Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-14

pareiy CoVers tne cost OF pruning. Inc
large map to be made Of this district
will be in six sections and can be had
for thirty cents. 1t will not be ready
for distribution before next spring."
Mr.. Walcott further said: "In the act
provided for the surveys it is explicitly
stated that no public forest reservation
shall be established except to improve
and protect the forest within the reser-
vation. or for the purpose of securing
favorable conditions of water flows and
to furnish a continuous supply of tim.
ber for the use and necessities Of cit
izens of the United States. Also that il
is not the purpose nor Intention of the
act to authorize the inclusion with the
reserves OF lands more valuable for the
mineral therein or for agricultural pur-
poses than for forest purposes, Other
provisions are that the secretary of the
interior shall make provisions for the
protection of the forest reserves against
fire and depredations that he shall
prescribe rules and regulations for the
purpose of preserving the living and
growing timber and promoting the
younger growth that the dead. mature
or larger growth of trees may be sold at
their appraised value, to be used in the
state or territory in which such timber
may be situated. There is nothing in
the act, as have said before" remarked
Mr.. Walcott, "that prohibits the locat-
ing of mining property, prospecting
and mining and milling industries. 1t
is the purpose Of the government to
prevent the wanton destruction of tim
ber by irresponsible parties, both by
cutting il and by fires which are caused
in most cases by leaving the limbs and
boughs scattered about, contrary to law.
Timber may be cut for mining purposes,
lumber and all domestic purposes, such
as firewood but cannot be shipped out
Of the state. The water in these re.
serves may be utilized also for mining,
domestic and irrigating purposes.
Lands better adapted to mining than
forest purposes may be restored to the
public domain and any mineral lands
on any forest reserve which have been
or may be shown to be such are sub
ject to entry under existing laws Of the
U. S. and the rules and regulations ap-
plying thereto shall continue 10 be SUBJ
ject to such location and entry. The
act closes by giving authority to the
president at any time to modify any OF
the forest reserves by redeeming the
area or changing the boundary lines,
or he may vacate altogether any order
creating such reserves"
Mr.. Walcott informs US that the Can
adian government protects its forests
by patrol, with stations located at
convenient places and when fire oc.
ours a body of men is dispatched to
extinguish it, The results are highly
satisfactory and Of late years fires have
not been frequent nor destructive. A
large geological map Of this district
will be made next year. He does
special geological work in some district
each year and this season the work
is being done in the Tintic district il
in Utah. Surveys are also made Of the
Butte, Mont, and Cripple Creek dis
tricts.
This is Mr.. Walcott's first visit to thu
Black Hills. He has visited nearl,
every other mining district of impor
tance in the country.