- July 25, 1925 – George Foster Peabody to Editor, the Lake George Mirror –
The Editor:
I have to confess great astonishment and even more to being shocked at the language used and the temper of your editorial reply to Miss Loines. I have to admit that as a former stockholder of the Mirror, who surrendered his stock for the benefit of the community, I feel personally grieved that such language should appear in the editorial with reference to anyone. It seems to me to indicate a very different quality from the general temper of the constituency which formerly supported your Paper.
It so chances, however, that Miss Loines is one of our most public-spirited citizens and without any selfish instincts at all so far as those who have known her much of her life are able to judge. I, therefore, wish to protest and most vigorously against the treatment of any correspondent, but particularly against such, to my mind, an outrageous attack upon one of the finest of our citizens.
I think it should be said that the people who got together to assure the publication of the Mirror in early days were very strongly in favor of having Lake George and its surroundings continue as a beautiful bit of nature. I believe that still the most of them are not desirous of having land speculation dominate the situation and that is what seems to me your desire for a “prosperous” Lake George means. It is bad enough to have our cities run away with by modern rush and drive but certainly the advantages which nature has for relief of this rush and drive should ne maintained in the most beautiful spot in all the world in the judgment of many tourists.
Miss Loines’ interest in the development of a proper connection over Tongue Mountain has been well known and her recent letter calling attention to the lack of consideration shown by the considerable number of tourists which have been rather suddenly dumped upon the community voices thoughts that surely the Editor of the Mirror must have some consciousness of to say the least. I am strongly in favor of giving public facilities to tourists to see the natural beauties and I am in favor of the road over Tongue Mountain, as at present laid out, but I think it is desirable that every organ of public opinion should be continually aware of the fact that the ultimate for which we all aim is a finer and better specimen of human animal.
The courtesy that St. Paul wrote of so effectively many centuries ago is still one of the best expressions to further the great modern problem of many thousands living alongside of one another with the least friction…