The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-15
PART l.

A.
r HERE are few people so unintelli-
gent that they do not appreciate, IN
some measure, the value of forests,
but perhaps there are fewer still. who
fully appreciate the gigantic import
ance Of the part trees play IN the
progress and maintenance Of Civiliza-
riQn. The fact is, that without trees
cur present Civiiizatio could not have
been developed for ages, and perhaps
it could never have been developed az
all. I'm many parts Of our own cOun-
try. for example. farming oper8 rions
would be impossible but for the trees,
such is their influence upon the
streams. They regulate the water sup
ply and tend 20 prevent both foods
and drought They supply fuel one 81
the greatest necessities Of life. and
they supply the lumber for the build
ing of cities, bridges, railroads and
ships. Yet most OF US never stop 10
think that the number Of our trees is
limited, that We are using them up far
faster than they are being replaced
either by me nor nature. and that, IN
less some means can be found either
TO prevent the wholesale destruction
Of lumber which IS now going on, or TO
offset it BY repianting large aFeas wits
young trees. a timber famine must re-
suit at no very distant day. we of
this generation may never feel 81 eX-
cept fla the increased price Of lumber
and fuel. but those who come after
AS viii curse our neglect and want Of
foresight.
or course it has become necessary
that vast forests Of fine trees be cut
every year; gigantic industries. in
which millions of dollars and the en-
pigment Of hundreds Of thousands OF
men are involved. make it impossible
- Inn - ann = g
But In the very interest Of these great
Industries destructive NUMBERING
should be everywhere guarded against.
AS often as not. the owners OF the
forests are not 10 blame fer the
destructive numbering which goes on
{ by their orders; they are driven DF
excessive taxation on their forest
LANDS to cut and sell their timber as
fast as possible. that they may realize
( on their property once for all and
without the slightest regard for the
future. AS soon as the trees are gone,
I the owners refuse to pay the taxes any
I longer. and the almost Valueless land
/ goes back 20 the state. With reason
I able taxation, these owners would
{ have been able to cut the trees care
fully and in such q way as 70 insure
/ the preservation Of the forest. with a
view TO obtaining valuable crops Of
/ timber in the future. Thousands ana
( thousands Of square miles Of land
/ which should now be covered with
/ thriving young forest trees are simply
/ 20 much wilderness, and many and
l many g county. which with reasonable
/ taxation might have been prosperous
today. is poor because its natural
wesIth Of timber has been squandered,
/ An enemy almost If not quite as
( destructive as bad numbering. Is the
/ forest fire. which destroys not only
: the timber lands, but very often
dwellings and human lives besides.
/ When conditions are favorable to such
/ a fire, it sometimes reaches appalling
proportions. Such was the case with
F the diramichi IRE of 1925 which, -
/ the short space of nine hours, des-
! troyed a belt Of forest eighty miles
long by twenty-five miles wide, killed
/ almost every living thing, including
the fish in the streams, over an area
/ OF more than two and A half millions
+ OF acres. swepa away a number Of
towus. burned a thousand head Of
. stock and killed one hundred and six
! ~ people The Peshtigo IRE of 1871
( was stilI more disastrous. covering, as
/ 1T did, two thousand square miles pa
f Wisconsin, and involving the loss OF
I many millions Of dollars and the
death OF nearly fifteen hundred per-