The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-11-16

truth to be impressed on the public mind
Il. that we have IN Minnesota about three
for bearing pine. and which, If planted
with pine and administered on forestry
principles, would earn net revenue of
the capital expended in the work.
Should Lay the Foundations of Sustained
Forest Yield.
Today we are cutting fifteen hundred
million feet of pine in our Minnesota for
ests each year, but in twenty years the
demand on our forest resources viii be
TO lay the foundations of sustained forest
products, because nature will work with
US. 1t was Frederick the Great who
started forestry in Prussia. and the peo-
pie of Minnesota can do as much for their
state, If they viii but give the matter at
incentive that he had When en'e after he s siS
years absence in a foreign war. he re-
turned TO a country reduced, as Carlyle
says, Ito skin and bones"
The value of the 0.000, 600 acres of state
forests in Germany, being on land unfit
Tor agriculture, is 100000. DOC, IAN amount
equal TO the total assessed valuation of
property in Minnesota. The average net
revenue therefrom is So, 000 900. And the
forests are more in the nature of park
forestry are the same here as in Ger
many, but, owing to the denser popula-
| ton; cheaper labor and higher value Of
products, the profits of forestry there are
| much greater than could be expected
here for a time However, they would be
fair here, and prove from the start the
mother OF wages. The sun. air and rain
| all great factors in forest growth-are
ready TO go into partnership with our
state in the forestry business, the. state
| receive all the dividends.
Proposed National Park--yandalism.
A year ago last August / visited Cass
Lake, and found, to my surprise and de-
light. on its south shore, such an ideal
PING forest as, with the remarkably clean
and shady beach. formed one of the most
beautiful spots for a health and summer
resort that could be imagined. / gave to
Later a joint committee of the state med
| ical societies made a visit there, and
| through the influence of a committee of
| lied the president to postpone for two
years the sale of the land, so that the
state of Minnesota might, if 1t should
then deem II expedient, buy the same for
! park
Judge of my surprise and indignation,
then, to find, as ] did, on visiting the
same spot again in the early part of July,
1899, that dozen more acres of this
beautiful forest were numbered and cut
owe me preceding winter n on the fraudu,
| timber. The tops and branches of the
| trees-slashings as they are called-are
now lying there, endangering the rest of
! the forest in event of dry weather. Not
withstanding the terrible injury and dis
hgurement the forest is not ruined for
pdIh- DQI IN May. 1879, IreS were sci on
the eastern side, the traces of which COW
| er quite an area, and were set for the
purpose, as is generally believed, of max
| ing pretext for another contract the COM
| Ing winter to lumber it as "dead-and-
down timber
This sad and wicked despoilment of one
| of the most beautiful pieces of scenery
Minnesota possesses was perpetrated I'M
| der the fraudulent system of numbering
/ dead-and-down timber, a system which
offers premium for firing the forest,
and which was cunningly devised to en-
| able rascals to obtain standing pine at
price far below its value. The govern
| ment at Washington is directly respon-
i sible, and our people should hold their
| senators and representatives in congress
| accountab Bile and responsible that nothing
| of the kind occurs again, for they are
| the officers elected to conduct the affairs
| Of Minnesota with the executive depart
ment at Washington and with congress.
Some Reasons for the Park.
If the park be acquired it will be man
pine viii be cut and honestly accounted
| for. OF course, some groves of the hand
| soonest pine on lake shores, will be pre-
| will be protected; bare spots will be
planted; a sustained yield and revenue
| viii be maintained; yet. in fifty years,
able, and the park itself more beautiful
| than at present. If here and there are
be cultivated. The establishment Of the
| park will give wonderful impulse to
forestry, and prove a boon to the North
| not in Minnesota, the White Mountains
nor the Catskills, but we have as beau
1 tiful pine forests, and as beautiful clear
lakes in their midst, as can anywhere be
/ found; and future generations will re-
proach us If we allow all of such scenery
TO be forever ruined.
What the q. S. Receives for Its Pine.
| numbering has been going on in the
pineries of Minnesota for more than half
1 .1@<.~- - L., r.
| the pine that has been cut each year in
| Minnesota has averaged in value just as it
stood in the woods, S5,OO0,OOO. Fully $780,
state and SIS. 100000 worth more has
passed into the possession of private par
ties. For all this how much has the gov
eminent of the United States received in
money? 1t is true that some of the pine
was granted to railway companies, but
an that the s United i State States has received
| amount to 100000 Beginning with the
year ls49, and up to October, 1897, all that
lie lands at its land offices at Saltwater,
Sank Rapids, St Sloud, Taylor's Falls
Duluth, Alexandria, Fergus Falls and
ed all of the pine lands. and much agri-
cultural land-amounted to exactly 81
2S6, 599. 40, In view Of these facts and fig
most lamentable if little remnant of all
| the great pine forests of Minnesota could
not be spared for forestry and for a
1
Other features of this report are
sketches of the forestry systems of as
many as sixteen different European
! states, observations on the Big Fork
| forests, a detailed forest working
plan," quoted by permission from DR..
| William Schlich's Manual of Forestry
and DIR. c. A. Schenk's report to the
State Forestry Board of Minnesota on
1.-THE Problem of Forestry in Mime
sofa" There are also maps showing
the location of standing pine in Lake
and St Louis counties
Anyone interested in forestry and
wishing copy of the report can OBJ
tain it free by addressing Gen. c. C.
| Andrews, st. Paul. Mimi.
Intelligent Stage Drivers.
A New York visitor returned recently
| from Newport full of admiration for the in
telligence of the stage drivers who undertake