Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-02-24

and various sections of the state. The
petition was signed by national ais
our governor a, d by state and county Off.
Gals. business men aud many farmers,
making a petition thirty-three feet long.
This strong expression of public senti-
ment resulted In the establishment OF che
reserve, which will be made permanent
whenever the president shall issue a
proclamation to that end.
The boundary lines and size of the re.
serve were fixed by the leading men o.
ROlla. Dunseith and BOttineau.
In Bottineau have changed their views and
become opponents of the reserve, but from
the strong letters received of late from
Rolette county and by the editorials of the
Dunseith Times and Rolla Star it is
apparent the people in that part of the
mountain district continue to earnestly
contend for the reservation.
BY far the largest part OF the reserve is
located in Rolette county.
Prof. Robert Hay. chief geologist of the
irrigation and underflow investigation, de.
clares of the Turtle mountains: "Much of
its surface is covered with dense forest or
underground" Col. Edwin S. Nettleton,
Chief engineer of same survey, says in his
report, "The area-Turtle mountains
embraces about 724 square miles, about
one.fourth of the same being in Manitoba"
A movement is on foot in Canada to this
end. When this mountain reserve is
established an effort will be made to con.
vert the Manitoba woods into a reserve.
The matter stands thus, the opponents
of the reserve demand the dry and down
timber shall be given free to the settlers
for fuel, fencing and building purposes;
the friends of the reserve have always con-
tended for the self same thing. The oppon.
ents desire the land to be used for agricul-
tural purposes; the friends of the reserve
contend the timber land shall remain and
De protected in the form of a reservation
That the settlers may have a perpetual fuel
supply.
Dakota, and about on half OF this is un-
occupied. Our native timber land is about
100000, and our cultivated tree lands about
10000 acres. Now where is the necessity
of destroying our native and our cultivated
trees in order to make room for farming
purposes? We pay out $1,000 a year as a
premium for encouraging tree culture.
The timber of the Turtle mountains be-
longs to the United States, and we can
ana n pay the destroyers a premium OF
three dollars an acre to replant the same {:
has not B0ttineau county thousands of
unOccupied ~treelesS lands? Then why
destroy the balance of her timber to make
room for farms, and thus hasten the de.
StructlOn OF the great bodies OF water
which feed the underflow and the Streams
OF THAT section; and also encourage drouth
conditions.
Inc reserve was never asked for as a
"pleasure retreat" but sought for on econ.
omic principles. [See report, p. 72l. under
the law of March 3, 1891. Six reserves
have been permanently established,
amounting to 100000 acres, and twenty.
SIX more, making an aggregate of nearly
2O,OOO,000 acres, are on the docket fol
establishment. Why should not North
Dakota have n of these reservations?
The reserve is not and never was a party
measure.
AS a citizen of North Dakota, L especially
urge that the reserve project be sustained
or condemned on its merits, or according
to its advantages or disadvantages to the
state and people.
w. w. BA nRETr.