Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-21
The Destruction of our Forests.


cally limltless, our fathers were far too
famous tor lifting up axes upon the thick
trees, and the resultant Cestruction is
even now upon us, like the Pnilsstines
upon Sampson. This destruction comes
to US in many forms, most of which are,
IN fact, rapidly and terribly cumulative.
Here is beautiful stream of wa
ter, for example, which was great
element of wealth to the re-
gion through which it flowed. 1t
might not only have continued to be SO,
but to have gained in usefulness instead
of being dead or surely and swiftly pass
ing away. The numberless little hol-
lows on the hills where the springs
which grew into rivulets to feed 10 have
been stripped OF the moisture-economiz-
ing verdure with which the Creator clio
thed them, and so the springs are dry,
and the rllls no longer murmur their
once glad songs of labor as they hasten
down the valleys to turn the mill-wheels
of mechanical industry. In this one
matter OF destruction of hydraulic pow
er with which we have been already
smittsn hundreds of millions Of dollars OF
damage has been and is the actual result
That this drying up of the streams is
attributable not only chiefly to deforest-
ing, but almost solely to it, common
sense which Is, in fact, the very essence
of both fact and philCsophy-must make
plain to every candid mind. Rain feeds
the springs. To feed them economically,
it should be gentle and frequent, not
violent and at long intervals. Intelligent
forest engineering would require that
such portion of hills be clothed with a
mantle of green trees as by It's cooling in
tiuence it would more frequently so con-
tract the aerial sponge as to give us
showers at short intervals. This is the
case in forest-clothed, beautiful Britain
The reverse is true is tree-stripped Spain
whose people have become as pro-
verbal for their hatred OF trees
as their country has for Ste
rility of soil and sleeping streams. There,
and on eastward all Though the Or ent,
relentlessly brilliant Shy and an appall-
ing absence of verdure will teach one as
nothing else can how beautiful are clouds
that weep, and, in its proper time, how
| delicious a drilling rainy day. These
| deforested Eastern lands are as famous
for seasons of binding storms, and val
legs torn. by terrible torrents, as they are
for the reverse. They will soon find their
counterpart in all these characteristics in
America, unless we rouse ourselves with
will to understand and to master
| these evils
Forests promote streams available fol
our precious manufacturing interests, al
| SO, by furnishing vast anu innumerable
beds Of fallen leaves and moss, which ACT
on the earth Ii ca huge overlylng sponge
to check the sudden rush of the rainfall
into the valleys and down into the streams
Very rapidly in recent years are mourn.
full instances multiplying in which these
manufacturing streams are transformed
by freshets from spirits of blessing-to
give homes and food and clothing to thous
ands who live i'll hamlets, by turning the
machinery which help them by their labor
| to help themselves-to demons of destruc
ton.
| Forests also promote such steadines'
of flow of the streams as to make then
sources of national wealth In giving en-
| ployment to skilled labor. by preventing
the rapid evaporation of moisture. Prob
ably more than half the water that fall
on deforested region in dry season il
whlsked Oft by evaporation just at thu
time W en- it is most needed to strength
en- the depleted mlll-streams. The steam
engine, to be of any practical use as
motive power, must have its &C
ton controlled by the conservative in
fiuence Of the balance-wheel. Otherwis,
its heels would whirl at one time wit
fury W ich would result only in DIES
truction, and then they would move to-
slo nly to be of service. Thus the fores
by increasing the frequency of gentl
rains, and SO decreasing The volume ant
the length of intervals between showers
by regulating their too sudden plunge In
to streams, is the regulator provided b.
nature for their control in the service @
man.
All over the manufacturing portion @
our country we may find instances wher
large amounts of capital have been in
vested to develop and make available on
once magnificent and almost numberles
hydraulic powers. Trusting to wha
seemed certainty of employment fo
themselves and their families, thousand
of skilled laborers have in many case
confidingly made their homes at a poin
! where the stream seemed abundantly pow
erful and permanent. Then, as the sum
mers came and went, the river seemed t
sicken, and grow more and more feeble
till there would be week or two in eac
year IN which the spindles and the loom
: would be silent.
As the time went on these periods O
idleness have heightened into mont' 8, i
which the labor struggle for bread an
clothing, for means to pay for the hum
! bile little home or debts incurred in sick
ness, was compelled to be suspended
The cause of all this was that the source
! |, of the rivers life had been DESTROYED G
! injured by the ignorance, cupidity, q
: reckiessness of men who "lifted up axe
) ON the thick trees" far up the noun tair
where the mills-streams had their birth.
J No lady objects tn seeing description
1 Of her costume in print On the contr,
E ry. she likes it. Women dress for omer
J. a man may have general idea that
n Iod,1 lrn1,n r1o~~v v,;no ~. 1880