The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-26
MINNESOTA NATIONAL PARK.
Reasons Urged why Congress should
Take EARLY Action Upon 1t.


The establishment Of national parks by
the United States is not new thing. In
1872 the Yellowstone National park was
set apart by congress ''as public park
or pleasuring ground for the benefit and
enjoyment of the people" 1t is under
the charge of the interior department,
but is policed by troops of the regular
army. Congress has expended over $500
eco in building roads in the park and
mostly under the direction of a United
States engineer Though distant from
centers of population ii has: yet been
visited by over 5000 people in year.
For it's scenery, natural phenomena ana
as a fish and game preserve 1t Is won
derful success and is truly one or the
glories of our country
Last year congress created another ma
tional park to include Mount Tacoma.
In 1877 congress set apart 2,2lO acres as
reserve or park at Hot Springs, Ark, on
which has been established flne army
and, navy hospital. It is practically
national park and congress has expehueu
considerable money for its maintenance.
There has been good reason Tor all tleos
as we'll as for the national military parhS
like Chickamauga and Gettysburg, we
also know that Ontario has estapnsned
a national park of 100000 acres. ana tlLat
the state of New York has great park
in the Adirondacls.
What good reason can we FURNISH con
gress for creating the proposed ia E1ia
park in Minnesota to INCLUDE the ui9
sissippi, Leech lake. Lake Wliiiiipiso
ish and Cass lake reservations. vi nc
Chippewa Indians, in all 6ll,9Sz acieo %
land and 21S, 40 acres of water sulA"O0
/. A strong reason for the parfK Ser 10 Nv
good it will do the science OF forestry
In its limits are some fine podies VI ,iRinh
meyal white as well as red pine Wa ansl
have been growing for centuries. l DE-
ing beautiful lakes and easily accessIpGte
To the public by railroads. Inc Wits
pine on account of it's rapid grown on
ordinary soil in northern chimes anu uii,
verSal use is the most valuable Tree Ia
the world. 1t has been growing on t ms
site for successive centuries. FIopduly
there is nothing in this country 10 n ma On
the wonderful and beautl1uily W4 WOO I've
land in Cass lake, where on the SAINTS
area different generations OF pine are
Furnishing Being on Indian reservations lss
these primeval forests nave come uoMn
substantially intact to the present tlme'
and there is no other 80 available oppor-
tunity in our country for obtaining con-
siderable tract of original white pine Ior-
est for scientific management as neIe'
The forest would yield a revenue. but re-
main linimpaired 1t Is the last cnahce
for so accessible a park. 8.
One can see what forestry science Is
from the fact that the ten million acres
of state forest on non agricultural ldnu
in the states of Germany yleld an IL a AZ
gregate annual net revenue OF sz5'VVg,WVV,
the forest remaining unimpa1red! WIN
the increase of population the value OF
American forest products will rise put OF
course 1t will be long time before a
tific management, will yield the revenue
it does in the denSely peopled states Oh
Europe This park is demanded for the
science Of forestry; and Minnesota having
herself expended over half a million DOL
lars the past twenty-six years In bountleS
for tree planting. is in a position to ask
for it. especially as 1t will be In the ma,
ture of a wise Investment by the general
government. '.foaf 'Hn..'2 ~
park is the sanitary benefits which It's
sea air is much richer in ozone than the
air of open country. 1.-THE sanitary value
of our forests" says the report of the New
York commission of 1885 headed by Prof.
Charles S. Sargent. of Harvard uniVer-
sity, cannot be over estimated. In addi-
ton to their furnishing a summer resort
for the over crowded population of our
towns and cities, a place where rest,
recuperation and vigor may be gained by
our highly nervous and over worked peo-
pie, the healthful and purifying infiuencet
of coniferous forests has been thoroughlyk
established. The belief that the atmos-r
phere Of evergreen forests has a curative
effect upon persons suffering from pull
monary phthisis is a very old one scien:
| the patients sent to the Adirondacks suf-
ferjng from insipient consumption come
back cured. Committees of both the
state medical societies of Minnesota
have visited the proposed park and
strongly recommend its acquisition for
public sanitarium.
more to be paid for the land in bulk and
have 1t held as a park than to have It
sold in small tracts and numbered. as
was c con under the their agreement
the land in bulk a. new agreement with
them will have to be made, and the
amount to be paid for it in bulk will he
credited to them (to, be paid in fifty years
as is usual in such agreements). and
congress. it is expected. will annually ap-
propriate and pay the interest thereon at
5 per cent.
T. Another reason is the influence its
forests will have in maintaining wate-
supply. in the Mississippi river. Three
large lakes. and ether of it's sources and
feeders are embraced within the park
limits. The New York commission above
referred to reported that. owing to the
removal of 50 much of the Adirondack
forest, the summer flow of the streams
having their source there had decreased
30 to SO per cent within the memory of
men then living. and one of the PRINCIPAL
the preservation of the Adirondack for
ests was their influence in maintaining
water flow in rivers. This country has
not produced more all-round learned
man than the late George P. Marsh, who.
in his work, MAN and Nature" repeat
edly emphasizes the value of forests as
5. The park will be a valuable fish and
game preserve.
8. It is national in it's locality. because
1T embraces an important portion of the
head waters and sources of the Missis-
siDpi river.
I. The greater part of the area being
very sandy is not we'll adapted for agri-
culture.
8. There are SINE benefits which would
accrue to the state in which the park Is
located, because j. would attract great
maDv visitors The president of Dart
mouth college. in an address before the
legislature of New Hampshire estimates
that from 10000 to $4,000 neople visit that
state through the attractions of its noun
in the state a largo amount of money
The Adirondack park has population of
over 32,0on IT has several prosperous Wiz
laees There ore ever ore thousand
guides in the Adirondacks Tt is certain
that if this park be established it will
cause the circulation Of very much moro
money in its lncalitv and create a more
lasting prosperity than would occur II
the forests should he denuded and the
scenery destroyed. as will inevitably he
the ca Sc under the a~-eement with the
Indians as it now stands.
1t is certain that the Chippewa Indians
have occupied this region for two cen
turtles. end that the Sioux Indians had
occupied it an indefinite period previous
ly. Men of science are confident from
discoveries which have been made in Min
nesota. in territory eastward as we'll as
in Idaho, that this romantic region Of
country was peopled 1900 years ago. It
is clear that it was once inhabited by
the mound builders Is it not worth
while then that a portion of such terri
tory be preserved in its natural condition
and as it has come down from centuries
of aboriginal occupancy?
&C. C. Andrews.