The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-08

act at the last session of congress,
hopes for this forest reserve in Kansas
must be deferred; but not necessarily
depart, according to Clifford Pinchot for
ester for the department of agriculture
The agitation for d forest reserve in
F'inney county was practically started
by F. H. Evans, a cattleman, large land
owner, and successful and public spirit
ed citizen of Garden City. He had the
backing however, of his brother, II. j.
Evans, Representative W NJ. kinnison,
Samuel Billiard and other leading citi-
ZenS of the town and county. Mr.. EV-
ans owned much OF the land on which
the proposed forest reserve was to have
been established. If the reserve had
been entitled, under the old law, to
lieu selections in other localities, the
character OF the land to be the same,
of course, under the law.
At the time of the inception of this
agitation, forest reserves We're under
the control of the department of the in
terror, and through it, the general land
Office. The bureau Of forestry, depart
ment of agriculture, was, however, the
chief instrument in bringing about the
creation of new reservations. This was
because of the constantly expressed
fear that the timber culture was being
sadly neglected in this country and
that the supply of timber lands would
be speedily diminished if new forest re-
serves were not constantly created. The
extraVagant use of timber in sections
where it grew, coupled with the grant
and fraud practiced in the northwest in
respect of timber lands, made it a seri-
Gus question confronting the depart
ments of the interior and agriculture as
to where future timber was to come
from. The president himself was vastly
interested in the subject, and has often
created now forest reserves by eXecu-
tive order.
When the Kansas project was started.
it was pressed by Mr.. PinehOt, the de-
partment Of agriculture's forester, with
much eagerneSS. He had finally come
into control of the forest reserve bust
ness of the government, these being
transferred from the department of the
interior to the department of agricul-
ture Just as the scheme was about to
succeed, congress repealed the lieu-land
law. This repeal was a wise action,
so far as it protected the northwest and
southwest against lOng-practiced timber
frauds, but unfortunate to Kansas just
at this time when it was endeavOring to
secure a forest reserve of its own, in a.
legal and proper manner.
Mr.. Pinchot believes, however, that
legislation which he will urge at the
next session Of congress, in behalf of
timber culture generally, will permit
of the project for a Kansas forest re-
serve again being taken up, and pushed
to successful issue.
This forester Of the department of
Observation-Disclosures a young man,
about forty years of age; full of life
and energy and aggressiveness; quick
and alert, like so many of those young
men who have circled about President
Roosevelt and surrounded him in his
administration. Pinchot is rich-his
family has millions, and lives in a big
mansion in this city; the young man is
wealthy in his own right; but forestry
IS his fad, and he devotes all his time to
1t. He works night and day on his
! hobby, and has made it worth while. He
watches government forest reserves like
hawk; he is constantly lettering and
charging the timber scope; he is weed
ing out graft wherever he can: and he
IS devOting his life to his work. And,
at last, he wants to try to help Kansas
70 nave big forest reserve out in the
snort grass country where many varie-
TIES OF trees viii grow. and better the
/ snort grass climate. Tree growing is not
new IN western Kansas; it has been
Lfled by the state at Ogallah and Dodge
CITY, and by private holders of land:
but a big government project like this
would be Of infinite value to the section.