Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-09-28
THE PECOS TIMBER RESERVE
Special Agent Mckinley Tells sOme
thing OF the Park and Suggests
That Every Citizen should
Assist in Protecting
the Forests.
% the Editor of the New Mexican:

10 the Editor OF the New Mexican:
Santa Fe, Sept. 2S.-There is one sub
ieot of great ,nterest To the neonle of onr
a.,
'''i''oiS "n'on 70 noO unuor''oou Wy 'ho
average man, and the transgressors OF the
law regulating timber trespass in our
territory are either shielded from the
49,, ,.,.,.
p.A WY 'a'"' "''i.0' VI 'no'i
crimes are overlooked under the impress
sion thai the law protecting the public
timber ia an uniust one. and that n was
on,u onoo+oa - nro+oo. tho .o,.hu ,nh;,.
oN'' 'A"o''u W pi''es' WV "'"''A' "n''0
the poorer GLASSES suner'
we nave IN the northwestern portion OF
this territory tract OF land containing
seVetal 'housano acres OF tne nnest tim.
per IN tne territofy' Inis tract OF land
Is SCI apart as q ,orest reserve ana was
set apart on 5ne 1ltn oay OF January,
1897, when fresident harrison signed the
proclamation Whloh reserved all lands IN
certain townships from entry. In the
discussion wnlon occurred IN ooth OF the
houses OF congress wnen the Dill provld
ing 1or 1orest reserves was brought be-
fCre those bodies, 1t was concluslvely
proved that tne wafer supply was mate
rally afected by the forests and 1t was
SHOWN that II tne rorests OF tne country
were destroyed then we would md the
ralnfall 80 diminished that 1t would mean
starvatlon TO large numbers OF the popu-
latlon. In view OF these facts 1t was
oeemeo necessary 10 pass law provld-
Ing TOT tne settlng apart OF certaln tracts
OF lands TO Perpetnate the forests OF the
country. Ano at tne same time certain
tracts through the United states were re-
porteo 20 tne general iana once at WASH
lngton, as oelng OF particular value on
account OF tneir tlmper, ana tnese 5racts
were se1 apart oy a presldentlal procla-
NATION.
FOR tne past 10 Gays ~ mas been my
outy TO thoroughly investigate this forest
reserve ana ! ma IL TO De one that any
state or territory could well De proud OF.
we nave wlthln the boundaries OF this
reserve some OF tne nnest pine, spruce
ana CEDAR 20 be found, not only In the
eerrltory oue IN tne onitea Seates. Inc
'rees are large ana per1ect, showing the
pef1ectlon OF new Me1loo's climate, and
IN some places tney are 30 thlck that 1t
IS u'Ielly .mposslo,e ZOE man 20 travel
aoou' IN the iorest ana lead his morse,
nucn ~ less Ior MIN 70 attempt TO ride over
'nese poltlons'
ms 1orest reserve mas the greatest
numoer OF small streams, which nave
!nelr source IN tne llmlts or tne reserve, and
~ .he 1ilnoer was moved from the noun
talns ana 1ne ground allowed 10 get hard
ana lmperVlous' we Woulo soon ma the
s"ai, s'rea"s IN 'ne mountains orylng
up tnere Woulo Dc an END 10 tne clear
soream Vi WAFER eusninR OUT OF tne TOOK
ana forming one OF tne greatest blessings
Vi na'ure,a oool spring, ana eventually
We "oulo ma our agricultural lands
losing 1neir proauceiVeness ana we wonld
soon have al ara oeser9 Wnere now we
see Tue oeaucliul ramon, or the 1rult
iarn.
10 pfo'eot tnis timner Is my duty and
!: ! also tnlnk enao II iooKeo al IN tne rlgnt
hgn' IL VIII seem 10 DC tne outy OF eaoh
anu every one OF our cltlzens VINO mas the
Rood OF our territory at hesrt.
Dus'ng my 'nspeo.lon OF tne lana In
cioseo ln tne boundaries OF tne fecos
!oresc reserve 1ouna tnaG large traots OF
ei"ner hao oeen totally destroyed, some