Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-21
The Destruction OF American Forests.

Of II desolation which IL recorded far
back OF the days Of Roman or even Of
| Grecian glory, we re- that " man was
famous according M he had lifted up
axes upon the thick trees" In the days
when American forests were considered
practically limitlcss. our fathers were
far too famous for lifting up axes upon
the thick trees, and the resultant dcstruc-
tion II even now upon us, like the Pal
istines upon samson. This destruction
comes upon us in many forms, most Of
which are, In fact, rapidly and terribly
cumulative. Here IL "A beautiful stream
OF water, for example, which was a
great element Of wealth 10 the region
through which IL flowed 1t might not
only have continued To be -, but 20 have
gained in usefulness instead Of being
,i', dead or surely and swiftly passing away
ne numberless little hollows on the
hills whore were the springs which
grew into riyulets to feed it have been
stripped Of the moisturc-economizi
vrrdure with which the Creator clothed
thcin' and 20 the springs are dry. and the
TliIb no longer murmur their once glad
songs OF labor IA they hastcned down
the valleys 10 turn the mill wheels Of
mechanical industry. In this one matter
oi destruction Of hydraulic power with
winch we have been already gmit,en,
"
damage has been and is the actual re-
suit. That this drying up Of the streams
. ~ attributable not only chiefly to dcfor
csting, but almost solely u il, common
scnse-whieh IL. in fact. the very essence
OF both fact and philosophy-must make
plain tnCycrY candid mind. Rain feeds
/ the springs. To feed them economically.
II should bc gentle and frequent, not
violent and ut long intervals. lntclli-
gent forest engineering would require
that such portion Of hills be clothed
+ with mantle Of green trees NJ by it.
cooling influence it would more fre-
qucHty 20 contract the aerial sponge ~
1" Civ" us showers at short in
t'ryais. This is the case in forest
c.othed beautiful Britain. The re-
verse j. true in trcc-tipped Spain.
whose people have become - pro-
verbal Tor their hatred oftrces a. their
I country las for sterility Of soil and sleep
ing streams. There. and on eastward
Nil through tho Orient, a rclent.es.ly
bril liant sky and M appallin absence Of
E'riurc VIII teach one ~ nothing else
cu how beautiful are clouds that weep.
and, in it, proper time how delicious II
driZZiing rainy day. The deforc,tcd
Eastern lands arc AS famous for seasons
of binding storms. and valleys torn by
terrible torrents. as they are for the re-
. V,r-c. IA.y viii soon find thcir counter
part in all these characteristics in
America, unlcs, wc rouse ourselves witk
a viii 30 understand and 10 master these
evils. Forc-ts promote streams avail
able FOR our precious manufacturing in
tcrcsts, also, by furnishing vast and al
most innumuablc beds OF fallen leaves
and of moss. which act on the earth
like a huge everything sponge. To check
IL o. 4 q frr
valleys and down into the streams
Very upialj in recent years arc mourn
ful instances multiplying in which these
manufacturing streams are transformed
i by ireshGs from spirits Of blcssiugs-to
give homes and food and clothing o
thousands who livo in the hamlois. by
turning the machinery which helps
them by their labor 10 help thcmsClye.
to demons ofdcsiruction. Forests also
promote such stcadiHcss o1 flow Of the
streams a, TO rake them sources Of
national wealth in giving employment
"a skilled labor. by preventing the rapid
evaporation of moisture. Probably
more than half the water that falls on
a deforcstcd region in dry season is
whiskcd off hy evaporation just at the
time when il j. most needed 10 strengthen
. the depleted mill-strcams. The steam
{ engine TO be OF any practical use as a
. motive power. must have its action con-
. trollcd by the conservative influence Of
the halancc.whcel. Otherwise It's wheels
would whirl nj one time with a fury
which would result only in destruction.
and then they would move too slowly 10
! be Of service. Thus the forest. by in
I croasing the frequency of gentle rains.
ami 50 decreasing the volume and the
length of intervals i,ctwecn showers. also
. L. aHst
\ into the streams. is the great regulator
provided by nature for their control in
. the service OF man. All over thc manu-
I featuring portions Of our country We
. may find instances whore large amounts
T of capital have been invested to develop
E and make available our once magnificent
I and almost numherlcss hydraulic
I powers. Trusting TO what seemed s
certainty Of employment for themselves
and their families. thousands of skilled
laboTers have in many cas,s conhdingly
made their homes nj "A point where the
stream seemed abundanuy powerful and
Z permanent. Then, as the summers
I came and went, the river seemed 10
sickCn, and grow more and more feeble,
till there would be week or two each
F year in which the spindles and the looms
would be silent. As time went on these
I pei Iiods Of idleness have heightened into
months. in which the labor struggle for
bread and clothing. for means tn pay for
/ the humble little home. or debts incurred
in sickness. was compelled 70 be sus-
pended. The cause Of al this was that
the sources of the rivers life had been
destroyed or injured by the ignorance,
cupidity. or recklessness Of men who
lifted up the axe on the thick trees"
far up the mountains. where the mill
streams had their birth. q W. Fosocu. ~
H1Tper's Mgg1ziHc.