The San Francisco call., 1903-12-06
MISTAKE ABOUT THE TREES.

~ ENERAL GREEN in the Colusa Sun writes
about the effort to acquire for preservation and
- public use the Calaveras grove of big trees that:
The Caaveras big got private hands through
the fraudulent use of the United States land laws and
the owners busy getting up all sorts of petitions
begging the Government condone the fraud and per-
jury by which the land passed into private hands and in
addition pay vast fortune for lands which 81 so per
We have circular letter from Mrs White telling
all about the danger of the destruction of the big
trees. Mrs. White could be used directly in the
premises but she is being used all the same by these
spectators"
Now think this is all mistake. honest mstakej
but its effect may be deporabe. Long years ago the
Caaveras big passed into private ownership and
became the property of Mr.. Sperry, and there
taint shadow of fraud the transaction He owned
them least thirty years Financial necessity caused
him mortgage the for large of money. He
perssenty and repeatedly tried sell the property He
proposed that the State should purchase it. and there
evidence that he made every effort get of his pre-
dicament in such way free himself of debt and
preserve the for the public But met with no
response from any quarter
OF it is unfortunate that at that time public SEN
ment in this State the subject at concert
pitch and there such organization the Waters
and Forests Society the Outdoor League take ad-
vantage of his offer and the grove at nominal
price Failing at every turn he finally sold the trees
embodied in large numbering tract of yellow pine and
this done public sentiment aroused and an eff
fort began to acquire the from Mr. Whitesde
Instead of being used by speculator to sell back
the Government at great price lands acquired by fraud
and perjury Mrs White has labored ceaseessy to make
the best of situation created by the neglect of
people This effort has attracted interest and enlisted
effort far and wide. In New England and the Southern
States it has the benefit of the splendid rise of public
feeling for the guarding of the forests of the country 1t
has secured the cooperation of economists who know
the value of forests related to the conservation of
moisture and to the permanence of timber supply and
it has the Concurrence of sentimentass who see the
scenic value of saving the forests relation to the
esthetc life of the people Now if the idea got out that
at the base of it all is fraud akin the land frauds
that attracting much attention and are under
judicial examination for punishment by the courts all
of this support will be alenaed and the last state of the
big trees will be than the first.
For these ask that General Green revise his
conclusions in the light of the facts as we have stated
them for he is loyal to California and the purpose of
Mrs Whites efforts He will that if it be true that
the old these lands be vated by fraud as the
statute of limitations does not in civil against
the Government, the lands be resumed to Federal
ownership and appropriation for their purchase is
necessary If this idea become among members
of Congress their aversion to appropratng money for
such purpose will have an excuse which cannot be sue
cessuy answered We are warranted in assuming that
when Mr.. Whteside contemplated such large invest
ment real property he secured abstract of title
which showed that the fee simple actually and law.
fully and equitably in the from whom he bought
This being the there be legal ground for
voidng the title which he purchased and paid for The
matter is of too much Importance be left where it
and that General Green will give it his inn
mediate attention.
In his article he says: There danger in the wide
world of the destruction of those There is no
known machinery that will cut them into lumber and
there the is worth for than for
the lumber If the petition asked the Government TO
take the matter of fraud in connection with the title
and if that should be found good to fix price at some
reasonable advance the purchase price and take the
groves would sign it and work for it. but as long as
has all the earmarks of being got up and pushed bv
the so-caed owners we beg to be excused
Granting that the trees worth more standing than
feed and sawed they should be held by the public and
not by the private of resort subject to the muta
tons Of his fortune, they in the case of Mr.
Sperry With the element of alleged fraud eliminated
the "earmarks" suggested are nonresident The tract
which IT is proposed to purchase is heavily timbered
with other trees of high commercial value and we are
told that the land mbered is worth the money pro
posed TO be paid for it if the Government were
moving IN the matter on purely commercial lines
lmpeed by the stress of competition the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company recently reduced the steerage fare
from San Francisco TO China to ST. The officers Of the
company committed grievous error of Judgment They