The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-24
TIE REPLIES TO SPEECHES MADE
TO HoRTICULTURIsTs.
Arguments About Drainage, lrrlgatlon
and REPRESENTATION, He Declares,
Were Not Based on Facts-inlnKs
Plan to Reforest Leech Lake Reser-
walton Will End in Failure.
IT. Al. Editnr of Tho Journal.

me and the extravagant claims there
made were true, it would, be better for
the land department at Washington to
cancel all homestead entries in the tim
bered portion of the state; for the state
TO withhold its lands there located from
market, thereby robbing the school fund
of many millions Of dollars; to take every
mans farm and landed property by con-
demnation proceedings; in some ways
smother the thriving cities and villages
there growing up; tear up and destroy
the railroad in that unhappy portion Of
the state. and let the country go back
into the possession of the wolves and the
bears, and thereby avoid the consumma
ton of Mr.. Maxwells prediction, that |
under certain conditions 1.-The whole
state will become a barren waste, to be |
roamed over by jackals and hungry |
hyenas," than to continue the work Of
development, which is being so courage |
ously and successfully carried on.
But it is not true. 1t may be that |
the eXtravagant statements were made
account Of q fear that the drainage
league is hostile to irrigation, and that
the draining Of our swamp lands is nim-
iCal to demonstration. We have no
quarrel with irrigation; so far as 1 know
every member of the drainage league is
in favor Of irrigation, where irrigation is
needed, as he Is In favor of dl~inage
where drainage Is needed These ques
tions do not and cannot in any ways be
made to conflict with each other. Instead
of being enemies to demonstration, be-
lieve that nine tenths Of all the people
OF the north who have taken look into
the future are in favor Of demonstration.
But they want the work done along prac-
teal lines, and under conditions which
make 1t possible to succeed And when
ever and wherever the work is under
taken. where there Is reasonable show
of success. I for one am ready to join
hands with its most jealous advocate
and try to push the work along.
Predicts Failure.
But I state frankly that 1t is my belief
that demonstration as attempted on the
Leech Lake reservation, near Cass Lake,
will end in failure There we have a re-
serve Of 235, 900 acres. This tract is
traversed from end to end by the Great
Northern railroad. It Is also dotted over
with Indian dwellings, and every time an
Indian dies, owning allotment, that allot-
ment is sold to a white man, who sooner
or later will convert it into a home and
farm. Sparks from the engines as they
pass over that road will ignite the pine
spills and resinous bark. The fire set
by the settler in clearing his land, per-
haps, will shoulder for days in the roots
Of stumps and at last, famed into g.
blaze by some sudden gale, the whole
reserve will be enveloped in flames, car
rying destruction and death to all the
young trees. Over all this vast area not
one white policeman nor fire warden is
employed. However, 1t Is said few
Indians may later be employed. What
but failure can be expected under such
conditions?
In riding north from Brainerd to
Walker, on the Missabe & Iron Range
railroad, &oVer a. country a considerable
portion of which is cut over lands-lands
once covered with fine groves Of Norway
and white pine trees-one will see ter
thousand young jack pines growing
where he sees one young timber making
tree. While this condition may not bt
universal, it is very unusual to find
section Of cut-over territory where thu
second growth does not consist almos
wholly of jack pine and poplar, and an
told on the cut-Over part of the Leecl
Lake reserve, there are springing u
young jack pines in such numbers a
to choke out the more valuable trees.
States Work Practical.
The state Of Minnesota has alread
begun the work of demonstration on it
part along most practical lines, and I'm
der conditions which makes success pos
- sible. Mr.. Maxwells statement tina
but smaller parks are preferable
has long been my contention, and Their
are many opportunities in this stat
where such parks can be located, an
costing less than will the Leech LAX
reserve. That reserve belongs to tn
Indians, and before the United State
can own it, 1t must be bought and pai
for
~@ Another scare attempted to be throw
into the people at that meeting Is thu
by draining the north country it wi
J,n ioh1 -l,
duce such a flood as to drown out tt
villages and cities down the Mississippi
and spread destruction and death broat
cast towards Its mouth. There is sa
to be practically II 100000 acres of lar
to be drained; not to exceed one-thi
- of this territory. or 100000 acres, W
be drained into the Mississippi.
Effect of Drainage
If any person fears that the drainil
of that comparati lively small territory
going to work such havoc, it will
Well for him to consult the governme
engineers who have been for many yea
- solving the problem Of the upper MI
sissippi and who have constructed a
are constructing vast reservoirs that "
hold untold billions Of cubic feet
water and which will in the future affC
more equabe flow than has heretofc
been possible.
Why anyone should infer that draini
the swamps Is a menace to the growi
D., OF trees. is a mystery. One can no mt
- raise trees in marsh or swamp cover
with water than he can when planted
q shallow lake or river. In those S,
merged swamps, only alders, lamar
spruce and cedar trees, all stunted
usually found; never white pine nor n
way. If those swamps were to rem
submerged for a thousand years tn
would not at the end of that time
white or Norway pine enough gro
- there to make a dog kennel. Whet
clover or valuable trees are to be grt
makes no difference. In either case tt
must he dry land. Drains are as nee
sary to the raising of trees there
they are to the raising of wheat.
> Calls Argument Reasonable.
At that meeting I am told the ST
ment was made that the soil is ste
and when drained will be worthless.
that statement was made I regard il
but little less than treason. Whe
stated in ignorance of the facts o
nlisrepresent the facts the result is {
harmful In short it seems to me
the whole trend Of the discussion to
ing upon the sparsely settled PORTO
the state has blighting effect, and
dtscouraging to the sturdy pioneers