- September 1, 1931 – Paul Schaefer to JSA –
Dear Mr. Apperson:
My talk with you on the phone has filled me with all sorts of thought and anticipations. Your suggestions that we get-to-gether in the Adirondacks is a fine idea and I certainly hope we can make dates jibe so as to make it a fact.
I have just gone over my plans for this coming month and find “the book’s full” as regards weekends until that weekend of September 27th. However perhaps you would be free then. The secretary of the Club has promised me a complete membership list early this month. As soon as it arrives I plan to get off a number of letters to those members living within a fair distance of this city, asking them their reaction to a possible Schenectady chapter. I should have enough replies by the suggested date to know whether or not such a chapter would be feasible. I am confident as to the outcome.
More and more I realize that we must have some concentrated strength for the expoundation of true conservation. The last issue of High Spots kept me up half the night. I started a little action in protest to it via the mail and met with some more very enthusiastic response. Dr. Phelps of this Club is a go-getter. She proposes to start a Fort Plain chapter this fall and under her leadership she could accomplish much. I think that we might be surprised at the number in the Club who think along the same lines as we do.
Have you seen the report of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks? If not I’ll bring it along when I come.
My correspondence with President Carson has been quite frequent. I dared to oppose his stand — he liked it — and the result has been a fairly good understanding of each other’s grounds. My admiration for the man is very keen although we heartily disagree with one another, on some points. At least, as he says, we’re going to pull together on the points we do agree upon.
Altogether it has been a very thrilling “Adirondacky” summer even though we have been rushed to death trying to find time for half our desires. I have had some wonderful trip to my little old cabin and a few glorious “hermit overnighters
into the wilderness beyond the cabin. And right here I would like to say I have yet to see a wilder, more beautiful region than that surrounding “Lost Lake Flow.” Man! But that’s a yarn for our campfire!
Until then
Yours, of ‘Rondack trails!
Paul Schaefer