The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-11-19
THE DESTRUCTION
OF THE FORESTS
-s-=-s.aas-sas
Vandalism Of Lumbermen and Herds
men Converting California Into
a Desert.
ara..aHa..a
GOVERNMENT APrEALGD TO
Efforts Mil Ije Made to Reserve All
RrmaIning Moods Ia the Mountains
Prom Further Extinction.
GOVERNMENT AprEALED TO

The recent visits 20 California Of
chief pincho; NJ the United stairs de-,
parlmrnt " forAtry and of Secretary
Wilson II the department OF ngrcullur,
have given frrsh stimulus to thf
work u the Sierra club and Other
state organizations for the preservation
ot California forests, and nt the mex,
session ~ congress- msaHur-H will b.
urggd Tor the systematic improvement,
of thr 5000 acres 81 government land
IN that state, much ~ which In scantliy
limbcpd. and for the stringent On.
fgrccmeni of laws against pasturngc of
shevp or cattle on government reserves
It, the slrrras Newer h fore has thrr'
bccn such unanimlty ~ opinion among
the mrn who ar working FOR the com.
mon end ~ saving from destruction
the remnants ~ CALIFORNIA; magma.
cent forests " redwood and sugar
pine
Probably IN no other state has the
Havagrry ~ the lumbcrmnn b,~N re-
yralrd ru strongly a. In California. In
pioneer days came placer and hydmu.
Tie miners. who l"ft the beautiful foot
hills Of the Sierra Nevada ncarr,d
with the traces 81 their srarch for
gold They cut nll the timber nccyu.
pary Tor carrying on Epd mining hut
thcy Wcre too busy In their hunt Tot
the golden fleece 10 sprnd any time
Ia systematic clearing nf the forests
Aftsr them came the iumborman. who
built tram railroads into III" heart ~
the magnincrn, redwood and pine
forests nud lcft nature In nakrdnr~s
which thirty years has not suiliecd "a
clo,hc again,
one ngurrs In fancy the work of the
lumbrtman as clean. wholesome and
redplcnt u the perfumes u the follag'
ot the grrat trccs that they bring Ia
earth In reality they are grimlcr than
ntokcrs IN steamers engine room OF
helpers In a foundry Tor forest hrcs
have chnrrvd the trunks ot all the biz
trees, ana ~ n IN the aawmin the grcut
logs leave their trail ~ soo, and Crime.
The mrn themselves arv huddlrd IN
bunkhouars and rcd ukc swine, so that
they seem nttlng lna,i umcn,E Tor the
yandal work of 'hclr employers with
great croSscui saws the nonarchB OF
the forcts ara tcllcd and cut into logs
In few hours, and thSn the snor,ing
traction engine carries them TO the
lumber mill.
No force IL wasted In the modern
machinery FOR eating up the forest
prImcval A few weeks after the
lumber gang lnvadrs II the dim aislcs
ot shade" brtw,s'n LOFTY trNs are open
10 the gIaring sun, the tender young
shoots. the forest flowers and tangicd
shrubs which made the whole forest
udorous with bloom are beaten down
and stamped into the troddcn earth
Only the gaunt, hlackcncd stumps and
fragments u unssrvlcrahle timber ".
main There viii bc green shoots the
following wint"r. but the forest fVs
In the long, dry season viii cut them
down. aud tn place will soon b. THAI
Rbominatlon ~ dcs,la,ion. devasted
forest,
The destruction OF the forests In
California by lumbermen IL almos, ir-
reparablc, because ot climate pecu-
larltcs. In the East woods that have
been ravagcd by sawmill hands grow
up again In a few years. as the wet
summers proven; destructive fires, and
sheep and clttle ae not allowed to
range at large Here in California.
however the long dry season gives OPP
portunlty for he ferccst tires, Every
| thing IL dry IA tinder and the dis
carded cigarette Of careless hunter or
fisherman or the abandoned fire OF a
mountain camping party may spread
flames which viii race over several
counties and cause the loss Of thou
sands OF dollars,
Besides the destruction Of mountain
farms such fires absolutely ruin the
young vegetation which has been
stimulated by the winter rains Life
Is strong In the redwood. and around
every old stump one will find from
six to dozen lusty young trees
springng up the season after the tree
IL cut, These shoots grow rapidly, but
they are generally doomed to partial
or complete destruction by the first
great forest fire that sweeps over the
woods, II they escape the fire they
are browsad down by sheep and cattle,
which, in default OF grass eat the buds
and leaves In the face of such enc
mics Is II any wonder that the refores-
tatlon Of the California woods is at n
standstill, and that ruin Is written in
large letters over great tracts Of once
superb redwood and fine forest In the
high Sierra?
The work Of saving the remaining
forests Of California and Of restoring
the devastated tracts to some resem-
blance OF life has been greatly retard-
ed by the selfish activity Of lumber
men and stock raisers. The lumber
man wants a free hand In getting out
all the marketable timber that Is
within reach of the railroad, In many