The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-27
would be desirable to include in the Nat

would be desirable to include in the Nat
ional Forest Reserve.
1t is not possible under the terms OF
the bill to make such a selection that the
national forest reserve will be a solid,
compact body, on account OF the large
amount of faulty. classified agricultural
land. also on account of the many thou
sand acres Of Indian allotments scattered
turnout the reservation, which must OF
necessity be included within the bound
aries OF any selection made.
IF 1T were possible at this time to In
clude the swamp lands classified as agri-
cultural, which are really component
part Of the forest and to hold the reserve
In its inception In a compact body, with
the exception of the Indian ailotments, 1t
might be possible in the future to bring
about the enactment Of laws which should
provide that whenever any Indian allot-
ments located within the limits of the
reserve were offered for sale, the United
States government should have the prior
right to purchase them at their actual
value, and in this way eventually consol-
1date the reserve
THE reserve includes some Of the finest
lake and river scenery In the Indian res
ervation, and, indeed. some Of the finest
in the northwest. It is very accessible.
From various points which can be reached
| by the railroads steamboats, and launches
can be run thru the various lakes and
| rivers in several different directions to
| the outside boundaries.
THE unusually favorable facilities for
rapid travel by steamboat and railroads,
and the consequent possibility Of easily
reaching distant portions of the reserve,
will be Of great assistance In patroling and
| protecting it from violations of the laws
or rules prescribed for it's management,
and while there will always be the danger
| Of forest fires being started from passing
| trains, still there must also be taken into
consideration the advantages to be de-
rived from quick mail and train service.
There Is no rose without its thorns.
cass Lakes Shores.
"All the islands in Cass and Leech lakes
were, by the terms Of the Morris bill,
| reserved from sale or settlement. Beliey-
! Ing that the spirit Of the bill and the best
| interests of the people would be best
served by protecting the shores of beau
| tiful Cass lake from being utterly de-
| stroyed from a scientific point of view,
| 1t was considered advisable to locate the
| ten sections reserved from sale or settle
| ment by the terms Of the Morris bill, in
such manner that they would preserve
| the timbered shore lines of Cass lake in
their native state with the exception Of
those portions which had previously been
allotted to the Indians.
| When all the different advantages Of
this location have been fairly and impair
TALLY considered by those who have at
| heart the interests Of the national govern
ment, Of the people of the: state Of Min
| nesota and of forestry, they will, I be-
| lieve. be satisfied with the reserve as To-
| Gated. ...,
| Attitude Toward Lumbermen,
'There has been considerable specula-
ton as to what the attitude of the forestry
officials charged with carrying out the
provisions Of the act would be towards
the numbering interests. On this point I
wish to say that the attitude of the bureau
OF forestry towards the lumbermen will
be In this instance, as in all others, that
OF the utmost friendliness with a desire
to cooperate In the removal Of the tim
Der In such manner as will be for the
best interests of all concerned. A strict
observance of the forestry rules we must
| insist upon, but we do not expect the
impossible, and the men who will be in
| charge Of the forestry work will be prac-
tical men with experience in numbering,
! who will be perfectly competent to deter
mine whether or not the purchasers OF
4 the timber are trying their best to per-
form their work In accordance with the
rules and regulations.
| Much has been said and written about
the damage caused turnout the country
by the rayages Of the lumberman but II
Is not so much the work of the lumberman
as the destructive forest fires that usually
follow numbering operations, which have
4 so devastated some portions Of the beauti-
full state of Minnesota. e
And while on this subject I wish tc
say that altho the percentage of mer-
charitable timber which was allowed BY
the act to be reserved for the reforesta.
ton Of the Minnesota National Forest
Reserve Is small, still there Is no question
but that it will bring about the desired
result in time II the forest fires can only
| be kept out