November 24, 1934
THE STATE
Роде
Five
Lake Mattamuskeet Returns
The huge pumps, located in the plant shown above, are again idle. They strove valiantly to keep
the water out of Lake Mattamuskeet, but the force of Nature proved to be the stronger. The
fertile farm lands arc again inundated.
amp
engiiiMM
■Ml. he
set out to conquer nature
★
Follow
к
us
of I sane Wal¬
ton and Nim¬
rod are genuinely
enthusiastic over
the announcement
of tin- purchase by
federal government
of Lake Mattamiis-
kect as a migratory
waterfowl refuge
ami black bass
breeding ground.
This lake, located
on that picturesque
peninsula which
stretches out toward
Cape 11 altera-, i-
one of the largest
natural lakes in the
South Atlantic
states. It has long
been considered the
greatest coin-cut ra¬
tion point for mi¬
gratory waterfowl
on tho Atlantic
Seaboard and the
greatest natural
area for breeding of
black bat* in the
eastern part of the United State».
Already a favorite haunt for bunting
enthusiasts, it promises to becomo even
more popular as HI, 000 of the 40,000
acres purchased by the government are
to bo reserved as public shooting
grounds.
An Interesting History
It is doubtful whether any other lake
in the country has as unique and as
interesting a history as Lake Mattamus¬
keet, which “Went Hutch" several years
ago.
It was in 1011 that the lake first began
its wandering*. I’rior to that time, it
was owned by the State of North < Jaro-
lina. Someone connected with the State
Department of Education conceived the
idea that if the water could be drained
from this vast lake, the rich, black loam
underneath could be made to grow the
finest crops in the state.
To carry out this idea, a corporation
was formed and huge sums of money
were raised. The best engineering
talent in America was secured and hun¬
dreds of men were employed to construct
drainage canals and install giant mu-
By A.VVA THOMAS
★
ehinerv to pump water from the lake.
At New Holland,
»«
the place came to
he known, a hotel was built to care for
the workers. Even settlers wen-
brought from Holland.
Finally, in true Dutch style, the water
was coralled into canals. What was be¬
fore only n lonely stretch of water six
miles wide and sixteen miles long
became a vast agricultural area of un¬
surpassed richness.
Canal Walls Broke Down
In a few month-, the walls of the
canals began to break down and the
waters of the lake crept back into their
bed.
Undaunted by this unsuressful effort
to turn the lake into profit, August
lleekaber of New York, a wealthy capi¬
talist and real estate dealer, bought the
property in 1025. Kin ploying some of
the finest .scientific talent in the country,
among whom was the famous agrieul-
in the area.
He -pent more than a million dollar-
in tlm venture and for a time, it seemed
that a miraculous engineering feat had
been accomplished. Twelve thousand
acres of corn, beans, wheat, rice, and
oats were cultivated without fertiliser
four feet Mow sea level.
Soon after the lake had
к
dry
land, a earful of travelers -topped to
ask a man how to get to Lake Mattumus-
keet. "You’re right in the middle of it
now," the man replied. The driver of
the ear looked at his out-of-dutc road
map, looked at the fertile stretch of dry
laud before him. looked incredulously at
the man who made the statement and
drove on with a puzzled expression on
his face.
The Water Returns
Again the giant pumps have ceased
for the lake has returned for the second
time, proving that nature cannot bo tam¬
pered with successfully. Water now
stands on the floor of the hotel at Now
(Continued on pat/e twenty-three)
