The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1902-01-10
CONDEMN FOREST RESERVE.
Mass Meeting of Citizens Strongly OPP
pose kootenai Forest Reserve.

/
O'Callaghan's office last Tuesday
evening to take action to oppose
the creation of the proposed Koot-
enai Forest Reserve. The feeling
of this locality was reflected in the
large attendance as well as in the
general discussion. 1t was decided
to oppose the creation of the reserve
in every way possible.
M. M. Fry was elected chairman
of the meeting, and E. D. Sullivan,
secretary. The following commit
tee was appointed to draw up and
have printed and circulated a petit
ton to be sent to the Secretary of
the Interior praying against the
proposition: VIM. VarGasken, &.
w. Dawson, Henry Guthrie, E. L.
Whitney, Hector Chisholm, w. T.
McNear and John G. Callahan.
The committee has drawn up the
following petition which is being
circula ted:
To the Honorable E. A. Hitchcock,
Secretary of the Interior, Wash
ington, D. c.:
HONORABLE SIR: We, your petit
TONERS, citizens of Kootenai county.
Idaho, and residing in the Kootenai
Valley, learn with regret that
your department has under con-
sideration the establishing of the
proposed "Kootenai Forest Reserve"
and believing that you would not
knowingly exercise the great powers
vested in you, with relation to forest
reserves, other than in a spirit of
justice, and in the best interests of
our country, we deem it duty we
owe to ourselves, or children, our
state and county, to furnish you
with information and facts, showing
just and valid reasons why the pro-
posed forest reserve should not be
esta oished.
A large portion of the territory
! which the contemplated extension
would embrace is settled upon by
industrious people, making living
, for themselves and their families
from the products of the soil. A
good deal of the territory is sur
veyed, and more of it ought to be,
and probably will be surveyed in
! the near future. In the habitable
portion it is largely first class agri-
cultural land, with only enough of
= timber for local and domestic pur-
poses.
g If this territory be enclosed in a
reservation, it will undoubtedly pre-,
vent the increase of population anC
q thereby render it difficult to estab
lish and maintain schools for tn,
= education of the young, thus frus
e tfating the benign laws of our state
for disseminating knowledge, anC
v bringing education to the least o
- these little ones.
In this mountainous country
agricultural land is comparativel,
y scarce and does not lie contiguOu
and would be great injury anc
y injustice to the individual, the com
= munity, and the state to proven
the free and legitimate use of al
y there is of it here, and to turn bacl
! the present immigration of indus
I trious home-seekers, thus prevent
3 ing the increase of taxable propert,
and paralyzing the industries
= hopes and ambitions of this strug
q Cling community. And all thi
without having the effect of reserv
3 ing or protecting anything for til
J people OF the United States.
7 We would most res pectfully cal
g your attention to the fact that Lh
Kootenai Valley has been sett,ec
y for the last fifteen years, and to thos
= who formed the advance guard O
civilization, it would be a grea
hardship, in depriving them an,
y their posterity of the association
of neighbors and TIE facilities fo
y the proper. education of their child
rem.
= We, who are residents here, fee
that this equity is at the dawn of
new era. With the completion q
II the railroad now built down tn
v east side of the Kootenai Valley, t