The sun., 1891-02-16
STEALING THE TIMBER
The Great Ravages Made by Depredators
on the Public Lnuds.


WASHINGTON. Fob. 15.-while tho unlawful
cutting OF timber from Government lands
goes on moro or less In various rnrts OF the
country. the Canadian border offers special
facilities for this form OF trespass. In north
ern Minnesota the Rainy Lake and Rainy River
region Is not only densely wooded, but Is d.
fectly on the Dominion line, and. Furthermore.
is near the junction OF the provinces OF Ontario
and Manitoba 1t affords flne field for the
operations OF timber thieves from Canada. who
have many steamers engaged In the business.
Last summer special agents were appointed by
the Interior Department to investigate what
was going on. and their report indicates that
about 10000. 900 feet OF logs yenr are unlaw.
fully cut from public lands Of the United States
nni sent through Rainy River. besides about
half rs much moro honestly acquired from
lnnds fairly open to lumbermon.
The result OF these Investigations will proba-
bly, be the prosecution Of some Of the lumbor
companies for trospass. The Land Commis-
sonerd declares that tho people OF Canada have
madU great ronds into our forests" and thnt
the exhaustion OF the valuable timber OF that
region Is solnE on rapidly. One OF his prcde-
ccssors declares that depredations upon the
public timber were universal. fluCrant, and
liniitloss :" that hole ranges OF townships GOV.
erod with plno timber had been cut ovor by
lumber companies who adopted the. device OF
through the proimption nnd homestead en-
tries aiteETsd as'Sn,,nG them ha to Their en- ~
establish steam y ,S saw ms IN IsS pSplic i"nds for
lawfully cut. 10 cap their nudaci,y they hnvo
Which arc S poEua,ei BY tho t cost tfansnort
ing it from points wheIe it Is honestly pro-
cured. In some cases thousands OF men are
it IS n wrong Sufficiently crca, for riomre
o! another country raid our public forests. the
case is worse. The actual loss in PROPERTY
oi tresplss were reported by. Tho fiity-.ivo
snccial agents dur durn: tLe H last h nstal year In
was only about tiUIO00. which could hardy
have done moro than ,pny the detective iotre
very presence oil the4s agents undoubtedly
prevents ra,mges stiii moro enormous. There
'G ssa ysar at h sS soD % %
nearly as many civil suits Tor tho recovery OF
but APART from the intrinsic loss the indirect
damage done by The destruction of forests in
woods and tho monnsain unie ierarowth hold tie
coming earlier In. tho reGions. far below. They
the husbandry OF the West. Nnst sums have
a,rsady been anpronrated r , iGT @ asyi.ing sss, e.
t0u,6 vi lTElRhllOH luO UElQ ldUuS, Nuu j
some cases for building dnms. as ut the head
winters Of the Mississippi. 30 that certainly no
pains should DO spared 10 protect the forests.
And bssides The damage done by the snw and
ths axe. the waste wrought by fire. Is still n ore
predictions. the Interior Department declaring
in TACT TINT fire ~ far more destructive TO the
Wood on the public lands than all other causes
corr Ebined.
1t has been suggested that tho several States
and Territories should he asked to enact ron-
current laws BY which the destruction Of tim
b,r on the public lands could be checked and
the son Q, & Land laws for h
So long; hnweysr; ns the lands reniain those
what difficult to procure re- local Legislation W h.ch
shall be effective and yet not clash with Fed.
involved in the preservation OF the forests may
add weight to tho plan, nov before Congress
and TERI in which they are situated. on
such terms as may be just and expedient.
can better secure these valuable possessions
from the raYa2es of fire and from snch dcpre.
dations as those which have gone on along
Rainy River will lie valuable.