The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-24
THE FOREST RESERVE.

THE FOREST RESERVE.
This paper was among the first. #
not the very first, to denounce the cum
ming scheme of Christopher Columbus
Andrews and the lumbermen to with
draw from settlement, in Minnesota.
tract of country 118 miles long and SO
miles wide, under the pretense of i'm
proving the navigation of the Missis-
sippi river, on which there is no navi-
cation for several hundred miles!
We are glad to see that the congress-
man from the Duluth district page
Morris) has declared himself opposed
to the scheme. and that a number of
| newspapers in the Northwest have Wig
orously denounced it.
In this connection the following ut
terance is interesting:
Professor Charles M. Hall, professor of
geology, University of Minnesota, Is a man
who has devoted many years to the study of
meteOrOlogy and physical economy, and
when he states positively and without res
ervation that THE idea of reserving 5000
square miles Of Minnesota territory is too
ridiculous to be seriously entertained by
any intelligent person., it is something
like throwing bomb in the camp of the
reserve advocates. When asked his opinion
| on the subject this morning, Professor Hall
made the above statement. and then, lest
| 1t might sound too harsh if it stood alone,
| backed 1t up with an argument which, If
| 1t convinced all hearers would nip the re-
serve project in the bud. Said he:
IF you will notice the map of Mime
sofa, you will that the valley of the
4 Minnesota river from Fort Smelling to Big
/ Stone lake is about the same in size as
| the valley of the Mississippi river from Fort
| Smelling to its source, including the area
| which forms the watershed for the head
! waters of the river. The latter valley in
| cludes about 1900 miles and the former
| about 10000
Now, the Mississippi valley is typical
| forest country, and the Minnesota valley is
| typically prairie and has been since the
! white man has known the country. During
| this time there has been no serious draw
] back to the development of the Minnesota
| river valley in the matter of the water sup
| ply and no more damage from floods or
| droughts, notwithstanding the fact that al
most all the trees found in the valley are
| within a quarter of mile of the river
bank.
1.-The theory that forests maintain an
! equable flow of streams is no longer main
| tanned. Floods occur wherever the slopes
| are steep, and consequently it can be said
that there is no particular danger of floods
| III the Mississippi river even were every
tree removed from the headwaters or val
| ley of the stream. The history of the Min
ncsota river will substantiate this state
| ment.
| Then the reserving of 5000 square miles
| is reserving only about one third of the
| Mississippi basin above Fort Smelling. What
| effect on the water supply the reservng of
one-third of the area will have can only be
| conjectured in the light Of the history of the
| MiSSiSStDDi basin. Another consideration
and 1t is the most important from an eco
| nomic standpoint, Is the commercial value
| OF the lands reserved. Minnesota cannot
afford to have her area reduced from "a 900
| TO $4,000 square miles. That would be equal
| to taking from the state the entire southern
tier of counties, or the Red river valley be-
tween the river and north and south line
drawn through Fergus Falls from Brecken-
( ridge to the Canada line.
The land of Ottertail county can produce
on an average 80 bushels of corn and grain
to the acre. I think that is a conservative
| estimate. l think it is also conservative to
presume that 5000, 600 of the 1000 900 acres
involved In the proposed reserve will be
| tillable and will have the agricultural abil-
| ity of the Ottertail county land. On this,
what l believe to be a fair presumption,
the 100000 acres not rock timber or water,
could be made to produce 90000000 bushels
! of corn and grain, which, selling as
| think it always could be sold for at least
| over $1,000, 900. That is three per cent
on 81, 900, 900, 900 of invested capital which is
| nearly twice the assessed valuation of the
state This proposed park area thus would
easily support 100000 people, and yield mil
| lions of bushels towards feeding the rest
| of the world.
| 1T being the case that the idea of forest
| reserves acting as water reservoirs is no
longer regarded as tenable by reliable mete-
! biologists, the fact remains that the i'm
linz IF I, I, l.
| can be done much more effectively and
| cheaply by system of reservoirs as are
| natural at the head of the Minnesota river
| and artificial at the head of the Mississippi
river. than by causing 5000 square miles of
| valuable land to lie idle in order that the
| moisture may accumulate
The Interior object of the whole scheme
is to prevent the common people getting
possession of this land, SO that ulti-
mately some plan may be worked up to
turn it over to great capitalists for a
song. If they can restrict suffrage to
the tools of plutocracy, and keep 1.-The
ignorant foreigners away from the bal
lot boxes, as is now proposed, it would
not be difficult to carry out such a
scheme. We have got our princes now
what is needed is baronial estates, and
the headwaters of the Mississippi, with
their invigorating climate and abund-
ance of game, would suit very we'll for
summer residences.
Get the common people off the land,
and let the princes have a chance. See
how prosperous they have made the
common man in Europe! He is Just
rioting in peace and plenty! I'D,