The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-08-24

topped by lofty mountain ranges, cut by
sharp, deep, rapid rivers which carry of
to the ocean the immense precipitation
Of snow which Is accumulated about
their sources. There is no summer rain
fall either upon the mountains or in the
valleys. The operations of the miner
and the agrieulturist are dependent,
therefore. for hydraulic power and irri.
cation during the long. dry California
summer, upon the water stored in the
natural basins from which the rivers are
supplied. The storage basins are the
great forests Of pines AMI other confer
Gus trees which cover the Sierra Nevada
and the other tallforna mountains. II
these forests are allowed to remain in
something like the condition To which
nature, slowly working through count.
l,.ss ages, has developed them, the SHOWS
of the mountain, gradually melting. will
as gradually pass down through the
streams. which will thus continue to
supply, during the summer months, the
miner and the farmer. the one with
power, the other with plant producing
fertility.
These natural storage basins are
threatened with total destruction. Two
classes of Californians are holly iisput-
ing the right To use water, while. third
il silently and slowly destroy ing the ca
pacity Of the rivers to furnish any water
at all Turing the summer months, when
the use Of water is really essential. The
destruction of the California forests will
convert the California rivers into spring
torrents. and then leave them dry dur
ing the remainder Of the year.
The topography Of no other part of
the world is So adapted to develop dan
gerous floods and subsequent periods Of
water famine rs that of California, where
the natural conditions are destroyed, and
the sheep industry Of the State Is active.
~ engaged, and has been actively en-.
gagged for many years. in destroying the
balance of power held by the forests upon
the water supply. Countless herds Of
sheep. cattle ami goats are driven every
summer up from the parched valleys
into the moist mountain meadows and
woods. They have devoured every blade
Of grass and stamped ont and knawed
away every bush and young tree along
the whole length Of the Sierras. The re
productive power Of the forest is thus
seriously impaired, If not totally ruined.
Nor is this the worst feature Of the situa-
ton. over pasturage Of the woods has
destroyed the grasses and the shrubs,
and now for the purpose of increasing or
renewing the supply, the shepherds arc
setting lire to the forests, which by shad
ing the ground check the growth 1f herb.
age. A hundred forest fires may now
be seen upon any summer day from any
Of the high California mountains eating
away what WAS once the noblest devel.
opment Of all forest srowths. The ami.
mails are grazing, moreover. and the fires
are burning upon tho public domain Of
the United States; and the Government
il Indifferent to this destruction Of prop
erty or unable to prevent il.
The CalifOrnians, in the meantime, go
on in the vain and shortsighted efforts to
divert into une or another industrial
channel the water that flows from their
mountain reservoirs without any heed OF
the reservoirs themselves. California
without u permanent summer supply Of
water will he uninhabitablc. The perma.
nent water supply nnrrplenished by sum.
mer rains. will perish with the forests
This fact is as i,nnutable IN The laws Of
nature.
Fire, through its influence in creating
and mrwtuating tho great prairies, has
already done much in sha ping the growth
Of American population. 1t il within
the bounds Of possibility that within the
not distant future. fire will influence in
u still more marked degree than in the
past, the occupations Of this continent,
and that through its agency the whole
Of western America and the plains which
embrace the great lakes will become I'M.
inhabItable from want Of water or lie.
struction Of plant food, and tnat popula.
ton will le driven back into the valley
of the Mississippi and the territory al ia.
cent to the Atlantic seaboarl.
The thought will appear startling N Il
improbable to the casual observer of the
past movements Of American popula-
ton. 1t contains no new idea, however,
to the careful observers Of the changes
which man il everywhere operating
upon the natural coverings and condi.
tions Of this continent. This whole sub
lcct IL pregnant with vast and far reach.
my ptoblems which our modern civill1a-
tlon cannot afford to ignore, and which
cannot safely be relegated tn future
generations for solution. The destiny OF
our civilization is locked up in them
New York Sun.