The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-26

and Eastern railroad over Panther
creek to it's opening near Moosic, Is
about ten miles long. 1t has been al
most a wilderness since the railroad
from Moosic was abandoned many
years ago. Today there are hardly a
dozen houses in the whole valley, and
their number is decreasing. Saw mill
and tannery have disappeared and the
reservoirs of the Water company have
taken their place.
TT would be hard to exaggerate the
beauty of this whole region. For
several miles the brook drops down
through meadows fringed with rhodod-
endrons, beneath mountains covered
with fine trees. Valley after valley
opens and closes as the stream turns
from side to side on it's way through
mountains that are as high as any in
this neighborhood. At a point near
Green Run the task of climbing to the
top of a peak that overlooks Scranton
is n serious one. II is, perhaps, the
stiffest bit of work anywhere about
but the outlook from the summit is a
noble one.
"Thc Spring Brook company is taxi
ing measures to prevent fires. The
men who direct It are far too intelligent
not to appreciate the Importance of
making every effort to preserve and
restore the timber. 1t can be done.
Already on many a water-course there
Is the 1ensest growth of young hem
lock, making impenetrable copses of
vivid green. 1t is hard to conceive of
anything finer than these fern-like
masses of evergreen foliage with their
promise of future majestic timber.
l,at al,
derive from tree planting is absolutely
certain. That they will see this and
employ expert foresters is only a ques-
tion of time. In the meantime, the
cutting of young hemlocks for decora-
ton of porches and door yards in win
ter time, ought to be prevented.
FOREST DESECl ALTON.
Tens of thousands of young trees
ere swept from the sides of the noun
| tairs every winter in a way that is
simply barbarous. Those who love the
woods look upon the whole business
with disgust. over in Spruce Swamp
most of the spruces have been hacked
| to pieces by the people who earn a
| few dollars by decorating city yards.
| If those who possess good taste as we'll
as wealth, will frown upon this silly
! fashion, it will die out, but none too
| soCn.
THE title of these rambling obser-
| vations is intended to pique the curios-
| ity Of the reader. May we dignity a
bit of woodland with such a title? We
| may with the utmost propriety. I do
not know how closely the lines of the
water companies lie, but they are no.
where far apart, and must touch for
| a considerable distance. The holdings
of both aggregate the enormous total
| of more than 10000 acres of land and
water-twenty-fiv square miles, Of
| mountein and forest dedicated for ages
to come to boarding limitless supply
ot delicious water for the people of this
and the adjoining valley. 1 do not
know whose brain conceived a project
| so vast and so beneficent, but he is
worthy Of enduring bronze or what
is better OF grateful remembrance for
all the years. That this splendid do
| main shall not only furnish pure water
but shall be a recreation ground more
| beautiful than is open to any other city
In the country seems already an as
.ured fact.
we have only to let the news go out
to other cities to be envied far and
| near Wnat nave chicago and the
! Greater New York to say to a forest
park, diversified by mountains, ,streems
| lakes, shadowy gleEs and dewy mead
ows covering twenty-five square miles!
! We wait to hear from them.
Most earnestly l commend to the
people of this city, and especially to
those who have a financial interest in
| these companies, the consideration of
| ipc hot H.,
| this great trust. In no way can they
secure for this city a larger prosperity
| than in preserving and making beau
| tiful this magnificent forest reserva-
| ton To do justice to this theme is
quite out of the question, in this is
sue. To other ADLER pens 1 resign q
subject that deserves, I think, the full
est consideratio ton and discussion"