The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-26
nd NATIONAL PARK PLAN
ADVOCATES OF A FORESTRY RE-
SERVE IN MINNESOTA WORK
ING IN IT'S INTEREST
DATA PREPARED FOR CONGRESS
Map OF the Leech Lake Tract Is I'm
PFOmOterS' Hnnds-HOpe Gov
ernment VIII
RUY

Minnesota National Park and Forestry
association. which has for its object the
establishment of a national park at the
headwaters Of the Mississippi river, is
busily engaged gathering data and in
formation to be presented to congress in
December, when the proposition will
come before that body for consideration.
Col Cooper, the Chicago Chronicle says,
has just received a map Of the district
proposed to be converted into national
park and forestry preserve, a facsimile
OF which Is reproduced herewith.
The officers of the association, as well
as the prominent citizens who have
worked in the interest Of the scheme
since the organization OF the association
last fail are more confident than ever of
success. Unless something unforeseen
happens they say that before the end of
another year congress viii have approved
Of the proposition and the park will be
a reality, AT the last session of congress
g joint resolution providing Cor the ap-
pontnlent OF a joint commission OF both
houses 10 consider the park plan was
unanimously adopted by the senate and
favorably reported back to the lower
house by the committed on Indian affairs.
THINK BILL WILL BE PASSED.
The officers Of the association assert
thai the passage Of the resolution III the
lower house was assured. but that po-
liiical Influences, hacked by the lumber
interests Of minnesota, caused the speak
er 10 refuse to allow the resolution to
come UP. When congress convcnes after
the fail election the members of the as
ISOLATION expect 10 SEQ the resolution
passed by the lower house, and those in
tereSicd IN the proposition contend that
when the joint commission Is appointed
il Will be an easy matter to secure the
passage of the bill for the establishment
OF the park
The map which has been completed rep
resents the compromise site. The tract
comprises what have been known as the
sissppi-Chippewa. j4eech Lake, Win
nibGoshish and CaSs Lake Indian res
erVstions- These four districts comprise
a contiguous body of land and water COW
ering an area of S3O.06S acres, or about
1927 square miles. OF this area 218,479
acres, or 81 square miles, are comprised
in the three great lakes of LeeCh, Win
nibigOshish and Cass, and about fifty
smaller lakes, together with the Mis-
sissippi, Leech Lake, Turtle and Kabe-
kona rivers and a large number Of small
er streams. The land surface Is 611 ,592 SO
acres, or $50 square miles and comprises
q great part of the timbered tableland Of
Northern Minnesota, where the MissiS-
sippi river has its source, and where,
further TO the eastward, rises the st.
Louis river, tributary of Lake Superior,
and to the northward the BOwstring, Il
tributary of hudson bay.
TIMBER IN GREAT VARIETY.
The timber on. the four reservations
consists principally of Norway and white
pine, birch, jack pine, aspen, fir, oak,
maple, linden. elm and ash, and in the
IOwlands tamarac, cedar and spruce tim
Der is found in abundance. On account
of the manner in which federal legisla-
ton has been carried out respecting
these four and eight other Indian reser-
VatiOnS in Minnesota for the last eleven
years, and from the fact that this region
has but recently been made accessible
by rail, the whose region of forest lakes
and rivers still remains in it's primitive
condition, with the forests uncut and lit
tie injured by fire.
- If this district is set aside as a national
park ard forestry preserve it will also
afford a game and fish preserve. The
waters. of che lakes and rivers abound in
great Northern pike. smuskellunge, black
bass, Wall-eyed pike, pickerel lake trout
white fish, silver bass croppies, rock
bass and perch. The big game in the
forests are moose, caribou, deer and bear
IN large numbers, and also few elk
Wolves, foxes, mink, otter, squirrels and
other smaller game are found in album
dance. The wild fowl consists of nearly
every variety of duck, wild geese, quail
woodcOck. plOver, pheasant, grouse and
Hsnipe. The game, wild fowl and fish
have been but little disturbed as the re-
glon only recently was made accessible
to white men, and because the Indians
who alone inhabit the region, kill only
sufficient game and fish for their daily
food.
TRACT WILL COST $4,000, OOO
The proposition of the association is to
have the government purchase the land
comprised in the four reservations from
the Indians. Gen. G. c. Andrews chief
forest fire warden of Minnesota, has esti-
mated that the cost to the government
OF the proposed park would be about
$1,000 COO AS near as can be ascertained
there are now about 1852 Indians on the
four reservations.
The association proposes that the gov
eminent allow the Indians now on the
reservations to remain there, retaining
their own separate allotments of land as
sisting in cutting the matured pine trees
under the direction of the officers of the
government, In accordance with modern
scientific forestry practice and also to
serve and act as guides for the visitors
who, it is believed, will throng the pro-
posed park in the summer and autumn.
The supporters of the national park prop
OSlUOn argue InaJ the Visit OF thousands
of citizens from all parts of the United
States each year will be great help
to the government in teaching the Indians
the ways of better civilization and thus
win save the government hundreds Of
thousands of dollars.
EXISTING RESERVATIONS NOT
CENTRAL.
At present there are thirty-six forest
reservations in the United States, COM
prising an area of about 1900 square
miles, but not one of these reservations
is in the Mississippi valley. There are
five national parks in this country, COM
prising 5434 square miles, but all of
these are situated in such remote parts
of the United States that they are almost
inaccessible to the citizens of the central
states. while a national park in Mime
sofa would be accessible to people from
all parts of the country. 1t has been esti-
mated that at least 100000 people in the
Mississippi and st. Lawrence valleys and
in the Red river valley are within twenty
four hours ride from their homes to the
heart of the primeval forest.
The advocates Of the national park plan