Evening star., 1936-07-31
SHENANDOAH PARK
CABINS CONTRACTS
ARE TOBE SOON
Seven Large "SettIements"
With Picnic Grounds
Are Planned.
PROJECT WILL COST
MORE THAN MILLION
Big Meadows Work to Begin First
and May Be Ready for 0ccu-
pancy This Fall.

Award Of a 81 500, 900 contract to a
group OF Virginians for construction Of
seven large cabin colonies and picnic
grounds along the Skyline Drive in
the Shenandoah National Park, within
easy motoring distance Of Washington,
will be made next week.
This was announced late yesterday
after a conference of park officials
and representatives Of the bidders.
Work will be undertaken first at
Big Meadows month after the award
is made, and also at Skyland, where
a small privately conducted camp for
tourists already exists. The whole
program of cabin colonies, providing
accommodation for several thousand
tourists, will be developed progress
sively, it was said, to meet the needs
Of vacationistS.
AS long ago as last May Secretary
Ickes asked for bids on this elaborate
recreational program, but John B.
BauSerman Of Woodstock, Va, rep
resenting various interested Virgin
ians, submitted the only bid. Disap-
PO1uUCQ db LI14o ICoh1Ip 4NhCo NdAACA 4OA
bids a second time but Bauserman'S
offer still was the only one submitted.
1t Is this bid which park officials are
now studying with view to approx
ing it early next week.
Some May Be Ready IN Fall.
The delay means that none Of the
- ~,
this Summer, although it is probable
that cabins for a limited number OF
visitors will be in readiness in the
Fall.
The park officials who met yesterday
with Director Arno B. Cammerer were
Associate Director Arthur B. Dema-
ray, Associate Director George A. Mos
key, Assistant Solicitor Philip r. Kir-
gis and Charles L. Gable, chief audi
tor. Representing the bidders were
Rosser c. Forbes and A. s. Cells, with
Representative John ]. O'Connor OF
New York, who has a friendly inter
est in the project.
Gable, who is in charge Of the
operations division of the Parks Serv-
ice, said today that an initial expen.
diture Of 100000 will be made to get
the program under way.
The recreation areas will be at
points along the crest Of the Blue
Ridge between Front Royal and Jar.
mans Gap.
Preliminary work is now being done
at two of the sites, Big Meadows and
Skyland. Some 875 workers from
five C. C. C. camps are building
roads, water and sewer systems and
clearing the land in preparation for
construction Of host houses, dining
halls and cabins.
Similar cottage developments are
being planned in the future on Hog
back Mountain, 10 miles of Pano-
rama, and on Hog Wallow Flat on
the north side Of the drive toward
Front Royal.
The other groups Of cottages will
be erected between Swift Run Gap
and Jarman's Gap, a section of the
Shenandoah Park yet to be developed.
and through which the Skyline Drive
is now being constructed.
Rentals Undecided.
Gable said it is too early at this
stage to do anything about fixing the
rentals at the cabins. These charges
will be determined by the National
Parks Service, but must be gauged, he
explained, according to the cost and
the periods Of their use. Considering
the climate in this region, 1t was ex-
pected that tourists would only fire.
quent the recreation areas about seven
months in the year.
The National Parks Service will ap-
prove all the designs Of the struc-
lures as well as charges for the cabins
and other charges in connection with
dining hall concessions. The camps,
however, will be privately operated.
Legislation will be sought at the next
Congress, it was believed, to authorize
the Parks Service itself to operate
all recreation facilities within the
Shenandoah region.