﻿78 
  ' 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  VIII 
  

  

  THE 
  PROTECTION 
  OF 
  NATURAL 
  MONUMENTS 
  

   ]n 
  the 
  hope 
  of 
  stimulating- 
  among 
  intellectual 
  centers 
  a 
  proper 
  

   regard 
  for 
  the 
  imique 
  or 
  exceptional 
  work 
  of 
  nature, 
  the 
  accom- 
  

   panying 
  circular 
  was 
  generally 
  distributed 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  to 
  

   local 
  scientific 
  and 
  patriotic 
  societies 
  and 
  tO' 
  private 
  individuals. 
  

   Its 
  purport 
  was 
  directed 
  less 
  to 
  the 
  regard 
  of 
  the 
  greater 
  scenic 
  

   ■effects 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  minor 
  phenomena 
  which 
  often 
  con- 
  

   .^titute 
  a 
  special 
  local 
  attraction 
  and 
  have 
  a 
  genuine 
  scientific 
  or 
  

   historic 
  m^erit 
  which 
  ought 
  to 
  commend 
  them 
  to 
  protection. 
  Such 
  

   lesser 
  objects 
  are 
  easily 
  overridden 
  and 
  eft"aced 
  with 
  the 
  advance 
  

   'Of 
  settlement 
  and 
  industrial 
  development. 
  A 
  proper 
  sentiment, 
  

   well 
  aroused, 
  will 
  prevent 
  their 
  destruction 
  and 
  leave 
  to 
  posterity 
  

   ■.something 
  better 
  than 
  regrets 
  for 
  their 
  disappearance. 
  It 
  has 
  

   :seemed 
  proper 
  for 
  this 
  department 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  initiative 
  in 
  this 
  

   matter 
  even 
  though 
  it 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  practicable 
  to 
  press 
  the 
  move- 
  

   ment 
  by 
  substantial 
  assistance. 
  

  

  THE 
  PROTECTION 
  OF 
  NATURAL 
  MONUMENTS 
  

  

  It 
  might 
  seem 
  unpatriotic 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  they 
  do 
  some 
  things 
  in 
  

   the 
  old 
  country 
  better 
  than 
  we 
  do. 
  They 
  certainly 
  do 
  good 
  things 
  

   which 
  in 
  our 
  busy 
  community 
  life 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  got 
  around 
  to. 
  

   One 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  the 
  local 
  protection 
  of 
  places 
  and 
  objects 
  of 
  partic- 
  

   ular 
  natural 
  interest. 
  We 
  have 
  done 
  well 
  in 
  the 
  conservation 
  of 
  

   historic 
  spots, 
  and 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  is 
  most 
  creditably 
  

   dotted 
  over 
  with 
  monuments 
  commemorating 
  great 
  events, 
  and 
  

   with 
  small 
  reservations 
  where 
  large 
  deeds 
  have 
  been 
  done. 
  Few 
  

   communities 
  are 
  without 
  some 
  memorial 
  permanently 
  marking 
  the 
  

   telling 
  facts 
  of 
  their 
  history, 
  and 
  fortunate 
  indeed 
  is 
  the 
  town 
  that 
  

   has 
  an 
  organized 
  spirit 
  for 
  such 
  efforts 
  ; 
  twice 
  blest 
  in 
  a 
  man 
  or 
  a 
  

   few 
  men 
  willing 
  upon 
  their 
  own 
  initiative 
  to 
  make 
  such 
  a 
  spirit 
  

   'hear 
  fruit. 
  

  

  The 
  conservation 
  of 
  especially 
  interesting 
  natural 
  objects 
  comes 
  

   somewhat 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  sentiment 
  of 
  a 
  community, 
  

   with 
  the 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  appreciation 
  of 
  nature's 
  works. 
  There 
  are 
  

   lovers 
  of 
  birds 
  who 
  see 
  with 
  profound 
  regret 
  the 
  disappearance 
  of 
  

   certain 
  of 
  their 
  friends 
  once 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  region, 
  but 
  gradually 
  

   driven 
  away 
  by 
  the 
  encroachments 
  of 
  commerce 
  upon 
  their 
  nest- 
  

   ing 
  places. 
  There 
  are 
  lovers 
  of 
  plants 
  who 
  know 
  the 
  few 
  remain- 
  

   ing 
  spots 
  where 
  rare 
  flowers 
  bloom 
  or 
  rare 
  ferns 
  may 
  be 
  found. 
  

   What 
  comparison 
  does 
  a 
  loyal 
  citizen 
  make 
  between 
  a 
  noble 
  tree 
  

   ■which 
  has 
  seen 
  the 
  centuries 
  roll 
  by, 
  which 
  has 
  stood 
  sentinel 
  

   •over 
  the 
  community 
  since 
  the 
  cradle 
  days 
  of 
  the 
  settlement, 
  and 
  the 
  

   light 
  or 
  telephone 
  company 
  which 
  lops 
  off 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  branches 
  to 
  

   let 
  a 
  wire 
  go 
  through 
  or 
  thrusts 
  an 
  ugly 
  pole 
  into 
  its 
  boughs? 
  A 
  

  

  