New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-21
INV oRLRANs. RKPUBIIOAH FRIDAY JANUARY n, 1876
The Warrington correspondent of tn
New York San furnishes the following:

- - ST..
The PfllageA Timber Lands.
The washineton correspondent of the
New York San furnishes the following:
The appointment of committee by the
House of Representatives on Friday, to look
after the timber thieves ON the lands re-
served by the government for naval pur-
poses, has caused great deal of uneasiness
in certain quarters here, a. it NO doubt has
Alabama and the other States in which
these lands are lOca'ed.
The act of Congress by which these lands
were reserved for government purposes was
passed in 1881, and provides for the punish
ment of offenders who cut, destroy or re-
move live oak or other timber. This law,
however, has been dead letter so far as
the provision relating to timber thieves is
concerned, although evidence of robbery
and the names of the culprits have repeat
eddy been furnished the government.
These naval reserved lands are located in
Georgia. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas, and were selected by
commissioners appointed at different times
for that purpose They are covered with
the finest quality of red cedar, yellow pine
and live oak to be found in the country,
and were selected for this very reason.
The largest of these reservations are To-
Gated in Florida, and in consequence OF the
facility with which timber can be shipped
from the gulf coast and the neglect of gov
eminent officials, or else their completely
with the rascals, the depredatiOns there are
by far the most extensive. In Volusia
county, near Mosquito Inlet, at Silver
Spring, on the HillsborO, Suwsnee and
Withalaco0tchie rivers, on Pease creek. and
St. Andrews, Choctawstchie, Santa Rosa,
Escambia, East and Perdido bays. are
reservations of the finest timber to be found
in the South, which is rapidly disappearing
under the lawless axe of the timber thieves.
The depredatOrs cOntine their largest
operations to the valuable red cedar trees
in the Gulf sections, and it is estimated
that the quantity stolen in single year, if
cut and sold by the government, would pay
for the expense of caring for these lands
fof many years. Large quantities of this
wood are sold to the different pencil manu-
facturers in this country, while thousands
of feet are annually exported to Germany,
France and England, as these establish
ments have agents at regular points on the
coast, who are ready to purchase from any
seller.
The yellow pine woods on the reserva-
tions are rendered worthless by the tur-
pentine gathers, who box the pine trees tor
the sap, continuing the process until the
trees are often scarified to q height Of tif-
teen feet, drawing all the life out of them.
DepredatiOns are also carried on over the
government lands open to settlement The
robbers hire negroes at good wages, use
them to locate homesteads upon pine
timbered lands. they paying the necessary
fees 1T the land Office, and then, under pre-
tence of improvement, cut down the trees
for lumber or box them for turpentine, or
both. After one locality is exhausted q
no- n1ooo n eo1oNfo6 Uonora1lv m anna
heavily timbered stream, whence transpOrta-
ton to the mill 10 easy, and entries are
made under new names.
The lands reserved for naval purposes
and as naval reserved timber lands" are
under the charge of the Navy Department,
the Bureau Of Construction and Repair
having special supervision. Those along
the gulf coast are supposed to be looked
after by the naval constructor on duty at
the Pensacola navy yard, but they get no
attention whatever from him. The agents
who are paid to look out for these lands are
charged with being in league with the
thieves, and from the fact that the business
Of carrying off the timber is carried on
Nth IMMUNITY, it is pretty good evidence
that the charge is not groundless. Some
three years ago one agent who was too
honest to allow himself to used by the ras
,als made q thorough inspection of the
anu fOund large quantities OF
timber cut ready for shipment, full reports
If which, with the name of the depreda-
ors, were sent to the Navy Department, as
nay be seen by reference to the records.
Nothing, however, was done about it, and
he thieves were not only encouraged in
heir nefarious business, but they finally
ucceeded in having the honest agent re-
moved.
Captain J. c. Trebiger. United States
,avy, was detailed by the Navy Depart
nent to examine the lands, and he made
n exhaustive and thorough report after
his labors, recommending the
by the Navy Department of
he worthless, and the appointment OF COM
'etent and honest agents to take care of
he most valuable OF these lands, but no |!
iced was paid to his recommendation.
An agent located at Pensacola was at one |
ime removed for himself being engaged in |
laundering the government of this timber. |
salary OF 1890 per annum, q house, al |
be land he desired TO cultivate, orange |
rove, and boat and boatmen to attend |
i'm, were not enough to minister to his |
90 he decided to have yacht,
nd in very short time his friends were
1vited to sail in Little Silas, which was
of government timber and
Materials from the navy yard, and after
ard used for carrying stolen timber from
ariOus points to Pensacola for sale and
nipment.