Evening star., 1926-04-01
SHENANDOAH FUND
URGED BY MONDAY
Capital Quota Sought by Day
Park Body ConveneS to
Draft Bill.

With approximately $1,000 prom
isei already the committee in charge
Of the drive to raise AT least quar-
ter Of million dollars here toward
the purchase Of the Shenandoah Ma
tioual Park is straininC every nerve
To bring its goal within sight by next
Monday. when the Southern Appala.
chian National Park Commission will
meet at the Interior Department to
draft the bill through which Congress
will definitely establish the East 3 first
great national park i'm the nearby
Eue Ridge Mountains Of Virginia.
Presentation of the bill to Congress
at this session is in recognition Of Nir-
rinia s contribution Of 81 ,2o0,0 to-
ward the g. 500 900 that il is esti-
mated will he needed to buy the
45O. 900 acres comprised in the site of
the Shena andoah National Park. Be
fore Congress will pass The bill. how
ever. il must have some reasonable
assurance that the remainder of the
purchase price will he forthcoming.
and Washington is being depended
upon to help furnish this assurance
by subscribing S250,000.
Fifty Cents Head.
This sum. il Is declared. is really
q small amount to ask of the Capital
civ. Charlottesville. Va. which is as
far from the proposed park area as
WASHINGTON subscribed &3h,hoo Irom
among a population Of only ,"u"
persons. an average Of RI head. u
Washington did as we'll il would raise
the entire 81 800 900 remaining I" he
contributed 10 purchase the park OUT
right To attain its quota. however
this city must subscribe only 2 n Az
-f n for
Probably no community will hene
fiji more from the establishment of
this park than Washington. to which
II will he almost a great SUBURBAN
playground. embracing $50 square
miles Of primeval mountain land. &C
cessible to the National Capital by
thre-hour motor ride over an improved
highway. 1t will offer Washington
advanta ges. both reCreational and
financial. which even the cities close
10 the older national parks Of the
West do not enjoy.
The logical route tn the Shenandoah
National Park from the North. where
10 900 900 persons live within days
ride of il. will lie through Washington.
and II is estimated that at least 900
n00 tourists will pass through this city
every Summer en- route to and from
he area. Few. If any. persons coming
70 the park will miss the opportunity
thus afforded them to see the National
Capital on the way. and veritabe
tidal wave Of gold viii roll into this
city during the ordinarily dun sum
mer months as result.
As Summer Resort.
ON the other side. the value of the
Shena ndoah National Park To the peo-
ole of Washington as a whole cannot
l. e Toll nd
cents 1t will mean that an ideal va
cation place will he within the reach
of the humhlest citizen. offering every
form of outdoor recreation At A price
suited to the purses of the poor as
we'll as the rich Government workers
may send their families TO the park
for the entire Summer at small cost
and spend inexpensive week ends with
them.
For the motorist. the proposed
Skyline drive" will offer tour
with few equals. and there will be
sufficient side trips to make the drive
a new experience each time II is
traversed The fisherman will find
his fondest dreams come true in the
hidden pools of the MANY streams
that tumble down from the SUBMITS
of the high mountain peaks, game
trout already abounding in them. To
me WanUefluSIef. InSG0 VIII ne a
series of hikes and lonesome paths
for every Sunday for many years
to come
Secretary of the Interior Work al
ready has been besieSed with re-
quests for concessions to build hotels.
and it is probable that a modern
hostelry will he erected at each end
of the park and, possibly. third at
Marys Rock. which probably will be
the most popular entrance. Then.
out through the primitive forests
which sweep from end to end of the
reservation. there will he scores of
camps to offer the soiourner hot
supper and cool nights sleep after
day of health-giving exercise.
All Tastes to BE Appeased
The bride paths of the area even
now rival the best in the country and
the engineers who are planning the
park have arranged to give every
recreational taste its share of the
park There will he roads exclusive
" for the use Of motorists. bride
paths where pedestrian or motor car
may not tread. and Decking little by
paths winding intriguing courses
through canyons and over mountain
peaks. where the humble pedestrian
may iay-walk to his hearts content
without fear of motorist or rider.
Unlike the parks of the West.
which are omen only about three
months Of the wear the Shenandoah
National Park enjoys such favored
climate that it will he open TO the
public the year round. During the
Winter il will rival Canada for its fa-
nous toboggan slides and skiing
places. On its frozen lakes those who
are fond of skating may enjoy that
sport from the fall of the first SNOW
fakes almost until SPRINGS trumpets
summon southern zenhvrs.
These. the park planners declare,
are only a few of the treats that are
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OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES