March 2, 1932 – JSA to George Marshall (238 East 61st Street, NYC) –
Dear Mr. Marshall:
Thanks for allowing me to see the enclosed letter from Mrs. Torrey. Raymond certainly was helpful to us in many ways. I do not feel at all free to call on Carson for assistance of any kind.
I am indeed sorry to learn that you and your family are going away to recover from flu. I sincerely hope you will all convalesce rapidly.
Occasionally I think of your grave responsibility in writing an article against the proposed John Brook Road. No doubt you will point out that the SDK have been one of the outstanding groups advocating the protection of the wild charm of the Forest Preserve ands and only recently joined 57 other organizations in a fight against changing the Constitution that would permit developments antagonistic to the wild forest character/ For the club to advocate the building of a road into one of these wild areas would be acting in bad faith and no doubt would be so considered by many people and organizations with which they are associated.
Once the trees are cut and the road built, legal action could be taken by the county or state to declare the road a public thoroughfare, and even if such action were not taken, the Club would be out in a position of being very selfish in securing special privileges in the public Forest Preserve not granted to the public. No doubt such a road would encourage those who wish to build a highway to the top of Marcy and the Club, having favored a road to accommodate their special purpose, would hardly be in a position to oppose it being built more elaborately to accommodate a larger number of people. It has no doubt been pointed out that some of the Club members own cottages along the brook that would be made more salable, being more accessible by road, but this is, of course, incidental to the larger picture.
While I am a charter member and, with several others, was inspired to help organize the ADK with the thought that it would help to preserve the wild charm of the Adirondacks, time and time again I am exasperated with proposals of this kind which go a long way toward opening up and destroying the attractiveness and strong appeal that this Club should labor to preserve.
I am indeed glad that you will write an article on this and I hope you will send me a copy for such distribution as I may be able to make.
Sincerely yours, J. S. Apperson