The herald., 1898-10-27

| pie. \ ct it is indubitable that to this gen
,ieman the counties OF santa Barbara and
| \ entura are lnde Tor one OF the fairest,
most lovely, nay, most subllmey beautliul
| mountain forest reservations IN the south
ern halt OF California. To appreciate, what
| Mr.. Barlow earnest efforts secured as a
| leueral glIt 10 his constituents, a bIIet sketch
| vi Pine Mountain reservation is necessary
1t is the only one i'll the south having a
| lake upon it; 1t is still well enioresred, de-
spite the annual ravages OF wild fires, Sc,
| ~ stockmen; it has nve vast canyons, the
| haunt oil deer and bear; its streams are trout
| filed, and, more, upon them depends the
water supply OF the two counties OF Santa
Barbara and Ventura.
| 1t is ndisputable that rainfall is directly
dependent upon forests. Where timber is
the land is blessed with rain and abundance
| of water; where timber is not, there ardity
and desert lands and constant drought pre-
vail. Mr.. Barlow's rescue was just in time,
for every year saw more and more forest
arson and lessening timber area. Coinci
lent, the people of the valleys suffered lack
" rain; for ten years the precipitation has
steadily decreased in Santa Barbara and
have had to be deepened little more each
year.
Now for a little straight history. During
the last years of James McLachlan, Repub-
ican representative of the Sixth district in
congress, number of parties proposed to
get thd general government to make Zaca
lake in Santa Barbara county into federal
reservation, including perhaps a couple of
thousand acres adjacent to the lake. The
scheme was laid before the Hon. James Nc
Lachlan, who thought it well to please the
people by bringing measure before the
house embodying the scheme. No mention
was made of the danger to the water sup
ply or to the timber interests of two coun-
ties by fire. McLachlan either could not view
matters so broadly or did not care to. At
any rate the bill was pigeon-holed in COM
mittee and killed. So the plan fell through.
Mr.. II. II. Doyle, present county clerk of
Santa Barbara and Democratic nominee for
reelection, by the way, was not content with
McLachlan's failure. So he circulated pc
tltlon, got many signatures and laid the re-
vived Iaca lake project before the Hon. G.
A. Barlow, who had succeeded McLachlan
in office. Of a broader mind, Mr.. Barlow
saw at once the oportunity to serve not alone
a small contingent interest, but an inclusive
ly great one. 1t was worthy project to re-
serve a beautiful lake, but far worther to
rescue the entire main watershed of two big
counties, preserve the timber thereof and
set apart the beauties of nature for the
enjoyment of outing lovers. This Mr.. Bar
low did. Instead of lake and a couple of
thousand acres, all in one county, Mr. Bar
low broadened the plan to reserve l,666. 900
acres, lake included. with MANI streams,
great forests and the territory equally in
two counties. Summed up, Mr.. Barlow did
and Mr.. McLachlan didn't, though both had
equal chances.
The people ought to he grateful to the
agent bringing this splendid gift. In Santa
Barbara and Ventura counties the direct
should be grateful, because fed
eral protection of the tract means forests,
these mean rainfall. this means wealth to the
tillers of the soil. The writer will be CRATE
full one votes worth
FAIR-PLAY REPUBLICAN.
Santa Barbara, Oct. 23d.