- September 21, 1929 – JSA to George Foster Peabody –
Dear Mr. Peabody:
I was glad to receive your letter of the 18th, and will make a special effort to see you when it suits you convenience, sometime during the fist of next week, as you suggest.
May I correct your impression of my letter to Mr. Leach. Mr. Leach wired me that he would have a long talk with the Governor on the Governor’s way south through New York, and it was not my intention to convey the idea that Mr. Leach was going south.
I had the interesting pleasure of being guest of the Leach’s at the Ausable Club over Labor Day for the purpose of discussing conservation matters. I found them both deeply interested and an trying to help them with some of their problems near St. Hubert’s.
After my talk with the Governor he definitely agreed that the State should acquire the Paradise Bay land without further delay and he seemed friendly to the thought that Mr. Knapp should retain about two miles of shore and 5,000 acres of land, which will continue his ownership of virtually all of his improvements and roads and trails, and also his camp at Bumps Pond. I have also recommended that the public cease landing in front of Mr. Knapp’s place and a dock to the built for the public on the State land. This will give Mr. Knapp the privacy that a private owner should enjoy and which he does not have under the present arrangement.
Since Commissioner MacDonald and others seems bitterly opposed to taking any of Mr. Knapp’s land, for reasons best known to themselves, it will require considerable effort before we can put the State in possession of this much needed property. If you have any suggestions that I might carry out in this connection, I would very much appreciate your further interest in this undertaking.
I will call up Monday afternoon and see when it is convenient for me to drop in for a short visit. Again thanking you for your valuable help, I remain
Very sincerely yours,
JSApperson