Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-02
MAKE A STATE PARK.
Include the HeadTlt6fs Of The Provo,
Bear W.b]r and DuChoSls.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED SQUARE MILES.
What DR.. Faust Advocated before The
Forestry As,ocia,itnon friday Even-
Ing, February Isl.

We are asking Congress to appropu'
ate aud set aside all Of that country at
the heldwatcrs OF the four rivers known
as the Provo, the Bear, the Weber and
the Duchcsnc, as park. This park
should b., fifty miles In length by at
least thirty la width, and the center
should be at the northwest corner
monument Of the Indian reservation,
which is situated on Bald Mountain.
This we ask Congress to do so that
the timber could be pro,ected--whieh
timber Is fast being destroyed by tim
Der men being employed from time to
time in cutting tics and other timber.
This timber must be preserved so as to
prolec' the SHOWS that fall so deep in
the winter time and which afford us
water tor irrigation, without which we
will 10 short Tor our farm products.
Unless something Is speedily done to
arrest the wanton destruction Of that
timber country we will suffer from
drouth such as we have never seen be.
fore. The tie.mcn destroy more than
any other class OF lumber men. have
seen trees sixty feet high cut down, an
perhaps but one tic cut OF; the rest IS
lelt to rot, or even worse, to be burned.
! II that tree were the only one cut IL
might not matter 30 much, but in making
room TO get az The one wanted they
frequently have TO cut five or six smaller
ones, all OF which will dry and help TO
swell the opportunity Tor fires.
The uc.man will ask what he shall do
for his ties. Him ! would ask what vii
you do when the timber at the head
waters Of the rivers are gomez You
would 20 to the Sierra Neyadas or some
other place; why not 30 there nowf
10 Is with this as with everything In
life the most good TO the greatest num-
Der OF people should be observed. Ask
any Of the old inhabitants aud they will
tell you that before the timber was re-.
moved In the canyons near this city Il
was much cooler In the city than i IS
now in the summer, aud being cool In
the canyon you did not have TO 80 far
up to camp TO get irosi; now you would
| have to 20 nearly to the top.
As there have been few Of you up on
| Bald Mountain or any OF the other peaks
that tower away above timber line, /
would say come with me aud let us
climb Bald, which Is about twelve
thousand feet above the level Of the
sea. From here you can look TO the
west aud see Deep Creek mountains,
south and you can see the White
mountains, southwest Is Mount Nebo
with many other mountains. In looking
east you gaze on Reeds Peak, 1900
feet above the level OF the sea, and
supposed TO be the tallest mountain In
Utah. Looking all around you can see
mountains until the eye will tire. From
here you can see the smoke from the
smelters Of Park City and with field
glass you can also see Evanston. You
look down upon great forests that
are so green that In the distance they
look black. The great question with
rs Is: Shall these grand old forests be
destroyed or shall they be Incorporated
in the State Park Shall they remian In
their native purity and protect the
everlasting SHOWS that furnish us with
the pure waters which are essential TO
man and all things else created, OF
shall we sit down aud silently look on
and see the destruction that Is annually
occurring.
can see in each and every mans face,
MOI we will with our humble efforts pro-
test and lend our aid to increase these
! forests rather than see them diminish.
With us II Is. "Woodman, spare that
iorcslW Again, let as look from this
mountain. the mother OF four rivers
whose heads are within five miles OF
each other. You can stand here and
count sixty lakes whose waters are as
clear as Cys,Il-a chemist has no
filtered water clearer than this. These
lakes will ~ time be damned and the
wafer held until It IS wanted In mid.
summer.
have not been TO all Of them, but on
the Provo and Weber side have been
to sixly-two. These lakes are from a
quarter OF a mile to two and three quar-.
tiers OF a mile around.
When Salt Lake City gets short OF
water, there Is the place 10 get It. /
look upon them as the grandest water
resources in the land, aud the cheapest
TO bring in TO this city.
THIS has been and will be again one OF
the greatest game countries In the West.
when the park shall be protected from
the slaughter Of game. Bear river AZ the
head runs northeast into Wyoming.
thence to Soda Springs, Idaho,
thence southwest into Great salt Lake,
gathering water from many springs and
| llNNlNAh uWAh u ~ u lhikt ilNtIs ith COURSE
Is something OF the shape Of wagon
bow. The Weber starts to the north.
west, and gathers the waters OF many a
hill and dale; is general course Is
northwest until Il cmptes into the Great
Salt Lake near Ogden, having made a
half moon m is course. The lakes
that form the head Of Provo lie around
the west Cf the mountain. The Provo
river runs south and then west, supply
ing many landholders enroute, and
then emptes into Utah Lake. one OF
the lakes that supply ii lies ON A
divide, and while on the north side the
water runs into the Weber, at the south
stream runs into the Provo river as
wellThe Duchesne has a few lakes living
close up to the mountain, on the south
side, which are It's headwaters. This
river is but a small stream, running
through a vast forest for great many
miles. These forests should be covered
hy park, well protected to save IL
from the settlers who will settle the
Indian reservation ere long.
| ID Is not the amount Of snow that falls
but what is retained that does the good
that is so essential to us all in Utab.
hence we should protect the tree that
In turn protects the snowdrilt. Another
reason why Congress should grant this
request for the park is that there is moi
another spot on earth like il. To stand
on this mountain and gaze upon this
great panorama OF nature Is indeed
I ,uopdeTiul Mountain Deakg larg. $50