The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-11-05
YAKIMA RESERVE
STATED THAT is WILL SOON
BE CREATED.
Strip Embraced Will Extend from
Washington Reserve on the
North TO Rainier Reserve on
the SOuth-DeIay Caused by
Railroads.

me SOuth-OeldY Caused by
Railroads.
Tacoma, Oct. 31.-The bureau of
forestry, department of agriculture,
will shortly set aside the Yakima for
est reserve. The reserve will include
all of the territory south of the Wash
ington reserve and the northern line of
the Rainier reserve. The strip includes
that portion of the main range of the
Cascade mountains and also the east
ern and western slopes. The approx
mate area of the reserve will be two
million acres. When the reserve is
formed Eastern and Western Washing
ton will be cut squarely in two by a
wide mountain area of forestry re-
serves, for the entire Cascade noun
tain range extending through the state
will be included in the three extensive
reserves-the Washington, Yakima and
Rainier
81. j. Thompkins, Of the bureau of
forestry, department of agriculture,
who has been in the state since July,
and E. T. Allen, forestry inspector,
with other officers of the forestry de-
partment, have been working on the
new reserve question from time to time
during the summer and fall, in con-
nectiOn with other forestry matters of
the state.
Mr.. Thompkins, who is now in Ia
coma, said that the new reserve had
not yet been set aside, but admitted
that in all proba bility it would be
done within q short time.
DELAYED by Railroads.
What is holding the matter up now
are the tagging negotiations between
the government and the Northern Pa
cific railroad over the railroad lands
in the prospective reserve strip. The
Northern Pacific main line runs
through the center of the proposed re-
serve, and very large acreage of the
reserve on tho west slope Of the noun
tains is tim bered lands belonging to
the railroad. Heretofore when the
government has taken lands it had al
ready donated to the railroads, lieu
lands were given in other localities.
In such cases lieu lands were given
acre for acre, without any reference to
their value. Now the government pro-
poses to give lands to the railroad of
equal values to that it is taking.
While this will be greatly to the ad-
vatage of the government, it will ne
cessitate considerable figuring and
work to make the exchanges. The
government is determined to follow the
policy, however, as heretofore in SINH
lar trades the corporations have fire.
quently obtained fine strips Of rich
country in lieu of comparatively
worthless lands in other sections.
To Eliminate Valuable Lands.
While it is definitely decided to set
the Yakima reserve aside, there are
still some fine valleys, and in many
cases tim bered lands, that will be elm
mated from the reserve. Mr.. Temp
kins says the reserve in the main con-
sists of great mountain ridges, massive
peaks and giant foothills, here and
there isolated plateaus, with the whole
conglomeration cut and slashed with
rivers and creeks that in many IN
stances have cut deep canyon gashes at
various angles through the region.
The whole region is wild, ruggedly
mountainous, and practically uninhab-
tied, save where the Northern Pacific
is projected through the mountains,
with it's accompanying string of rail-
road stations and section gangs.
Miners have penetrated the country
from time to time, and prospectors
have staked claims in localities where
indications pointed to treasure in the
earth beneat b. On the summit Of the
mountains near the Northern Pacific
line there are few summer resorts
clustering around small lakes.
Despithe the mountainous character
of the new reserve there are many sun
ny valleys in it in whose restricted and
isolated areas adventurous settlers have
mape homes. All such localities will
be- excluded from the reserve. While
the Northern Pacicfi lands in the re-
serve are now owned by the Weyer-
hauser timber syndicate, it is under
stood here that, according to the con-
ditions of the purchase Of the lands by
the syndicate, the railroda company
will make fight for equal acres of as
good timber as the reserve sweeps out
of the syndicate's grasp.
cR--..@DA Chnrf inc Started