, 1907-03-15
DISCUSSES
RESERVES
RECENT ACTION OF PRESIDENT
SUBJECT OF LARAMIE LIT
ERARY CLUBS MEETING.
Speakers Included e. j. Bell, John w.
Ernest, D. N. stiokney, John Reid,
and Others-Beil Describes Some
Of the Effects Of the Addition in
This State.

The vital character of the forest re-
serve problems and their direct appli-
cation to conditions upon the Laramie
plains vas well brought out at the
meeting of the Laramie Literary club
last night, at the Carnegie library,
The warning interests of the two fac,
tons. the sheep and the cattle men,
and the intensity of the interest, which
the action of the federal government
has evoked in the west, was brought
home to the large audience assembled.
Both sides to the controversy were
ably represented by men whose prac-
teal relationship with the problems
involved made them well acquainted
with the subject. The room was
crowded, the audience including many
ladies, when the meeting was called to
order by E. N. Rogers, president of
the club. George Patterson was ap-
pointed as chairman n Prof. Trum-
bull as critic for the evening.
Bells Trip to Washington.
The description given by E. J. Bell
of his visit to Washington at the re-
quest of the president was a piece of
real humor and was thoroughly en-.
joyed. Mr.. Bell described the puffed-
up feeling which the receipt of q 140-
word telegram from the chief execu-
tive gave him and c~ontrasted it with
the feeling of smallness he expert
enced when he had been to Washing
ton and had eel the president. Mr..
Bell evoked much laughter by his ac-
count of having gone to bed at his
hotel in order that his trousers might
be given just the correct crease by the
tailor and of having arisen at 4 o'clock
in the morning to prepare for the in
terview with the president. The inter
view itself was very brief, Mr.. Bell ad-
mitted, and consisted of a friendly
shake of the hand, an Injunction
shared with several other early visit
ors, to watch out for the corporations;
an attempt on the part of Mr.. Bell to
extend a personal invitation from Lar
annie for the president to visit us next
summer, and a courteous excuse and
dismissal. The whole interview was
so brief that. in answer to a question
from one of the club members. Mr..
Bell was forced to admit that he had
no time to think of the beautiful
crease of his trousers.
Grazing to the Fore.
John Ernest, in introducing the sub
ject of the Forest Reserve" said that
the original purpose, hat of preserv-
ing the timber, has been lost sight of
and placed in the background by the
%stupendous Importance of the grazing
question. Everyone, said Mr.. Ernest,
believes in the preservation of the for
ests, just as everyone believes in the
usefulness and necessity of life insur-
ance. Personally he did not think
there could be too large forests re-
serves or too many of them.
Handling of the Funds.
d. N. Stickney also dwelt upon the
new factors which have COM up in
the entrance of the grazing question
into the matter and the immense areas
now included in reserves. AS a unit,
said Mr.. Stickney, the cattle men are
in favor of the reserves and the sheep
men opposed to them. He referred to
the fact that the counties whose areas
impinge upon the forest reserves, de-
rive no revenue from those lands, hut
are at the same time liable to great
expense in the matter of punishment
OF crime and other matters. Mr.. Stick
ney strongly advocated the power of
leasing the public domain being placed
in the hands of the county commits
sioners of the various counties and the
revenues derived being converted into
the county funds instead of going to
the federal government.
King as Sheep Man.
+. s. King stated that everywhere
the effects of the forest reserves have
been to increase local taxation. He
stated that the reserves retard deyel-
opment OF the country and took issue
with the statement that sheep damage
a range or a forest reserve. Mr.. King
was of the opinion that the power
sought to be placed in the hands OF
Clifford Pinchot, commissioner of for.
est reserves, would make him arbiter
of the stock industry of the west.
Reserves Good for cattIemen,
John Reid, being called upon to
speak. said that in mis- opinion the
forest reserves are the only things
that a save the cattle industry from
the Entertainments Of the sheep men
AT the present time and for a number
OF years the cattle men have been un,
able to obtain an acre of pasturage fol
their cattle outside of their own mead
ows and the forest reserves. all be
cause of the sheep and the selfishness
OF their owners. Their meadows have
decreased in productiveness because
OF the TACT that the cattle are KEEP
upon them too late in the season and
altogether, things have come to sucb
a pass that the cattle men must take
measures to protect themselves and
l hnfr 70 p,tIfnc IL L..