Another great story on page 1 of the Adirondack Enterprise dated March 29, 1906. How nice it was for the residents of this region to have the Enterprise bring them the news [at that time published three days a week] as the only source of news. The first radio broadcast “in world history” was a concert broadcast on Christmas Eve, 1906.

I will change the name of the gentleman charged with hunting with hounds because I am sure there are relatives of the accused living in the area. I am also that sure a classmate of mine in high school was his grandson.

The alleged hunting offense was committed on the William Rockefeller Bay Pond Adirondack Preserve. Mr. Rockefeller, a relative of John D.

Rockefeller, “the Richest Man in the World;” the Preserve is now owned by Jack Ma, the “Richest Man in China.” Just wait until Mr. Ma reads this story.

“Chief Fish and Game Protector Burnham [probably a great-uncle of my pal, Jeff Burnham, the Lake Placid financial and insurance tycoon] has reported to Commissioner Whipple, of the State Forest Commission that he expects to begin actions against Pete Moss, the manager of William Rockefeller’s Bay Pond Adirondack Preserve and against certain other employees of Rockefeller’s whom he accuses of having a pack of fox hounds and of hounding deer.

“Chief Protector Burnham has been holding a court of inquiry at Dickinson Center, in Franklin County, and his investigation developed information on which it is proposed to base the prosecutions. Mr. Burnham declares that he found it had been the custom of the people on the Rockefeller Preserve to keep the hounds there and hunt with them despite the law which declares against it.

“His investigation was set on foot as the outcome of complaints which have been received at the department regarding the open violation of law which has been permitted on the Rockefeller Preserve.

“The law provides a penalty of $100 for the possession of each dog found at the Preserve, $100 for each time the owner is found to have employed the dogs in hounding and $100 for each deer killed in hounding. Chief Burnham is satisfied he has a good case on Rockefeller’s men under each sub-division. He found where one deer had been killed and thinks there were probably more that met a similar fate from the dogs.

“Rockefeller’s Preserve is an immense property of 52,335 acres lying on both sides of the St. Regis River in township 16 and 17, Franklin County, and the owner has about 100,000 additional acres which he has not included in the boundaries of the Preserve.

“Chief Protector Burnham is also working on cases of violators of the law in the killing of two of the beaver which were recently established in the Adirondacks.

“One violator is believed to be a St. Francis Indian, who after killing the animal, returned to his former home in Canada.”

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Before the grand jury

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“Among the cases to be presented to the Grand Jury when it is organized in Malone next week are: Fred Nerks, of Saranac Inn, charged with murder.

“Joseph Blogg, charged with Grand Larceny in the 2nd degree. He is accused of stealing a watch and a sum of money of Mrs. Richard Richards of Saranac Lake while in attendance at the county fair.

“The Nerks case may be tried at a special term in May. The others will come before the regular term of the county court.”

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Floods and trains

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“Considerable damage by water on the line of the Adirondack Division of the New York Central in the vicinity of Forestport Tuesday evening interrupted the train service between Forestport and Saranac Lake for about 12 hours. The New York trains arrived and were dispatched via Malone, Norwood, Philadelphia and Remsen.

“The train on the Saranac Lake branch made connections in Malone Tuesday night and Wednesday morning with the New York trains. The through service on the Adirondack Division was resumed yesterday noon.”

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Could be a ‘short’ story

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“Improvements planned and in progress in the service of the Saranac Lake Light, Heat & Power Company made it necessary to discontinue the day current during the bright, clear days until further notice. [Sounds like a better idea than Daylight Saving Time, eh?] The changes in the local service will include the extension of lines and the rearrangement of many wires. A discontinuance of the day current while the men are at work will insure safety for the electricians and also for the public which may come in contact with the wires.”

Paul Smith and two of his sons formed the Paul Smith’s Electric Light & Power Company, no railroad yet, in 1905 and in 1907 purchased the Saranac Lake Power Company for $125,000.”