and next Monday evening It's
| leaders will gather with leading Dusi'
| ness and professional men at the
| Washington Hotel to discuss the re
| suits and provide for the future. Per
| sonal invitations to this dinner have
| been sent out by Mr.. Harper. and IL
Is planned to make the affair a cele'
| bration.
! Committee Named.
Mr.. Ilarper announced today the
! chairmen of the campaign commit
tees as follows: r.. Il. Colladay. f..
G. Brandenburg Frank NJ. Low. Isaac
Cans. Henry St George Tucker, Rep-
! resentative r. Walton Moore. j.
| Harry Cunningham, Martin A. I-eese'
| Ross =. Andrews, Col. r.. Lester
! Jones. Ira Bennett. G.. Logan Payne,
Joshua Evans, jr.; Theodore W.
! Moves. Uric Bell. William j.. Rad-
| cliff. Mark Lansburgh. Nilliam
| Miller, Frank NJ. Pierce. DR. Joseph
! :. Wall Dr. Thomas r. Green, Iohh
| Lewis Smith. DR.. W. j. Showalter,
Jesse G.. Suter, Clarence f. Donohoe'
| Frank G.. Addison. r. G.. Baggarly'
| 4
| stephan.
| II is expected that these chairmen
| will make their first report To Mr.
! IIsrper Wednesday. These men nave
charge Of the solicitation in the b'lsi-
I; ness district of Washington, arrange
! ments for d public appe&i 10 the CIT.
| iZens generally having been delerieu
| until later in the week. when the
steering committee will have a more
/ compresentive understanding as 10
| lust what Washington must do In the
matter OF subscribing.
| Speaking of the benefits the Shen-
am,oah National Park would offer,
| John Poole. president of the Federal
/ American National Bank, declared
! that aside frUan the recreational value
of the proposed park, 1t Would pour
"A yeritable golden stream into the
business houses of the National cap
ital during the dullest months oi the
wear. This wealth. Mr.. Poole as
serted. would stimulate every busl
ness and industry in the citE.
Would Bring Money Here.
Il have heard 1t said that the mil
lions OF tourists coming to Washing
ton would leave most of their money
with the hotels, restaurants and sou
venir shops" Mr.. Poole added. That
may be true, but every banker knows
that money never stands still. Inc
millions of dollars those tourists left
here would circulate Immediately, anC
in a short time every business would
have enjoyed its share of 1t. And In
cidentally, that tourist money ~ ne"
blood: it comes from the outside into
| Washington
Stephen Il. Mather. director of the
National Parks Service and an ardent
supporter of the Shenandoah National
| Park plan, added his voice today to
the appeals that are rising from all
sides for the immediate completion
Of the fund with which to purcha sc
the area The Government has made
it plain that the land must be given
| to the park service, after which all
expenses for development and main
tenance will be borne by the Govern
ment.
National Parks Benefit.
National parks are of value to sur
rounding communities. for once areas
become national parks they are visit
ed by increasingly large numbers OF
visitors from all parts Of the United
States, and even from abroad" Mr.
| Mather said. 'The words national
park stamp them az being the best
in their particular line of scenery
that the Nation has to offer.
"Were the Shenandoah National
Park established in the Blue Ridge
| Mountains of Virginia, and developed
along the lines of the other national
parks, il would be no exception to this
| general rule Visitors to the park
from a distance would naturally In
clude Washington In their itinerary,
so that the nearness of the park to
| the Capital would be advantageous
from an economic standpoint.
"All Of the national parks. with
their carefully developed public camp
grounds, are meccas for campers.
With the development of the Shenan-
| doah Park camp sites would be es.
tablished. thus offering the people of
! Washington excellent opportunities
for spending week end or other short
| vacations out of doors, where the
healing influences of nature would do
much to restore to stability the brain
tagged worker
THE spiritual and mental relaxa
ton found in the quiet Of the shad,
forests or beside the running stream
Is almost necessary In this age Of
jazz.
Each national park is a museum
Of nature. and the esta blishment OF
the Shenandoah National Park woult
give to Washington a national outdoor
museum where. under competent