FOREST PARKS OF NEW YORK 



697 



miles away ; he locates it by his map 

 and range-finder, telephones the near- 

 est patrolman, and in a few minutes 

 men are at the place to extinguish the 

 fire. More than two hundred fires 

 started last season, and yet un- 

 der this system, they were extinguish- 

 ed quickly and with little or no result- 

 ing damage. 



One hundred miles of telephone 

 line within the forest has been con- 

 structed and acquired by the Commis- 

 sion, connecting nearly all the more 

 dangerous sections and facilitating the 

 work of forest protection. The pa- 

 trolmen, supervisors of towns, and the 

 people generally have entered into the 

 spirit of the work. Nearly all per- 

 sons going into the woods have been 

 especially warned to be careful about 

 building fires and thoroughly instruct- 

 ed how to start camp fires, particularly 

 as regards their extinguishment. 



Today, twenty-five hundred square 

 miles, or 1,641,523 acres comprise the 

 State's own preserve which is valued 

 at nearly half a billion dollars ; and 

 fully two-thirds as much more acre- 

 age and value estimated at one hun- 

 dred millions, is owned by corpora- 

 tions and individuals. The total acre- 

 age of all the other State forest pre- 

 serves in the country is but 2,837,605 

 acres. The Adirondack preserve con- 

 tains 1,530,559 acres; a gigantic plot 

 of never ceasing delight, bewildering 

 in its scenery, indescribably bracing 

 in its air, abounding in mountain, for- 

 est, and stream, and wood trails of sur- 

 passing beauty. Its yearly visitors 

 number a half million souls. 



The Catskill preserve has 110,964 

 acres ; a fairyland of wooded delight, 

 rich in historical relations — where Rip 

 Van Winkle slept his wondrous sleep — 

 and is located but a few hours run 

 from New York City. Its health re- 

 storing hills and dales have won 

 world-wide fame. 



In accordance with the wishes of 

 the late Edward W. Harriman, his 

 widow, Mary W. Harriman, has of- 

 fered, and the State has this year ac- 

 cepted, a tract of about ten thousand 

 acres of land situated in Orange and 

 Rockland counties, to he held in perpe- 



Lookout Tower on Hunter Mountain 



tuity as a State Park ; and in further- 

 ance of the same object to give to the 

 State, or to such board or commis- 

 sion as may be authorized to receive 

 and administer the trust, the sum of 

 one million dollars. Mrs. Harriman 

 stated that it was her husband's wish, 

 and it is her expectation, that this fund 

 should be used by the State to acquire 

 other parcels of land adjacent to the 

 above-mentioned tract and intervening 

 between it and the Hudson river, and 



