The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-08-15
Can the Forests Of the Presidential
Range Be Saveds


In the town Of North Ferrisburg in
the state Of Vermont, few miles from
Lake champlain, there is mountain
rising out Of the plain which commands
noble view Of the Adirondacks and
Green Mountains and the historic sheet
Of water that extends from the Cana
dian line to the New York border There
is no finer view in New England than
the panorama that is unfolded from the
top of Mount Philo. and it can be seen
by any person on Gods footstool with
out asking leave of the owner of the
mountain, Mn. James Fl. Humphreys Of
Boston, for he has dedicated it to pub
lie uses. Not only has he done that,
but lie has built fine road to the sum
init and there erected tall and sturdy
observatory He asks of visitors that
they iniure no bird or animal or dam
age tree on bush. And this public bene-
factor is not d rich man, Judged by the
modern Standard Of multiples.
Why cannot some man of millions
whose chief concern Is to dedicate a
part of his fortune to public uses do for
the Presidential Range ii New Hamp-
shire what Mr.. Humphreys has done
for Mount Philo? Unless something of
the kind is lone the forests Of the glor-
ious Presidential Range seem to be
doomed, and with its TANKS denuded
by axe and fire, what would the great
range be but a Disagreement to the eye
and a menace to the dwellers Of the
yalleyl
Mr.. Frank H. Burt, editor Of Among
the Clouds, has written letter to Sem
ator Gallinger, introducer Of the bill at
Washington, to form a White Mountain
reservation, to point out that it only
provides for the reforesting Of lands
that have already been cut over. Mean
while the Bartlett Lumber company has
come into possession Of large part of
the range and intends to strip it of
trees for the pulp and lumber mills.
Elsewhere the work Of telling the great
spruces and hard timber trees has been
going on for three years, and unless
some agency intervenes to save the for
ests it is only a question of time be-
fore the Presidential Range loses its
chief natural beauty and becomes sere
barren and forbidding to lovers Of ma.
linger to ask him to use his influence
with the governor Of New Hampshire
to call a special session Of the legisla-
ture to deal with the problem. In the
regular course Of things the legislature
will not meet again for two years. By
that time not q single trunk larger than
sapling would be left on the side Of
Mount Washington. 1t is the northern
end Of the range that Is most precious
for its splendid tree growth. No one
in New Hampshire has much faith in
the prospect of favorable action BY the
, legislature, because the cry has been
heard before and often that the state
Is too poor to buy Mount Washington
and make reservation of it. The most
strenuous directors would be the farm
ers themselves, who as class benefit
more by the attractions which the White
Hills hold out to visitors from other
states than any one else. An appropria-
tion to acquire the desirable part of
the range would raise the rate of taxa
ton, and the objection would probably
be fatal. Then there is the expense OF
the extra session to be considered. New
Hampshire, it may be feared, will hardly
have the foresight and courage to save
and protect its own treasures It is
an opportunity for multi-millionaire
who loves nature more than libraries
or seminaries, and il there is none to
speak we earnestly recommend that
those upblic spirited men who are striy-
ing by appeal to state and congress to
save the Presidential Range open sub
scription to provide the money.New
York Sun.