New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-01
WOODMAN. SPARE THAT TREE
THE ADIRONDACKS IN PERIL-H\NOC IN I'LL
FORESTS-VAST INCREASE IN TIE


THE ADIRONDlCKs IN PERIL-HAVoC IN THE
roREsTs-v,sr INCREASE IN TIE
VALUE OF LAND
TO the Editor Of The Trlouhe.
Sir The Trlbune'S Albany dispatches contain me IN
telligcnce that forCeful measures are abont 10 De
taken By the state 10 reclaim and preserve 'he
Adirondack forest Is this than periodical
spasm7 Governor Flower was In the AdrondacKs
a few days last summer and had ocular dcmonstra'
ton Of some Of the havoc going on there He could
have soon but little Of II in midsummer. lie did not
hear the Woodlands falling In every direction
lie did not see great stretches of forest lying pros
trate as il a hurricane had passed over II. lie
should 60 there now. This is the time Of wear when
most Of the mischief is done. Culpable hardness, II
nothing worse has characterized tho dealing with
this matter.
Eleven years ago the alarm sounded by Gov
crnor Cornell In his last annual message 10 the Leg
lelaturc. What the Governor then said has lost
nothing Of truth and seriousness 10 this day one has
ONLY TO visit the scene Of devastation TO recall ire
warning. The Governor supported then by such
men IIoratio seymour. who fastened to Albany
10 commend his appeal for the preservation Of the
forest with an Indicative OF his great pub
lie spirit. BIT ten years have elapsed without ap-
plying adequate means TO protect and preserve the
crandcst natural park and nth resort on thc American
continent. The Legislature has provided for
Forest Commission 10 be sure. but whether from In
Adirondacks are in greater peril now than nj any
former period If there j. one in the foreS; TO-
dav there arc 5000 armed and equipped with implc
mentS Of destruction. cutting down trees indiScrm-
inatclv to be sawed into lumber or converter into cell
uloSe at ;he pulp mills. Since the construction oi Tie
Northern Adirondack Railr,ad and the Adirondack
and Il. Lawrence road running over hundred miles
through the wilderness from IIerkimer to Franklin
Comfy the largest mills in all that region have been
planted TO hack and hcw and cut away the timber.
At Upper Lake once favOrilc resort Of tourist and
Ortsnan abOundinS in fish and wild game. may now
be seen probably The biggest gang Sawmil in the
AdirondackS. A population OF 1000 or more. has
sprung up there within the last few months. depend
cnt mostly upon the lumber traffic. Stil the work
of demolition goes on. At Beaver River. few miles
below at IIncklcv, not far away In the edge of the
Ierkimer woods also mills saving at the 81
millions Of feet OF lumber Il year. Logs by The CONT
less thousands will be foael 10 these mills. dis
tance Of forty miles or more. when the snow melt in
the forest and the stream, burst from their icy fc,
tiers. on every sde Of the Adirondachs HI, work OF
destruction /, visible. Hundreds Of thousands OF
being TINS ravaged. Fearful IN" conec
ouences if this region be sacrificed to the avarcc Of
and the fountains be dried up that have fed the t.
Lawrence. the ChamIlan and the Hudson ever since
they flowed the
Life and health In the balance as well tho
interests OF commerce. A. this very moment in the
depths Of winter hundreds aud thousands of nValdS
are scattered among The retreats Of this great s1n
tarium OF nature in quest Of health. In IN" vicinity
Of SaraDac Lake alone SICK folks enough 10 people
a town. They from all parts Of the country. ard
life depends upon the preservation Of the conditions
that make the Adirondack, the most hcIlthful resort
IN hs world for those afflicted with pulmonary d.,
ease. Marvellous Ie>tOraOnS recorded. Many
nave TO abide there the year round. 1hoy could not
survive elsewhere. Now lei the valleys. the hills
and mountain slopes be denidcd Of th~ rs. and these
.,,Fg, l,rft
| and die amid the awful wreck Of nature. l. IT MT
full time therefore, public sentiment be- stirred
from the very bottom Gov, rnor Flower may we'll
feel the weight OF responsibility the legislature too.
The state has lost in money value thouSlni, and
thousands of dollars in this business. Private >pccu-
lation has far the advantage by reason of time
serving policy. While the state me made h1'l'
progress. hundreds Of thousands Of have com"
into the control Of private holders. some o'tcnib'v
for park preserves. but most for numbering. Con
tracts ont for millions Of logs on many Of the
private holdings. The price Of these lands has ed
| vanced immensely. one operator + said - have
made more than quarter OF a million dollars WIN u
could buy what was needed for preserve for 81 -
| II - an The lumbermen bid higher ana brat
state sold land Just outside The proposed preserve for
something Ike - an acre II Is iTN - 'Pp"fso
forest bounds will take loss for II. To luN'rit" the
pcnny-wisc and pound foolish policy. an eNnmlIr my
| BE- stated Two year ag) grntcman owning nelrly
hundred square miles Of tn best part Of ~" Ad'"l'
| ducks al the very apex, and therefore forming IA
norton OF the watershed. offered II 10 "a" >lAt" VI
| IS an acre. He would moi sell 10 piytl" part ",'
lie wanted The forest protected and would r"lnlul- u
bis holdings the state for preserve al r. 'hi,i
individual, would pay The propo-iton fell sum
! Iorn II /, believed influences wcic cNer"d 70 pre-
vent the transfer. 4 noted operator h'd I" ne
capital and state House quickly Meantime III" pIi
Of land has nearly doubled the hundred squnr" ~ les
OF virgin forest 1, no longer Al tln N'hi"S opIui.
II is worth quarter Of million dollar' NOR" t"oly
| than when offered. In n business point % Wow me
STATE amos: always gets the small cnd 81 IN" nargH
II may be- pertinent inquire, Who j. standing III
The spccu 'aiorS aggressive" IN" il'i' 81 we
.fatn f. much Of the forest has been ATTACKED on
| isis arc going on Involving cNtcn<iv" areas II
| thes. prove successful II II doubtful Wh"ih"r IN,
! .totc win own anyhing soon but f." lhch''s anu
iromlics and Forest Commission 10 watch Over thrn
Indeed the Only piece ~ territory h'ld III common
Wv ,,n neonle Of III. state worth saving Is IN very
! donroroi, Situation. Tn" mountains 81 The Nh.h'rh
| Wi,6ornrss fairly bow their heads In fear ana 'reh
hnr n the awful scene Of d'Sccr;tion nj Their ir,
p,,lIc sentiment shonM be aroused az ohc' a'' ''P
,r" 70 f1rc. a final issue. While mr"NhES are
hninc held in public matters OF FAR less mn @
why should not som" "NPICsH''h u" HWIaI u
| Ncw.Yorh JAN -, 1879 ''DiNN-