[at-l] P. Baxter Quote and Link

[rickboudrie at hotmail.com (rick boudrie)]

>  Given this, why am I confident that he would still oppose the use of cell
>  phones? Mostly because he wrote repeatedly about creating a park that 
>reflected
>  life of days gone by, before the trappings of modern civilization.

Weary, you may well be right.  I am not so sure, though.  Seems to me he was 
more concerned about the place itself, rather than what was going on in the 
heads of its visitors.

No matter.  To my reading the Wilder Within proposals had very little to do 
with cell phones, anyway.   Almost nothing, in fact. They  had a lot to do 
with restricting access on existing roads within the park, like that to 
Roaring Brook (built while Baxter was still firmly at the reigns, I 
believe).

Frankly, I would hate to see the road to Roaring Brook stop short.  While 
the park offers a lot to folks that can put in the miles, I also like what 
it offers to those who can't.  I've had good times with both types in the 
park.  Roaring Brook is neat for a couple reasons, but cheif among them is 
that on a very flat, short (but seems real wild) walk you can shuffle off to 
a pond with a guaranteed perfect view of Katahdin (from the good side ;-) ) 
and an almost guaranteed moose or two.  Its magical, and worth a trip to 
Maine.  I know, I know-- Baxter spoke of going by foot.  But he also said 
this in 1949:

"On mature deliberation I now have come to the conclusion that my 
restrictions as to roads are somewhat too severe. Without proper access 
roads the number of persons who would enjoy the park would be limited. In 
view of this I deem it best to allow the existing roads to remain open and 
to permit the State in State in the years to come to construct such 
additional roads as may be necessary to accommodate those persons who wish 
to enjoy the great, unspoiled area that now is the property of our State.
I now present to you an Amended Act of Acceptance together with a Deed, 
which makes the necessary changes in the former Deeds of Trust that contain 
the road restrictions herein referred to. In order that there may be some 
reasonable check in the future on the construction maintenance of roads in 
the Park it is provided in these Amendments that no roads or ways shall be 
constructed or maintained that will interfere with or  detract from ?the 
natural wild state? of this region. In this, however, I must rely upon the 
good faith of the State of Maine and am confident that the State will live 
up to the terms of this TRUST and will not break faith with me.
The other conditions in the two (2) Acts of Acceptance and in the three (3) 
Deeds which I now present to you are the same as those contained in my 
former Deeds. I shall be pleased if you will accept these Gifts in the 
spirit in which they are offered. "
Respectful1y,

PERCIVAL PROCTOR BAXTER

More interesting stuff here:
http://home.midmaine.com/~dmorrow/archives/DEEDS.html

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