The Omaha guide., 1935-06-15
Edgar G. Brown
Discusses Emergency
Conservation Work

Emergency Conservation Work.
the organization which operates
the nation wide system of Civil
an Conservation Corps camps in
the forest and parks Of the coun-
try, is on the threshold of an ex-
pansion program which viii in
crease the Corps to approximate
ly twice its present size. Under
the plan of expansion, to which
President Roosevelt gave his final
approval on April 25th, a total
of 10000 men will be participat-
ing in the CCC program by Au-
gust 81, ID35. Between june
Is and August 81, more than 30O,-
600 new men, including replace
ments for enrollees who drop
out of the Corps prior to that
time, will be enrolled in the CCC.
Robert Fechner, Director of
Emergency Conservation Work,
has just authorized the c~onstruc-
ton of more than a thousand adj
ditional Gee camps to be ready
for the occupancy Of the CCC
enrOllees as soon as possible.
Something of the life at camp
for these thousands of America s
young men is a revealing and
h~eartening story for the folks
back home.
The most casual observer can
not help but be impressed with
the commendable habits, appear
ance and spirit of these young
men who have voluntarily enrol
led IN this character-buiding
venture. Here you see these citi-
zens of tomorrow intent on doing
their bit in the conservation Of
our national resources and in de-
veloping the historical and esthe-
tic values of our national parks
and monuments.
To get a first-hand picture Of
the life In the camps, the writer
recently made a personal visit to
the sacred shrine of the Gettys-
burg National Park, where two
ICCC companies Of 200 colored
men each r encamped on the
hallowed ground where President
Lincoln delivered his memorable
Gettysburg address. What I saw
there will long live in my mem
DRY.
The enrollees answer to call of
revielle at 6 a. m. Beds are made
up, clothes and belongings arrang-
ed and secured in individual
trunks, showers are taken all in
an atmosphere of good fellowship
and then a piping hot breakfast
Of cereal, meat, potatoes, bread
and a beverage is heartily enjoy
ed by all. A half hour or SO is
spent In getting the odds and
ends cleared away while the
leaders, who are selected from
among the boys themselves, and
who are directly il charge Of each
of the seven barracks, confer with
the supervisory force Of the Ma
tional Park Service on the sched-
ule of work for the day. Shortly
before eight a. m. the boys mount
the half dozen waiting trucks and
off they 60 to four hours on the
job in the field before noontime.
handspring, seeding and resod-
ding, construction Of guard rails,
road repair, removing fire haz-
ards, building Of bridges and
truck trails, resetting headstones
In the National Cemetery, and
Frightening up the monuments
erected everywhere on the Gets
burg Battlefield by the States
and Federal Government to the
honored dead, are the tasks they
set themselves to conforming to
the specifications set forth In the
blueprints of the master plans for
Gettysburg National Park.
The objective of the National
Park Service, according to Supt.
James r. McConaghie, is the re
storation of the battle area to its
original state. When the work
began many Of the stone fences
that are so common to the battle
field had been all but destroyed.
Many of them were obscured by
brush, fallen trees, briars and
honeysuckle. A large portion Of
the fences had disintegrated to
such a degree, that they no longer
served their purpose as fences.
Many of the farms within the
boundary Of the park have these
stone walls serving as fences to
confine their fields. Most Of the
stone fences were used as shelter
for both the Union and Confeder-
ate forces during the battle and
and have important historical
value. Under the supervision Of
the technician for the park, DR..
Lee Jones, and his assistants, Viii
liam Alton and DR.. LOU f. King.
H. e--% Na--1 15c+ooa1 1~o