St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-03
UNCLE SANS TIMBER.
Its Appropriation Upheld By
Public Opinion in the
Northwest.
Thus Speaks Hon. E. W. Due
rant to a Chicago Trib-
une Reporter.
How People Have Come to
Regard 1t as Legitimate
Business.
Federal Supervision OF the
Forests Absolutely Neees-
sary in the Future.

CHICAGO, Feb. 2.-Hon. e w. Duranl
the Minnesota lumberman, said to re-
porter of the Chicago Tribune, who
called on him at the fremont house last
evening:
There is one side of the governments
timber question which the press of the
country has thus far failed to touch
upon, land which must be understood be-
fore the depredations on the public
timber land can be stopped. 1 refer to
the light in which the appropriation Of
government timber is regarded by the
public in the pine regions of the North
west. When the first settlers came to
Minnesota and Wisconsin, timber was
looked upon as public property. With
out doubt this was one of the great
factors in the development. of these
states. The freedom enjoyed by the
early settlers in this respect was our
first source of wealth.
''Forty years ago, when I first went
into the lumber business. there were
logging camps located all along the
Black, Chippewa and st. Croix rivers
during the winter time, which made no
pretense of cutting anything but gov
ernment timber. The land through
which these rivers run has now been
largely taken up, the little remaining to
the government being so closely watched
that the opportunity for purloining is
practically nil.
lit was the same way in all the states.
When Illinois was first settled the right
of the settlers to cut timber for their
houses and fences and fuel was not
questioned. From this to cutting for
the market is but short step, and one
which at first met with no resistance.
With the gradual growth of population
the lands were taken up and the oppor-
tunlty in this direction destroyed. With
US the land is not yet settled, and the
people obey their natural impulses.
The recent trouble has been in re-
gard to the Indian reservations. The
same history has been repeated on all
of them. The Mile Lacs, Red Lake and
Court d'Oreille previous to becoming
Indian reservations were rich fields for
the lumberman. When the Indians
learned their rights they insisted on
them and the government forbade any
but Indians to cut from their lands. The
white mems camps, however, are nu<
merous on all these reservations. az
raDgements being made with the In
dlans to cut the trees and pretend to do
the lOggi ng, payment for the logs and
labor being made in supplies from the
stores.
NOTHING OUT OF THE WAY.
"IheSe conditions have established
the custom among our people of look.
ing upon the cutting of government
timber not as crime but as a legiti-
m1tQ nf liuaiihnnd Z e
even to-day, that lumbermen in the
Northwest whose integrity is beyond
question, when it is found that their OPP
eratiOns have encroached on govern
ment land, after paying the 'stumpage'
neither feel guilty of a reprehensible
act nor are so regarded by the public.
ITO illustrate: The first complaint
against the practice was made along in
the SOS. A brother of President Mill-
ard Fillmore was sent out from WASH
ington as government agent to investi.
gate their complaints. After determine
ing what timber had been illegally cui
he fixed the 'stumDage' at 1315 cents pei
1000 feet-an absurdIy low rating when
logs were worth at least Sc in the mar
ket.
''Mr. Fillmore was of course largely
governed by public sentiment, which,
as say, has always countenanced the
appropriation of government timber.
The settlers would not have felt more
badly treated if the government had set
price on the grass their stock nibbled
from the prairies.
'lt is hardly ten years since l heard
one of Minnesota's most eminent jur
lists, man who at the time had the
confidence of the people, and now holds
an important position in the councils OF
the nation, make the assertion in court
that he much questioned the right of
the government to the timber. He even
went so far as to claim that the title to
the trees on the public lands in the
State of Minnesota did not vest in the
government, on the ground that the
treaties accompanying the purchase of
Louisiana and the Northwest Territory
did not provide for the federal owner.
ship in the timber, claiming that the
Indians were the natural owners. being
tue hrst occupants, and questioning
whether the settl ers, having been al.
lowed to settle by the Indians, had moi
a right to the TIMBER
FE EDERAL SUPERVISION.
What do you think of the proposed
adoption of system of federal super
vision of forest lands?"
"A wholesome system of forestry laws
will soon become absolutely necessary.
III Is COHceueQ Dy scientists tne World
over that the spoliation of the forest
lands will have great climatic effect on
this country. One of the most effective
branches of such a system is the award-
ing of premiums for tree culture. Laws
providing for such awards now exist in
and Dakota and many of the
Western states. A well enforced fed
eral provision of this kind would be of
immense benefit. Heretofore soft coal
has been plentiful and easily aud
cheaply mined. When it becomes
scarce and expensive the consumption
OF wood will increase greatly. and some
restrictions will be absolutely necs.
sary."
''What would be the effect of forestry
laws on the lumber business?''
They would benefit it. There is at
present an enormous waste of timber.
And when a pine forest is cut it's gone.
and you can't restore it. 1t is not like
arabic land, which after being cultivated
for several years, regains its strength
oy lying fallow for couple of years.
Ii every man with 1000 acres of forest
land were permitted to cut but 500 the
lumber business all over the country
would improve. There are now so
per cent more trees being cut each year
than are needed, with the result that
the market is flooded.
"a new element is rapidly becoming
prominent in the business. The South
ern long-leaf pine, including that from
Florida. Georgia. Louisiana, Mississippi,
competition with the Northern wood"