Historic leaves, volume 5, April, 1906 - January, 1907

[36] at the palaces, city or country, not a door was closed against me. The words ‘For the Fells’ on my card was ‘open sesame’ enough, and I left no house, rich or poor, without its ‘Godspeed’ to Mr. Wright, in the great and good end he was so nobly struggling to gain. Quite a number, too, with whom I corresponded responded with voluntary contributions of their own, and all took hold with right good will in selling the tickets. Finding the old saying, ‘What's everybody's business is nobody's,’ too unkindly true in his case, in 1.884 he determined his plan should have the benefit of canvassers, and his next step was to begin himself the work of organizing ‘public domain clubs’ in the Fells municipalities and in Boston, which, acting in concert with the Fells Association, might elect committees and employ them. Such a club, comprising some 200 members, he organized in Medford; and it only needed that some ten or twenty others as enterprising and as willing to work should, without his aid or prompting, effect the other organizations. Such help was not forthcoming; and his last Forest Festival, held, I think, in 1885, the year of his death, had for its object so to strengthen his little Fells Association as to help him in gaining this help. In 1885, too, by his invitation, the National Forestry Congress was held in Boston. Towards its success, and still that of similar forest parks for other cities, he made every effort. This Was in September, and feeling his strength lessen, his work till the morning of his death was to see such men as he hoped after it might take his place. And on November 21 he died, bequeathing to the Metropolitan plan the success his own had earned, land with it, through the love of his children, the beautiful woods of Pine Hill and its neighborhood.

After quoting the passage which I have given, and which was written in the July of 1883, Mr. De las Casas takes leave of Mr. Wright with, ‘His death was thought to have been hastened by overwork in this cause, and to be an irreparable loss to the whole movement. The agitation became more energetic when real estate speculators bought the woods along Ravine road, cut off the grand pines, land turned the scene of beauty into the hideousness of a logging camp. The Appalachian Club took up the ’