340 



Q. Why is there such a disposition, on the part of most people, to 

 believe that at any time, during the last two years, the commission 

 could have purchased, for the $25,000, land in many parts ? 



A. The money was only appropriated last year. 



Q. Pardon me, but previous to that you were aware that lands could 

 be purchased ? 



A. We believed it. 



Q. How did you find out? 



A. The land offered to us there, so Mr. Garmon said and so we 

 had reason to believe, was small in amount up to November, and 

 extra efforts were made on his part to get somebody to say they 

 would sell some ; as I understand from Mr. Garmon, there was nothing 

 offered to us that was worthy of being purchased by the State; I know 

 there was a lot of land that I thought was going to be a big trade; 

 a man offered some land to us right on the streams for twenty-five 

 cents an acre and back taxes; we had that looked into and as near 

 as I can remember the back taxes amounted to six dollars an acre; 

 I will tell you a little about not spending that $25,000; it was a very 

 small amount to use for that purpose, but, while I was all the time 

 thinking about it and talking to Mr. Garmon and wondering if we 

 couldn't buy some nice land with the $25,000, and we thought . it was 

 something that would give us an insight into the lands that were 

 held in that section of the Adirondacks, that might be available to 

 buy for park purposes, when it was decided by the Legislature that 

 we should buy that, so that I didn't press the matter, thinking it was 

 a source of information to us ; Bishop Doane I was talking with after 

 the Herald came out against us in that way; he takes a good deal of 

 interest in our work, and in the idea of a park and all that; he said 

 it was the first time that he had ever heard a commission complained 

 of for not spending money; I was going to get, the bishop to come 

 here and tell you that, ' but he is over on the other side enjoying 

 himself; I wished we had worked a little harder upon it now; I did 

 fret a little about it, but I thought it would be all right in the end; 

 we have got it now anyway, and it can't lapse for another year; I 

 think we will buy some within a week or two if we can get hold of 

 anything that's good. 



By Chairman Byan: 



Q. Did you take as much interest in the park in the Adirondack 

 region as in the park below ? 



A. I have taken a very deep interest in it; I have argued in favor 

 of a park for several years, and I would have liked to have been, 

 there a great deal more. 



