Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1905-10-07
The Forest Reserve Again.


THE EDITOR OF THE CUSTER CHRONICLE.
DEAR SIR Il see that in an article re
printed by the CHRONICLE from the Ian
tern, Mr. Freeman Knowles criticises {
recent letter of mine regarding the For
est Reserve which was published il
your paper, and since the CHRoNICLE has
given the people here an opportunity tc
read his article, ask your permission tc
reply to his remarks.
Mr.. Knowles commences his com.
merits by admitting that his Judgment
in the matter Of the Reserve at the time
of its establishment eight years ago did
not amount to much, which is n propo,
sition on which | will not take issue
with him, but rather will freely con.
cede, and even would be willing to al.
low liberal extension Of time, but Just
| how this adds needed weight to his re-
marks is one too many for me.
For tho purpose of condemning my
article it suits Mr.. Knowles to set up
the idea that g people Of the Southern
Black Hills are regretting the passing oi
the sawmills that indiscriminateIy cut
and destroyed the timber, and quotes a
paragraph from my article as being in.
consistent with this view, which it is
but so far from giving my whole case
away as he says, it shows that ! have
not taken the position which he tries to
ascribe to me, and at the same time de.
| molishes the assumption on which Mr.
Knowles has based the main part Of his
article. Here is the paragraph that Mr..
Knowles quotes from my letter: THAT
some restriction on the wasteful cutting
and destruction oftimber that was going
on previous to 1897 was necessary if a
| supply of pine timber for future use was
to be secured was sufficiently apparent
to any one familiar with the conditions
! that existed in the Hills previous to that
| time" which it seems should be suffi-
| Ciently clear. But since Mr.. Knowles
seems anxious to set up the idea that
the people here have been injured and
feel sore because of the stopping of this
unlawful cutting of the timber. | will
say that | have never heard anyone re-
| GREETING that the old sawmilIs have gone,
and neither do believe that anyone
has been injured by their going. Any
way such possible loss to the community
is more than compensated for by the
new industry which has been establish.
ed in squirrel tails.
| 1t would have been interesting TO have
! learned where in the Black Hills Mr..
Knowles can have seen any reproduc-
ton of timber that will counterbalance
the enormous destruction of timber
which is patent to everyone, and is ad-
mitted by the forestry officials them
selves. His idea of attributing the alb
normal rainfall of this summer to an
increase in the amount of the timber is
a gem of the first water. and shows how
little foundation is required by Mr..
Knowles on which to raise an elaborate
SNl uGNhlC Va tllCDl anu his ICHldIh lAIdL
the conservation of the new growth for
a few years will cause US to forget all
about the bugs and the destruction they
have wrought, betrays a comical ignor-
ance of the rapid growth of pine, and
the age Of forest trees. From an expert
ence gained in securing data for the Bu.
reau of Forestry in company with one of
their experts, | can assure Mr.. Knowles
that when the young trees which he
saw have attained a growth equal to that
of the timber that the bugs have des-
troyed, we shall indeed have forgotten
about the bugs, and have been long for
gotten ourselves.
1t is scarcely necessary to comment on
the article contributed by the editor of
the Black bills Mining Review, as it is
merely repetition of Mr.. Knowles ar
ticle pitched in higher key, and Mr..
Simmons may rest assured that when
people here pay $50 per thousand feet
for lumber they are amply compensated
lOi VIC luII SdSOu CUSI W lllcUl DH HIS AS
surance that the saYmil men are max
ing good money out of it.
Since in my original letter l made
some remarks on the withdrawal of land
in the reserve from cultivation, | wish
now to call attention to report of the
Public Lands Commission which has
just been issued, for the reason that it
recommends better policy for the con-
sideration of Congress in future legisla-
ton. Speaking of agricultural land in
the forest reserves the report says
Its occupation for agricultural pur-
poses is in the interest of the region in
which it lies and of the settlers who
would make homes upon it. The pres.
ence of the latter in the reserves would,
under wise laws, operate distinctly for
the protection and general advantage Of
the reserves. 1t is essential TO the pros
perity of the public land States both
that the forest reserves should be main.
tanned and that all of the land within
their borders should be put to its best
use. -
Respectfully yours,
HARRY WAY
Important Decision in Fence Case.