The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-03-08
PASSING OF THE PINES,
opcKLESS WASTE DENUDING TIM
BER LANDS OF GEORGIA.

IA
chang. in Climatic Conditions.
DpspIte the repeated warnings of
those who have an eye to the protec-
ron of the forests of the state at heart,
the old wasteful methods continue
among the magnificent pineries of the
southern part of Georgia, which are
baing denuded rapidly of their natural
wealth.
quarter of a century ago there
was a belt of about 100 miles north and
south and more than 200 east and west,
that was an almost unbroken forest
of the most magnificent yellow pine
timber in the world. 1t was a sparsely
settled region for the most part, and
except what had been used IN building
and fencing this vast body of timber.
land had not been preached.
Then came the various railway
lines and with them the merchant
mills of the lumbermen, and the ex-
trayagant and reckless wastefulness
began. Then great flocks of sheep and
herds Of cattle rOamed at large and
grew fat ON Ithe native grasses, ard
hog.raising was a profitable industry,
as the animals lived and grew fat in
the woods and sWamps. But the axe
Of the lumberman sounded the death
knell to these industries. AS the tim
Der was cut away the grasses, exposed
to the burning heat of the summer sun
and the protracted drOughts, began to
disappear, and now the useless dog
fennel and ragweed flourish on the
poyertystncken barrens, and the
focks and herds have disappeared.
That Is one of the Immediate effects
OF the cutting away of the forests.
Another is the marked change in the
climatic conditions. A few years ago
disastrous freeze occurred which
was Unprecedented in the history of
thlS part OF the country. On Cumber.
Iand Island, the former home of Gener-
eraiNathaniel Greene, there was fine
grove OF olive trees that had flourished
'nere lOr century. Every tree was
KILLED, as well as the orange and lemon
trees IN the same locality.
Last October the most violent storm
InaV ever swept the Georgia coast
oufSI over Brunswick, Savannah and
.ne Islands along the coast, and the
destruction of the timber inland was
ineSVlmable. 1t had all been cut for
'urpentlne, and so greedy were the
operators that they had cut the trees
~ ueepIy that they were unable to
"iVnStand the gale, and after the storm
'ue forests were one mass of fallen tim
Der.
l" Vhe first place the lumbermen
nave never considered the economic
4ueSuonS involved in the cutting of
ulnoer, When an order came for lot
VI lumber of certain dimensions the
trees were felled, logs of the requisite
I'"sVh cut Off and the remainder of the
VIZ VICE was left to rot OIL the ground i.
"nen The logs arrived at the mill they
were Sawn to the proper dimensions
Sn' Vhe remainder of the log was
pi'cned into the slab pit and burned to
p ~ che accumulation of waste.
NeSe slabs might have been easily cut
1'O material for building, barrel-mak-
"s Ut other useful industries, and a
r"'O amount of valuable timber saved.
DUO Vhe lumbermen seemed to think
""' The supply was inexhaustible, or
~''e needless of thefuture, and in con-
pelce millions of dollars worth of
'rUPr mas been destroyed.
'ue turpentine men invaded the
r'usrles few years after the lumber
f.. ~ anu boxed the trees right and left
~, 'orpentine. When they had bled
oa ' trees as long as they furnished sap
nOUgh TO make it profitable, they
Nv abandoned to their fate, and for
~ nres swept through the abandoned
NJ sun and left groves of charred and
w. r,'ONened trunks and stumps as ghast-
opponents of the methods of the
Operators.
f. - 'he old days before the coming of
my MY ilmoermen the rail-splitters often
to 1' 0o"n trees that proved too tough
Nv S'Vlo readily to the maui and wedge
o,o 'ney were left to rot on the
f INV A few years ago the atten-
m ,ou OF the architects, builders and
tos; ulacturers of inside finishing ma