Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1905-09-16
ABOUT THE FOREST RESERVE.
A few Remarks on the Side About the
Running of the Same.

A few Remarks on the Side About the
Running Of the Same.
To THE EDITOR OF THE CHRONICLE:
DEAR SIR:-A recent issue of the Gus.
TER CHRONICLE contained a reprint of an
article from the Deadwood Pioneer
Times which gave an interesting account
Of the work being done on the Forest
Reserve, under the supervision of Cap
tain Bullock, and from the tone oft one
would infer that everything was in the
most satisfactory condition in the coun-
try that was so fortunate as to be nclud-
ed within the Reserve boundaries; and
may be it is So but since the Reserve
has now been established for several
years it is possible TO take sort of an
inventory of the results that have been
achieved so far by the improved state of
affairs inaugurated by the people who
have charge Of the timber.
That some restriction on the wasteful
cutting and destruction of timber that
was going on previous to 1897 was neces-
sary if 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 pre-
yious to that time; but that all the acts
of the Forest Reserve officials lave been.
or are the best to conserve the timber
supply without undue hardship on the
individuals who incidentally happened
to be living on the land, is a question on
which there may be more than one opin-
ion.
Taking general survey of the condi-
tions then and now, it is sufficiently OBJ
yious that the pine timber has been, and
is still being destroyed at far more ra-
| pid rate than ever the settlers could get
away with it, and without any compen-
sating advantage so far as one can see to
anybody now or in the future. The
men who were working destruction at
least gave to the settlers the benefit of
cheap lumber wherewith to make their
homes, as they settled and built up their
ranches. Today we see acres and acres
of dead trees standing useless to anyone
and Disagreement to the scenery, and
the destruction is going on at such rate
| that dead trees cannot with ths present
demand for wood be utilized if everyone
in the Hills were allowed to cut all they
wanted. The Forest Reserve authori-
| ties have undoubtedly saved lot of val
liable timber, only for destruction, and
more than they ever so saved today
stands dead, dying, and useless to any
living soul
In the same issue of the paper was a
short paragraph which should be read
as a comment on the self complacent ar
| ticle | am referring to; concerning the
bark beetle it says; "As about 500, O,OOO,-
900 feet of lumber has been destroyed,
some action has become necessary if
these forests are to be preserved" Now,
it does not require the aid Of these fig
ures to realize the extent of the des-
tructon that has been going on any per-
son with ordinary eyesight can stand on
Hill and look over the country and see
for himself the widespread nature ofthe
damage, and neither does it require much
| foresight to see that in very few years
the Forest Reserve can drop the first
| half of its name, for the reason that only
the reserve will be left without the for
est. The Forest Reserve people cannot
claim that since they have had charge
| Of the timber there has been any i'm
provement in the condition Of the re-
serve as forest.
On the other hand farms that a few
years ago were raising grain and feed,
now stand waste and uncultivated be-
cause it has been the policy of the re-
serve officials to stop settlement in the
reserve, and to let the land go back to
the original condition in which the In
dians left it. Even if letting the land
lie thus idle and unproductive would
cause it to become reforested the pol
icy would be wasteful and foolish, for
with so slow growing crop as pine tim.
ber, the annual production of merchan-
table timber from such lands woald, when
established be far less in value than that
of the crops that could be raised on the
same lands. To attempt to raise pine
trees on land that can be cultivated for
grain, is wasteful extravaganza, and this
fact is well known and admitted by for.
estry experts; even with this there is
another fact to be taken into account
namely, that although the forestry OH
ciaIs can keep the soil from being culti
waited, they cannot succeed in making
pine trees grow on it, 1t looks as if the
pine trees knew their limitations anc
places give them rocks and hills whert
crops cannot be raised and the pins
flourishes, but whore the land can bt
titled, the pine tree quits and refuses tt
grow; remove the tllable soil, as ha
been done in places for the construction
of railroads and the pines immediatel,
commence to seed themselves and grow
but where the soil is deep the pin,
leaves it for more profitable use, if tn,
Reserve authorities will allow it to be s,
utilized.
Under the able supervision of Captain
Seth Bullock, the Forest Reserve peopl
seem to have come TO the conclusion
| thaf fbav NAV hoya N on out af hu q; =, 90
if something is not soon did to get ri,
of the Forest Reserve Bug which hs
been destroying their reason for exis
tence, and they have finally made u
their minds to make supreme effor
for its destruction, and the scheme the
advocate, is to kill off all the red squir
rels. The squirrels they say destroy tn
birds, and the birds, if there were enoug