Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-03-03
THE GOVERNMENT TIMBER.
The Great Ravases Made by Depredators
on the Public Lands.

Inc Great tsavases Made by Depredators
on the Public Lands.
While the unlawful cutting of tim
Der from Government lands goes on
more or less in various parts of the
country, the Canadian border offers
special facilities for this form of tres
pass. In Northern Minnesota the
Rainy Lake and Rainy River region is
not only density wooded, but is directly
on the Dominion line, and, further.
more, is near the junction of the
Provinces Of Ontario and Manitoba.
1t affords fine field for the operation
Of timber thieves from Canada, who
have many steamers engaged in the
business. Last summer special agents
were appointed by the Interior De-
partment to investigate what was GO
ing on, and their report indicates
that about 10000, 900 feet of logs
year are unlawfully cut from public
lands Of the United States and sent
through the Rainy River, besides
about half as much more honestly
acquired from lands fairly open to
lumbermen.
The result Of these investigations
will probably be the prosecution of
some of the lumber companies for
trespass. The Land Commissioner
declares that "the people of Canada
have made great roads into our for
ests," and that the exhaustion Of the
valuable timber Of that region is
going on rapidly. One of his prede-
cessors declares that depredations
upon the public timber were "uni-
versal, fragrant, and limitless"; that
whole ranges OF townships covered
with pine timber had been cut over
by lumber companies who adopted
the device of having their employees
secure individual titles through the
presumption and homestead entries,
afterward assigning them to their
employers. They have actually been
known to establish steam saw mills
on public lands for turning into
lumber and shingles the trees unlaw.
fully cut. To cap their audacity they
nave cnarged- scrrurne settlers prices
for timber which are regulated by
the cost of transporting it from
points where il is honestly procured.
In some cases thousands of men are
thus put at work.
1t is wrong sufficiently great for
prompt remedy when citizens Of the
United States are engaged in this IL
licit business; but when those of an
other country raid our public forests
the case is worse. The actual loss in
property must be very great, since
more than three hundred cases of
trespass were reported by the fifty
five special agents during the last fis-
cal year, involving more than SO, 000,-
600; yet the actual amount recovered
from suits during that year was only
about 100000, which could hardly
have done more than pay the detect
i've force employed and the other ex-
penSes. Still, the very presence of
these agents undoubtedly prevents
ravages still more enormous. There
were also still pending, at the begin
ming Of the current fiscal year, more
than three hundred criminal prosecu-
tions for violating the timber laws,
and nearly as many civil suits for the
recovery of nearly $15, 000,005.
But, apart from the intrinsic loss,
the indirect damage done by the de-
struction of forests in reducing the
cultivated area is serious. The woods
and the mountain underground hold
the SHOWS and prevent the summer
drought from coming earlier in the
regions far below. They increase the
rainfall, also, and are important to
the husbandry of the West. Vast
sums have already been appropriated
for devislng systems Of irrigation for
the arid lands, and in some cases for
building dams, as at the headwaters
of the Mississippi, so that certainly
no pains should be spared to protect
the forests. And, besides The damage
done by the saw and the ak, the waste
wrought by fire is still more pro-
digious, the Interior Department de-
claring, in fact, that fire is far moro
destructive to the wood on the public
lands than all other causes combined