52 EIGHTH REPORT OF THE 



during the season of 1902, discloses that this traffic approximates closely to 

 175,000 passengers and $475,000 passenger revenues to the company. We estimate 

 that about sixty per cent of this traffic originates in other States. These 

 estimates do not include the freight and express companies' earnings. 



It is apparent to those who have kept in touch with the remarkable development 

 of the health and pleasure resort region of Northern New York during the past 

 ten years that the State has in that country an asset of almost incalculable 

 value to its citizens in its power to attract revenues to its farmers, its merchants 

 and its hotel and transportation interests. As one who, in connection with his 

 avocation, has made a life study of the best means of developing health and 

 pleasure travel resorts, I would suggest that the best investment the State could 

 make in this direction would be the construction of a model system of highways 

 through its Adirondack domain, affording means of easy communication between 

 points of interest to the tourist somewhat after the policy adopted in Switzerland, 

 in the Austrian Tyrol, in the mountainous tourist region of Norway and through 

 the White Mountains of New Hampshire. If this were done, it would result in 

 a great increase of travel, not only from other States, but from Europe as well, 

 and I believe that the roads could be properly maintained by tolls without 

 further expense to the State than their initial cost. 



Very respectfully yours, 



J. W. Burdick, 



General Passenger Agent. 



New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company, 

 George H. Daniels, General Passenger Agent, 

 Grand Central Station. 



New York, December 23, 1902. 

 Subject: New York State Summer Resort Business. 

 Col. William F. Fox, Superintendent State Forests, Albany: 



Dear Sir. — Mr. Burdick wrote me recently in reference to your call upon 

 him for information which you desired to embody in your annual report, covering 

 the value of summer and pleasure travel to the Northern New York resorts. 



Our auditor has made an examination of our reports and approximates the 

 following figures, covering business for three months of the summer : 



Adirondack section . 

 Thousand Island section 

 Niagara Falls 

 Catskill Mountains . 



Total 



Passengers. 



Railroad 

 fares. 



100,000 



$400,000 



50,000 



l6o,000 



l6o,000 



170,000 



85,000 



155, °°° 



395, 00 ° 



$885,000 



