Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-26
STATE HOUSE.
Who Will Fill Forestry Chair
at u. of NJ?
Austin Cary Declines and Roy L.
Marston Offered Position.
OF! Painting of Late Speaker Reed to
Be Given State.

Legislature created q cnalF Ol lOIeSliF
at the University of Maine and APP
propriated the sum of $500 year for
the purpose The passage of the re-
solve in favor of this project was car
ried through the Legislature by the eff
forts of the ladies composing the for
estry committee of the Maine Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs. The question
of filing this position has been under
consideration for some time. Austin
Cary, who is the chief forester for the
Berlin Mills Co., and who is known as
an expert and practical forester has
been offered the place. Mr.. Cary APP
preciated the honor conveyed in the
tender of the position to him, but he
decliens to accept. In doing so, he
gives reasons of a personal nature
which amply justify him in declining
the office. He recommends, however,
that Roy L. Marston, son of Hon.
Charles A. Marston of Skowhegan, be
rendered the position.
Mr.. MarstOn is a member of the fac
ulty of the School of Forestry connect
ed with Yale University, and is recog-
nized as one of the leaders in the
practical work of the school as well as
an authority upon the subject of for
estry. Just now Mr.. Marston is in
charge of 16 students from the school,
having been engaged by the War De-
partment to conduct experiments and
make investigations as to the timber
supply OIL the government reservation
at West Point. n. Y.
For years the War Department has
keenly realized the great need of better
protecting the standing timber and
water supplies on it's military reserva-
tons throughout the country. After
ar exhaustive investigation of the
problem it was decided to test the
merits of a proposed plan, and, select
ing West Point as the reservation for
the test. Secretary Root through the
Bureau of Forestry placed the actual
work in the hands of the management
of the Yale School of Forestry, to be
worked out. The school authorities
turned the work over to the senior
class. and there they are, up in the
heart of the woods, eating, sleeping,
cooking their own meals, measuring
and marking trees by day and match
ing yarns by night. 1t is great
work the little party of sixteen has
undertaken-the examination of prac-
tically every tree in the reSerVa-
ton of nearly two thousand acres,
the marking of those to be taken
out. the indication of those parts of the
great tract to be seeded for trees, those
to he planted with young trees and the
kind of trees to be planted. Then
after all this has been done, to set the
b,I al a,Iy in 40 nf a,
map that shall be a safe guide for the
care and use of the reservation for a
period of ten years.
Congress recently made an appropria-
ton for the improvement of West
Point and "A committee to consist of an
army engineer, a landscape gardener
and a forester, and iGfs the forestry
work of which Mr.. Marston has charge.
1T is Il systematic attempt to give
nature a chance" said Mr.. Marston in
| exclamation of the work of his party.
This reservation has been closely cut.
and it has suffered from fire. Indis-
criminate cutting would practically
denude it of timber in a few years.
When our work is done the forester in
| charge will have in the map we Shall
| prepare a guide, the following of
which will not only enable the post to
get what timber it needs. but by in
| tcliigent cutting will greatly improve
| the stand of timber. If the plan We
outline is followed closely, at the end
| of ten years there will be a fine stand
of timber on this reservation"
The forestry students began work on
the West Point reservation on April l..
he nII CO y,-n11
| that they now expect to be able to fin
| ish it by June 10. At that time Mr..
Marston expects to be able to tell the
| war department just how many feet
of available timber it has in the stanu
where cuts should be made, and just
| how many feet may be safely cut for
| telegraph poles, building purposes and
other uses each year in the course of
| the ten year period covered in the pro-
posed development of the forest.
From the fact that Mr.. Marston has
made such rapid strides in his chosen
profession during the past few years,
| his friends in Maine are satisfied that
| they may feel called upon to decline
| the tempting offer to occupy tn"
chair of forestry at the University of
| Maine, although he is being con-
Istantly urged to accept the same. His
standing before the forestry bureau at
| Washington is of the highest character,
and his reputation grows more sub
stantial as time goes on. Who will
be selected for the position If Mr.. Mars
ton declines is not known.
Mrs. Susan p Reed widow of the
late Hon. Thos. b. Reed, has written
| a letter to Col. +. c. Stevens in which
she says that she will procure an oil
painting of her husband and present
it to the State. to be hung in the cap
itol. 1t will be large in size. 40x50
inches. the same as that of Gov. Hill,
Congressman Burleigh, Hon. Nelson
Dmgley, Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, Hon
Lot NJ. Morrill, and ex-Gov. Robe
The artist will begin work on Mr.
Reeds painting right away.