Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-11-27
AS TO FOREST RESERVES.


turns had placed the state Of Idaho
in the republican column before
they announced the withdrawal Of
an additional 100 townships Of land
in this county to be added to the
already vast area of the Bitter Root
forest reserve. There is no excuse
for this action because it takes in
q scope of territory where there
Is absolutely nothing in the nature
OF forests to preserve or protect.
The entire area thus included il
mountainous in the extreme, while
hundreds of square miles are above
the timber line. What timber there
may be in this vast extent of terri.
tory thus withdrawn from actual
settlement is scattering, and we do
not recall any forest growth in
this entire region where a sawmill
could be permanently located.
The FREE Press has heretofore
expressed the opinion, and we have
never seen occasion to change it,
that there is no necessity for a for
est reservation in any portion Of
this county south of the main Clear
water river. All the valuable tim
Der lies north Of that stream. From
the main Clearwater river south
to the Salmon river there is no
body Of timber of any commercial
Importance save such as may be
worked into lumber by portable
sawmills and sold to the settlers
and miners In the immediate neigh
borh0od. Those who are familiar
with the typographical and geolog-
ical conditions Of this region we'll
know that this is an absolute fact.
Here and there throughout the Elk
City and Dixie districts are scatter
ing groves Of tamarack and yellow
pine from which, under freer con-
ditions, the local market could be
supplied by portable sawmills. 1t
is true that in some parts OF this
domain there are vast areas Of
black pine, but apart from its util-
ization for mining timbers it has
positively no commercial value,
nor is it likely to have until there
are better transportation facilities
to permit of its being hauled into
the mining districts Of Butte and
other camps on the Montana side
of the Bitter Root divide.
In the territory on the south side
Of the Salmon river thus withdrawn
there Is even less OF timber than on
the north side of that stream.
There are quantities OF growth
of scrubby black pine in the War
rem basin and contiguous districts,
but there is hardly q locality in the
entire state, outside OF the sage
brush plains, where there is less
timber having q commercial value.
The purchase Of timber throughout
these mining districts is one of the
most expensive features attending
the development and exploitation
of mining properties in these iso-
lated mountain mining camps.
But, says the reserve promoter,
the government will let the miners
have the necessary timber. How?
Will the government establish wood
yards, start sawmills, hew mining
timbers, build bridges, cut rails
and railroad ties and the like?
And If it does not, who will? And
if it permits these things to be
done by private citizens, what be-
comes of the forest reserve?
The plain fact is, as the FREE
PRESS has heretofore pointed out,
that there is more politics in the
establishments and maintenance of
these forest reservations than any
plain business proposition. When
you scratch these patriotic reserve
promoters you will find that some
body is working for a government
graft. These reservations afford
q final field for the employment Of
emissaries Of the republican party
to work for the republican ticket
about election time, while the dear
people are called upon to pay the
freight in the way of salaries to a
horde of political parasites. The
big land grant railroads are also
interested in the withdrawal of
these lands until they can file on
the choicest portions thereof with
their s'scrip.o Then. too. the