The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-26
CALIFORNIA; BIG TREES.
Request That Congress Take Steps 20
Preserve Them.
wrc1AL TO THE rRKss.I


Washington, April 25.-The Secretary
Of fha Interior has communicated to Con-
gress the steps which, at the suggestion
of Congress, he has taken to preserve the
big trees OF the Mammoth Tree Grove
and South Park Grove, in CslAverss
County. California. The Mariposa and
TulAre groves Of big trees have already
been preserved by making Of them public
parks. But the splendid grove in the
Converse basin Of the Kings River
region has been destroyed. and, dsItruc-
ton now meDAoes the two Calavsras
county groves. 1t is said that these
latter groves are the finest Of the great
forests Of the world. The tree which
makes these groves so wonderful Is the
SequoiA GiganteA. But there are also
magnificent sugar and yellow pines NJ
well as the CaluoraiA osdar. There are
two groves included under the name
"Calaveras Grove" The smaller is
located ut Big Tree post ofiies, 10 the
eastern edge Of Calaveras County, aud
comprises fifty acres OF slightly rolling
land, covered with virgin forest. It CON-
tains about one huAdred CT the big trees.
Ten are not less than thirty feet in
diameter, seventy are from fifteen to
thirty-two feet in diameter. The height
of the trees ranges from $50 to 500 feet
each.
The south grove Ii about i've miles
southeats Of Big Trees pest office. Its
surface Is rolling. broken by several
small ravines. This grove covers about
a thousand acres and contains 1880 big
trees. Their average diameter is fifteen
feet, and height $50 feet. The largest
trees are from 20 to 81 feet in diameter
and range from 500 to $50 feet In height.
This is practically virgin forst,
The first OF these Calavera groves of
big trees, while containing only about one
hundrsd OF the Sequoias, is yet the most
important of ali the groves historically.
race This was In 1852. and specimens of
the trees were sent to the eminent
botanist, John Torrey. But these speoi
mems were lest. and the honor Of naming
the trees passed to the English through
specimens spent by an English collector
to John Lindley. He gave the name
Wellingtonia gigzntea TO the spsoies, In
honor Of the soldier of Waterloo. Later
5otanists have classified the trees a.
Sequoias. Seeds from the trees were
scattered all over Europe, and there are
in England, France and Italy many -four
ishing Ssquoias grown from Calaveras
seeds. Thirty years ago the CAlaveras
trees were measured 80 that their rate Of
growth could be determined.
The CalaverAs groves have been owned
BY Mr.. ]. Il. Sperry. who has been
holding them In expectation that the
government would buy them for park.
But the government not coming forward,
and old age coming upon Mr.. Sperry, he
sold the grove to Robert Whiteside,
lum herman OF Duluth, Mimi, who pro-
poses to cut the trees mp for timber.
Professor william X. Dudley, who fills
the chair Of Forestry at Leland Stanford
University, California, aided by Presi-
dent VIM. Starr Jordan. of that nnivsr-
sity, has caused an agitation In Cali
fornia, on the subject. Congress has
directed the Secretary OF the Interior co
endeAvor TO purchase the groves but Mr..
Whitssides seems to be determined to
regard them as timber and is not anxious
to sell. Therefore the Secretary OF the
Interior recommends that the govern.
met use its right of eminent domain and
take the groves for . national park,
giving the owner suitable oompensa-
tlon, OF oonrse.