55S 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



A striking illustration of how unreasonable public prejudice in 

 the North Woods may be was afforded by the writer's experience 

 at Indian lake in the fall of 1897. At that time investigations 

 as to the foundation of the new Indian lake dam were in process, 

 and in order to expedite the study it was proposed to draw the 

 water out of the lake. This fact becoming known, violent pro- 

 tests were made by people living several miles away, who 

 urged that if the lake were drawn down there was certain to be 

 serious sickness, diphtheria among other diseases being men- 

 tioned as likely to occur. Time was an element of importance, 

 and inasmuch as it would require at least ten days to draw the 

 water to a level low enough to be of any special assistance in the 

 study in hand, it was finally left undrawn, the water surface of 

 the lake remaining during the whole summer and fall of 1897 

 at about the crest of the original timber dam, or at about twelve 

 feet above extreme low water. In spite, however, of the water 

 not being drawn there was a great deal of sickness in the vicinity 

 of Indian lake in the fall of 1897, diphtheria especially attacking 

 a large number of children. Certainly had the water actually 

 been drawn, as originally proposed, no amount of argument would 

 have availed to show that the drawing of the water was not 

 responsible for the disease. 



Power development at Glens Falls ami vicinity. The truth of 

 the general proposition may be sufficiently appreciated by con- 

 sidering the development on the upper Hudson river and in the 

 immediate vicinity thereof. 



At Glens Falls there are extensive sawmills turning out twenty 

 million feet of sawed lumber annually; one of the largest paper- 

 mills in the country, including a pulpmill, with other industries 

 is located here. There are also limekilns, producing .")00,000 

 barrels of lime annually. The Glens Falls Portland Cement 

 Works produce 1000 barrels of cement a day. In addition, there 

 are in the town, shirt and collar factories, employing about 2000 

 people. 



At Sandy Hill there are large bag ami paper establishments, 

 wall-paper \\<»rks. iron and brass works, friction-pulley works, 

 works for the manufacture of machinery of many kinds, lumber 



