Omaha daily bee., 1891-03-23
PRESERVING THE BIG TREES.
Troops Sent to Project the New Sc
quota Park Created by Congress.

PRESERVING THE BIG TREES.
Troops Sent to Project the New Sc
quota Park Created by Congress.
The order providing for the transfer
this spring Of Captain Dorst's troop X,
Fourth cavalry, from its present station
at the Preside OF San Francisco to the
new public reservation known as Sc
quota national park will insure the
proper guardianship of this valuable
tract, says the New York Times. The
Fifty first congress set apart portion
of the sequoia groves, better
Tulare county, in California, as
a public pleasure ground 'for the benefit
and enjoyment OF the people," The pre-.
amble to the act declared that "the
rapid destruction of timber and orna-
mental trees in various parts of the
United States, some OF which trees are
the wonders of the world on account OF
their size, makes 1t q matter OF impor-
tance that at least some OF said forests
should be preserved That this state
ment does not overstate the fact the eX-
perience of California shows. The
seQuoia groves and forests of that state
cover large aggregate area. A few
of the northernmost, like the Tuol.
umne, Merced, Mariposa, and Fresno
are well known, although most of the
last named has disappeared in an ad-
jacent sawmill, but the main body is
south of Kings river, nearly all in
'Tulare county. They are IN groups and
patches, twenty or more in number, and
scattered over a belt perhaps sixty miles
long. A memorial laid before congress
declared that, while thousands of years
Of ctr n,N1, hn a foi1 =,
destroy these magnificent trees, 1.-THE
thoughtlessness' and ignorance of the
frontier settlers and the cupidity of the
lumbermen are now laying them pros
trate in every direction. The destruc
tion is amentable-nny, appalling and
terri BILE. -
1t was further shown that these iso
lated groves, which are always found al
a very high elevation, contain in some
instances hundreds, in others thousands
of these trees, rarely less than 10 feet in
diameter, and often from 10 to 20, and in
height varying from 200 to 800 feet. One
recently found was over Al feet in diam
eter and go high and showed 6, l26 an
nual rings OF growth Yet it was said
that trees over so feet in diameter had
been cut down from sheer curiosity
while the fires OF the sheep herders and
the axes OF the lumbermen were making
great ravages. 1t is true that some
steps have been taken to preserve these
splendid growths by withdrawing from
sale the lands containing them, but
bold depredations on the timber OF
public lands are notorious. The only
safety was in setting apart public park
containing the trees to be preserved and
putting it under guard. Congress ac.
cordingly did set apart a tract which in
cluded, reckoning from Mount Diablc
meridian, township Is south, range sc
east: township Is south, range 81 east
and four sections of township II south
range 80 east A subsequent act in
creased this area by the rest of township
II, and also by townships 10 and II
south, in ranges % and 80 east. Since q
township contains an area six miles
square, or thirty-siX square miles, il
will be seen that a large and important
part of the big tree region is comprised
in Sequoia park.
This reservation is altogether differ
ent from the new Yosemite National
park, which is at some distance and
many times larger, but possibly its sue,
cess was helped by the skill that stimuli
taneously pushed the latter project tC
success. Ana we may mention still a
third reservation, which was set apart
at the same time, consisting of four sec
lions, or four square miles, in township:
IL and IA south, range 2S east. This
contains the so-called Fresno big trees
the largest CT which, said to be forty
feet in diameter, is known as Genera
Grant," and has given it's name to the
small park around it thus set aside by
act of congress.
That the Kaweah cooperative or Bel
lamy colony had in good faith estab
| lished itself long ago in the Visalia dis.
trict, on land which a part of the
park covers, seems clear. 1t will
| therefore be only Just to idemnify
| these settlers forG all their improve
ments, including some costly roads, a,
well as for the expense of their remcya
to other homes. 1t, may be necessar!
also to eXtinguish other private rights
indeed, we have the experience OF Cali
tornia, which paid 100000 for "a like
| purpose in the Yosemite valley. Cap
tain Dorst's troop will take possession o
the park and execute the regulation
| drawn up for it, and congress at its mex
session can probably be relied upon Il
see that full justice is done to The
colonists, as in other cases of condemn
ing private lands to public uses. An(
now that Sequoia and Grant parks have
been established, the giant trees not in
cluded in them or in the new Yosemite
park, and already withdrawn from
| private acquisition, should be CAREFUL,
| guarded alike from the lawless depre
dation OF lumbermen and the perils q