The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1929-05-03

lighter any place else in the inland
August Hecksher, great New York
ti-millionaire real estate investor
and philanthropist who is now the
principal owner of Lake Mattamu-
skeet will listen to any reasonable
plan to spare Lake Mattamuskeet
for the wild goose and will cooper
ate with the national Migratory
Bird Conservation Commission
created by the last session OF Con-
gress to provide sanctuarics for
migratory wild fowl in these Uni
ted States. Mr.. Heckshcr was i'm
pressed with an article appearing
exclusively in The Independent,
issue of Friday, April 5th, strcSsing
the folly and ignominy of an en-
terprise that threatens to drain
Lake Mattamuskeet. On Friday,
April 2"th Mr.. Hecksher granted an
interview to w. o. Saunders, editor
of this newspaper, at his offices at
so East 42nd St., in New York City.
Mr.. Hecksher told the editor how
he came to own Lake Mattamuskeet
and of the plans to drain it and
convert it into tillable acres in a
land where farm tracts are already
drug on the market; but if the
draining Of Lake Mattamuskcct
would not be the best measure OF
conservation. Mr.. Hecksher will
consider abandoning it upon the
advice and with the cooperation OF
either the State or Federal Govern
ment. And he is ready at once to
set aside ten thousand, fifteen thou-
sand or even twenty thousand OF the
Lake acres for sanctuary for the
water fowl and prohibit the shooting
of the birds on any part of the vast
property. Mr.. Hecksher authoriz-
ed Mr.. Saunders to make a state
ment to this effect.
The Act OF Congress
Mr.. Saunders went Immediately to
washington, D. c. and laid Mr..
Hecksher's ideas before Congress
man Lindsay Warren who was i'm
mensely pleased and will set the
machinery in motion to save Lake
Mattamuskeet. Happily, the ma
chinery is there and ready to func-
ton. The Migratory Bird Conserva-
ton Commission created by the
last Congress is composed of the
Secretary of Agriculture; who is
Chairman of the body; the Secre-
tary of Commerce, the Secretary of
the Interior, Senator Peter Norbeck,
of South Dakota; Senator Harry 3.
Hawes, of Missouri; Congressman E.
R. Ackerman, of New Jersey and
Congressman S. D. McReynoldS, OF
Tennessee.
The Act creating the Migrator,
Bird Conservation Commission pro-
vides for the acquisition OF the
Federal Government, with the ap-
proval of the States, of suitable
sanctuaries for migratory wild fowl
in every State in the Union. Funds
are provided for the location, eXaml-
nation and survey of desirable sane
/, tuaries during the next three years
and beginning in 1888 a fund OF
ST 100000 per annum will be avail
! able with which to purchase the
properties agreed upon.
Because of the initiative taken by
this newspaper and the righteous
ness of it's appeal for the preServa-'
ton of Lake Mattamuskcct, Con-
gresham Warren believes that Lake
Mattamuskeet will be the first area
/ to be considered by the new COM
mission. .,..
A Heart Breaking Venture
| Lake Mattamuskeet is six miles
wide and 16 miles long; its $4,000
: acres were formerly covered to a
depth of few inches TO a few feet
with fresh water in which the sub
aqueous plant life on which wild
fowl feed grew in luxurious abund-
ance. Because of its peculiar slLu-
alton, a land-locked location only
eight miles from the open waters OF
! Pamlico Sound and only % or 30
miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it
offers the most ideal sanctuary for
the wild goose in the South. There
the birds may find food and shelter
in severe weather and when the fire
of the gunners in the sounds be-
comes too hot for them.
And real estate spectators have
spent millions upon millions of COL
lars in the last Is years in try ing
to drain this beautiful lake; ter
reverses have been heartbreaking.
Several times the property mas
changed hands; the last tune in
1925, it fell into the. handa OF Mr..
Hecksller