The herald., 1898-10-03

cThe Herald under this heading prints
communications, but does not assume re-
eponsibility for the sentiments expressed.
Correspondents are requested to cultivate
brevity. 70 far ~ y consistent with the
proper expression Of their views.1
Dr. Mullins and Forest Reserves
10 the Dditor of the Los Angeles Herald:
MY attention has been called to grossly
unjust attack upon the citizens OF north
esn Arisona appearing IN the Los Angeles
Times OF the 24th inst. over the signature
Of George @. Mullins LID, u. 8. A.
Since the writer Of that article has seen
at to append to his signature his collegiate
degree, 1t Is to be regretted that he has
omitted to further inform Us Of the edu-
cational Institution which has SO ILL
advisedly conferred that degree upon him.
Among the people he accuses SO sweep
ingly Of ignorance and knavery are many
who have received their degrees from
either Heidelberg. Oxford, Cambridge,
Harvard or Yale, no one Of whom would
ever be guilty of the vulgarity Of advertis-
Ing the fact by appending his collegiate
degree to his signature. whether "Dr."
Mullins by the addition Of the letters u.
-
In the military service OF the United States
of America or that he is citizen of this
country can best be determined by refer
ence to the army list. Not having copy
OF that publication at hand, am inclined
to the latter Interpretation, since army Of
ficers as a class are gentlemen. and as
such prize their own honor too highly to
deliberately and with falsehoods malign
he foVv q
the correct Interpretation. some among
the many army officers who have in recent
yeard been stationed in northern Arizona
and who have formed and expressed senti-
ments of profound respect and sincere
friendship for the people whom "Dr." Null
Inns attacks may see the article In ques-
tion, and II so he will doubtless be given
an opportunity to establish his statements
by something more substantial than his
mere personal assertions while defending
himself before courtmartial against the
charge OF conduct unbecoming an officer
and a gentleman.
He says, among other thingA OF the peo-
pie OF this portion OF the territory: For
the most part they are ignorant. lawless.
selfish, patriotic. and some Of them 40
tually desperate criminals"
From the connection in which he uses the
word patriotic, he doubtless means unpa-
triotic. To that charge let the American
nag floating from every public building. In
every public square. from every business
house. and from hundreds Of private dwell
lings in northern Arizona; let the muster
rolls Of Arizona volunteers; let the record
of the Rough Riders from northern Ari-
zona at Santiago be his answer.
Few communities in the older states have
more churches, more or better school
buildings and schools in proportion to pop
ulation than are possessed by the villages
of northern Arizona. The records Of our
courts of late years show that less crime
exists here in proportion to population
than In the average eastern states. We
have no millionaires. but there is not a
single beggar in northern Arizona save the
migratory tramp. For years not single
mercantile house Of any consequence has
failed to meet its liabilities, and as a
rule they discount their bills. In dozen
years practice In the courts of northern
Arizona I have never but once known of
the statute of limitations having been
pleaded in answer to demand for Just
debt The standard OF honor in the coun-
try is so high that no merchant hesitates
to freely extend credit for the necessarie<
of life to the average laborer or man with
out property subject to execution. With
the exception of the few Mexicans who
drift north in summer from the southern
border for employment the population is
mostly composed of intelligent enterpris-
ing, law-abiding men of American birth
who have migrated from the older states.
No Intelligent, fair-minded visitor to
northern Arizona fails to he favorably i'm
pressed by the intelligence. enterprise and
high standard of business and social honor
of its citizens. The people who have lived
here for years are not ignorant of the value
of the pine forests nor the desrability of
suitable regulations for their preservation,
but believe themselves, from their knowl-
edge Of local conditions, better fitted to de-
wise and suggest those regulations than is
the average eastern tourist who endeavors
to find facts during day or two's visit to
fit his preconceived theories. and subse-
quently gain little cheap notoriety by
airing his views in print. The public In
terests Of this portion Of the territory have
been seriously injured by the published
misrepresentations of transient and IRE
sponsible scribblers, the more so that we
have no representatives possessed Of the
authority and influence which votes in con-
gress give, to protect our interests in that
body.
Sometime since. by executive order,
largely induced by this class Of misrepre-
sentation, the Grand Canyon of the Col
orado river, with it's inexhaustible wealth
of almost every known kind of mineral
together with the adjacent Coconino for
est, were set apart as forest reserve, and
recently the San Francisco mountain for
est reserve has been similarly created
These reserves embrace within their limits
nearly all Of Coconino county. and all OF
1t which has any value for any purpose
whatever. These reservations are subject
to such regulations as the secretary of the
interior may promulgate and the existing
rules prohibit the grazing of sheep and
the cutting of timber for lumber. which are
the two leading industries of the county.
These regulations, If enforced, will neces-
sarily result In depriving six thousand res
idents of Coconino county Of their prop
erty, their homes and their means of live
lihood, besides depriving the world of the
use of many millions of dollars worth OF
property IT, on, the other hand, the regu-
lations be not enforced or be so modified as
TO permit the grazing of sheep and cut
ting Of lumber, under certain restrictions
investors will always be deferred by fear
that some future secretary of the interior