Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-16

| student. and they not only have the benefit
OF his advice and instruction. bur Mr. VAN
derbllt gives them the range of his ar
boreturn free of cost they live healthy,
outdoor life. camping most of the time in
the mountains and gaining practical expert
ence. Most of the graduates of DR..
Schenck's school thus far have gone into
the employ of the government and the large
lumber companies. II Congress ever MAKES
an appropriation for the purchase of the
forests of the Appalachian mountains for
national park. it is proposed to establish
here a national school Of forestry uEder
the Department of Agriculture
Rise in Land Values.
Mr.. j. f. Hays, general agent of the
Southern railway, at Asheyille. aud In
charge of the interests of that corporation
throughout this section of the country, Is
probably more familiar with the land stu
alton than any other person here. and he
says:
1T will be found very muca more difficult
to secure the property included In the pro-
posed Appalachian forest reserve now than
it would have been a few years ago,
when the matter was first under discussion,
and the longer the purchase is postponed
the more costly it will be. Ry reason of
the location of chestnut wood extract
plants, tanneries and pulp mills in this ter
ritory, the land forested principally with
hemlock and chestnuts (which had prac-
tically no value) could have been secured
for probably two or three 'ioilars an acre
at that time, but 1t could uDt be bought at
the present time for less than six or eight
dollars acre.
For instance, the property recently Eur
chased by the Champion Fibre Company
on the headwaters of the Pigeon river, sold
about ten years ago for so an acre, and
the parties who purchased it would prob
ably have been very glad TO double their
money at the time the PARK proposition was
first agitated. The Champion Fibre Com
pany paid So an acre for the land The
territory belonging to Mr. George w. Van
eerbilt, known as the Pissah forest prop
erty, 81 900 acres was originally purchased
for probably an average Of Sl.J0 acre,
and in 1902 could have been had for go
or 81 acre. / understand that the price
asked for this property at the present time
is $40 an acre, which would De $4,000 for.
81 ,000 acres. This is true also of The
Rooms, Dendy and Haywood lands located
on the headwaters of the keowee river, in
upper South Carolina, and Of the tirimshaw
lands in North Carolina. AL Of those lands
could have been had at prices ranging from
30 to So per acre, but l question whether
they could be obtained for an average of
less than st an acre at the present time.
These values are not fictitious, but are
based on absolutely good business prin-
ciples. l know of one chestnut tree cut
recently that measured UP thirteen cords
of wood at delivery price Of 81 per cord.
total, $50; and another of ten cords. These
trees We're practically OF no Value prior to
the establishment of chestnu. wood extract
1T is to be considered, however, that
through all this section there is a heavy
growth of young timber, which. If properly
protected, would the same purposes
as the large timber for the conservation
of water and it Is to be regarded espe-
cially with reference to chestnut. The new
growth is SO rapid that for four or I'VE
years after the removal of the large trees
the surface is practically covered with new
trees. and it win be possible after the re-
movaI of all the older timber to re-forest
the district that might be used as forest
reserve.
Reservoirs or Storage Dams.
while this Is all very important con-
tinued Mr.. Hays zone matter that seems
to have been overlooked. and which would
be more effective in the prevention of high
water or great floods than almost any other
measure. is the building of reservoirs or
storage dams at suitable points on the head
waters of the streams on this forest re-
serve-the Chattooga, the Little Tennessee,
the Tuckasiege, the French Broad. the
Seneca, and in fact all the rivers of west
Norsh Carolina. There are hundreds of
places where large basins can be es-
tablished, practically caring for the rain
fall of two or three months. BY storing
this water during the wet season and re-
leasing it gradually during the dry season
the water power could tie figured on an
average that would show a great increase
over the minimum flow, which ii is neces-
sary to use under existing conditions, while
al the same time the danger of great floods
would be almost entirely eliminated
Precedents Esta blished.
1T might seem improper to ask the
United States government to aid in mat
ter which would be so evidently to the ad-
vantage of private holders of factories To-
Gated on the streams below the points at
which these reservoirs might be made, but
when it is regarded that the locks in the
Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers
have all been built and are maintained by
the government, and that their usefulness
is principally in handling coal at low stages
of water for the plants in Pittsburg, Me
Keesport, Homestead and other neighbor-
ing cities, and that the result is simply
giving to these plants fuel for power at a
lower price than could otherwise be Sc
cured, it would seem just consistent
on the part of the government to furnish
locks or reservoirs which would provide
power and protection to the manufacturers
of this section.
1T would also seem quite as consistent
for the government to furnish this protec-
ton and assistance as TO create storage
dams for irrigation in the west which are
for the public, and are available to the
public, and the entire work of the govern
ment In many instances. 1t is certainty
quite as important to protect and assist
sections that are already settled as 1t is
to provide for lands that have not yet been
taken up, and to make them profitable and
desirable. 1t would appear to me that in
the consideration of this matter 1t could
not be regarded as fully developed by the
mere protection of the watershed when
this great additional protection could be
given for so slight an additional cost"
While conducting an experiment with