The Teton peak-chronicle. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1904-1952, 1905-04-20

and enterprises as the final creation
of forest reserve.
l append hereto a correct map of
Shoshone county showing the pro.
posed withdrawal of land, and
showing the withdrawal of Nov.
IA, 1908. l earnestly request that
you take such action as will restore
these lands to the public domain.
Mr.. President: l do not desire
to be understood as opposing the
principle of forest reserves, but
do not regard these proposed with
drawals as being within either the
spirit or the principle of the law
under which forest reserves were
intended to be created. 1t was not
intended that they should be used
to exploit theory at the expense
of the state, nor was it that they
should be created against the pro.
test of the people most interested
in the growth and development of
the state. I know this country !;
I have lived Immediately on its
borders for more than 81 years.
I have traversed much of it, and
should regard it is a calamity to
the county and to the state, and as
unfair to the people who have now,
or who in the future would have,
homes and enterprises within
Shoshone county.
The proposed withdrawal for
the Shoshone forest reserve
amounts to more than one million
acres, and the II townships ex-
amined for withdrawal and shown
in the map in yellow, amount to
253. 44O acres. The six townships
withdrawn Nov. IA, 1903, amount
to 1873, 24O acres, making in the
aggregate more than one and one
half millions of acres of land with
drawn in Shoshone county.
Since the enactment of the law at
the last session of congress pre-
venting the location of lieu land
scrip upon timber lands. which
was threat against the splendid
areas of timber contained within
this proposed withdrawal. the
threatened danger of corrupt
practice in the securing of timber
lands no longer exists, and it
would be humiliating admission
of incompetency for the land de-
partment to plead that it was un-
able to prevent fraud in the entry
and settlement of these lands. The
existing laws contain no threat
against the integrity of the public
land system, and because few or
many individuals have perpetrated.
or are seeking to perpetrate frauds
in securing public lands, consti-
tutes no reason why that great
empire of the West, should be
suspended or repealed.
1t is too often the case that new
generation lacking the experience
and energy resulting from actual
contact with conditions. condemns
the work of their fore-fathers and
fore-runners. No system regarding
the public lands which has result
ed within our time in creating the
great empire lying west OF the
Mississippi river, should be con-
demned because that combinations
of capital and corrupt individuals
seek to circumvent and avoid the
legal restrictions intended to secure
fair and equitable distribution of
the benefits of the public domain
among all classes of citizens. 1t
would be better that these lands be
open to settlement even though it
were found necessary to send an
agent of the department to examine
every homestead before final entry
was made. We were made a state
and told to grow; we were en-
dowed with generous donations of
public lands for public purposes to
stimulate and foster the growth of
L