Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-25
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.
Some Rather Startling Facts and Figures.
From the New York Times

Some Rather Startling Facts and Figures
From the New York Times.
The constant and reckless destruction
of our forests is fast bringing us to a
condition in which there will be coca,
sion for real alarm. It is not probable
that any ''scare" like that which few
years ago went over England, concern
ing the prospective exhaustion of her
coal supply, will Immediately occur in
America touching the loss of our forests,
but we wish something near enough ap-
preaching it might happen to stop a
work that is full of evil promise.
In the whole United States there is
left but one really great tract of timber.
It lies at the far extreme of our country,
and consists of about one half of Wash
ington Territory and third of Oregon.
California has perhaps, 100000 acres of
forest now, of which fully one-half has
been cut away within the last two or
thre years, Here in New York we have
no considerable forest left except in the
Adirondack region. Our wealth of
maple, walnut and hickory is srbstan-
TALLY gone, and large part of it has
been wantonly destroyed. Wisconsin
had a magnificent forest growth, bat
the people are sweeping it away at a
rapid rate. One billion feet of timber
was cut in a single year. It will not
take more than a decade or two at
the utmost to fairly exhaust this source
of wealth to the state. Michigan and
Minnesota are following in the course,
slashing away at their forests as il a tree
had no right to lift it's head. One of
our most intelligent army officers, Gen
eral Brisbin, who knows the 4 western
country thoroughly, and to Whose &C
curate knowledge of this subject we are
indebted for many facts, says that 3d.
900 acres OF Wisconsin timber are out
annually to supply the Kansas and Ne.
braska markets alone. The Saginaw
forests are even now practically destroy
ed, and if the Northern Pacific Railway
is built it will open up to the ak the one
remaining belt of American timber, in
Oregon and Washington Territory.
The railroads have been the great de-
stroyers of our forests. They use 100,
100000 of ties annually-that means
the leveling OF at least 10000 acres of
trees. The timber they use, also, is
not the refuse or the inferior, but
among the very best fine young trees,
eight to ten inches in diameter. The
Union Pacific Company undertook at
first to lay their road with cottonwood
ties, drawn from the occasional wooded
canyons along the line of the road.
One consequence of this was shown in
our Washington dispatch, the other
day, regarding the legislation to be
asked of Congress for the relief of the
road. The government commission ap-
pointed to examine the line re-
ported that it was not com
pleted within the terms of the
law. The use of these soft wood ties
was held by them to be an evasion OF
contract, and government patents fol
the lands granted along two or three
hundred miles of the road have accord
ingly been refused The settlers who
have bought the lands can get no titles
from the company, for it has none.
This looks bad for our forests, since it
means the ultimate destruction of thous-
ands of acres or more of good timber
to supply the condemned ties, which
have already swept off a large part of
the few precious growths of this com
paratively treeless region. IF 1t Is re-
membered that ties have to be renewed
every seven years, the extent Of the de-
mand on our forests will be appreciated.
When 10000 miles more Of rails have
been laid, it will require all the young
trees in the country to supply the de-
mand for ties. pr
Fences are also enormous consumer
of trees. In the east VIC are learning in
this regard economy from necessity, but
in the west, In some states, the farmers
cut down the forests with scarcely more
thought than they harvest their gain
1he fences of the United States, people
may not generally know, have cost more
than the lands, and are, to-day, the
most valuable class of property, save
railroads and real estate in cities. Ill
inois alone has 100000, invested in
fences, and they cost annually $1750OO
for repairs. In Nebraska, where excl
lent herd laws are in force, the necessity
for fences has been so much lesseaed
that the fences of the state cost less in
proportion to population than in tiny
other in the Union.
The outrageous waste of timber
caused by the telling of forests and he
burning Of trees to bring the land IN
der cultivation still goes on at fearful
rate. From 1860 to 1870 no less than
100000 acres of forest were thus
wantonly destroyed. For fuel, also,
vast tracts are leveled of their trees.
Tt took 10,0 600 acres of forest to supply
Chicago with fuel one year-1S71. Our
annual decrease of forest from all these
causes is not far from 5000, 900 acres.
Yet we plant only 10000 acres of new
forest a year.
The necessity for a commission of
forestry, and the need of efficient laws
in all the states for the preservation OF
our forests, need no further argument
than these facts. OF
All there Was Of Sam.
A contraband came into the Fedora,
lines in North Carolina, and was march
ed up to the officer of the day to give
an account of himself, whereupon the
following colloquy ensued:
''What is your Dame?"
"My names Sam"
'''Sam what %
emo, sab, not Sam Watt. Use jest
Sam
"What's your other name 2"