The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-03

mountain parks anu TeSefSdtAoASi
which are useful not only as foun-
tains of timber and irrigating rivers, but
as fountains of life where nerve-shaken
and over-civilized people can rio them
selves OF the Supplying effects OF the vice
OF over-industry and the deadly apathy oil
luxury The legitimate demands on the
forests that have passed into private own
ership, as well as those IN the hahos Oh
the government, Mr.. Muir says, are IN
creasiny every year with the rapid settle
Inent and upbuiiding of the country, nut
the methods of numbering are as YET
grossly wasteful: .
the hest trees are used. while the ruins
are left on the ground to feed great nres'
which Kill much of what is left or the
less desirable timber. together with the
seedline. on which the pernanence of the
forest depends Thus every mill Is a
center of destruction far more severe
from waste and fire than from use. me
same thing is true Of the mines, winch
consume and destroy indirectly immense
quantities of timber with their innumer-
able fires, accidental or set to make open
ways. and often without regard TO now nov,
far they run. The prospector deliberately
sets fires to clear Off the WOODS JUS.
where they are densest, to lay the rocks
bare and make the discovery OF mines
easier Sheepowners and their shepherds
also set fires everywhere through the
woods in the fall to facilitate the narch
OF their countless fiocks the next sum
mer, and perhaps in some places 70 I'M
prove the pdSIuIdSe. 4iio ca -
at the root of every tree, but the sheep Is,
or was before the national parks Were es-
tablished and guarded by the hiiitaLy'
the only effective and reliaoie arm oh 'ns
government free from the blight OF
politics. Not only do the shepherds at
the driest time of the year. set IRE TO eV-
erything that will burn. but the sheep
consume every green leaf, not SparlnS
even the Young conifers, when they are
in starving condition from GROWING,
and they rake and dibble the loose SOIL OF
the mountain sides for the spring aooas
to wash away, and thus at last ieaNe Iiie
ground barren.
Mr. Muir points out the fact that only
the lower. perfectly clear, free-spiittlns
portions of the giant pines are used-per-
haps ten to twenty feet from a tree -oo
In height; all the rest is left a mass of
ruins.
over nearly all of the more accessible
slopes of the Sierra and Cascade noun
tains in Southern Oregon at a height or
from three to six thousand feet above
the sea- and for a distance of about 6oo
miles, this waste and confusion extends.
Happy robbers! dwelling in the most
beautiful woods, in the most salubrlous
climate, breathing delightful odors both
day and night, drinking cool, living
water-roses and lilies at their feet IN
the spring, shedding fragrance and ring
ang bells as If cheering them on in their
desolating work. There is none to say
them nay. They buy no land, pay no
taxes dwell in paradise with no forbid
ding angel either from Washington or
from heaven. Every one of the frail
shake shantieS is center of destruction,
and the extent of the ravages In the ag-
Eresate enormous.
Notwithstanding the immense quanti-
ties of timber cut every year for foreign
and home markets and mines, from five
20 ten times much is destroyed as is
used, chiefly by running forest fires that
only the federal government can stop.
MIR. Muir writes:
Travellers through the West in summer
are not likely to forget the fireworks dis
played along the various railway tracks.
Thoreau, when contemplating the De
Rtruction of the forests on the east side
of the continent, said that soon the coun-
try would be bald that every man
would have to grow whisSers to hide its
max edness but he thanked God that at
least the sky was safe. Had he gone
West he would have found out that the
sky was not safe: for all through the
summer months, over most of the noun
tain regions, the smoke of mill and Tor
est fires is thick and black that no
sunbeam can pierce it. The whole Sky,
with clouds, sun, moon and stars, is
simply blotted out. There is no real sky
and no scenery Not mountain Is iett
in the landscape. AT least none is in
sight from the lowlands and they all
might as well be on the moon, as far as
scenery is concerned
Mr.. Muir points out that while the
talf-dozen transcontinental railroad
conpanies advertise the beauties of their
lines in gorgeous, many-colored folders.
each claiming it's as the scenic route
a more truthful description would be
1.-THE route or superior deSoiatio'' siioN''
dust and ashes.
Every train rolls through dismal smoke
and barbarous. melancholy ruins; ana the
companies might well cry In their auNer
tisements: come. travel our way. Ours
is the blacklist. 1t is the only genuine
Erebus route. The sky is black. and the
ground is black, and on either side there
is a continuous border of black stumps
and logs and blasted trees appealing to
heaven for help as If still half alive. and
their mute eloquence Is most interesting
" touching. The blackness Is perfect On
account of the superior skill of our work
men advantages of climate, and the KIND
of trees the charring is generally deeper
along the line, and the ashes are deeper,
and the confusion and desolat1on dis
played can never be rivaled. No other
route on this continent fully illustrates
che abomination of desolation.' Such
claim would be reasonable, as each seems
the worst, whatever route you chance
to take.
However, Mr.. Muir says that notwith
standing all the waste and use which
have been going on unchecked for more
than two centuries, it is not yet too late
though 1t is high time-for the govern
nent to begin a rational ADMINISTRATION
of its forests.
About seventy million acres 1T still
owns-enough for all the country, If wise
~ used These residual forests are gen
orally on mountain slopes, just where
they are doing the most good, and where
their removal would be followed by the
greatest number of evils; the lands they
cover are too rocky and high for agricul-
ture and can never be made as valuable
for any other crop as for the present
crop of trees 1t has been shown over
and over again that If these mountains
were to be stripped of their trees and
underbrush. and kept bare and sodless
nv hordes of sheep and the innumerabie