The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-05
ICES >af'ge 81
Fore ST r. eserves
MAG Yin EplToR HEARS OF: d
y sc ZEN E:STl n FlLIsB BAR
Arm Frs ia RoMs Il
vAsT$TRAcT.!s
u MOI !t.i Than 500, 600, 600 AcREs; HE
&; AVS, AREsLlkEEYs sRE q
FENCED IN. 4

L
Francis Perry Elliott, formerly
editor OF The Home Magazine Of New
York,and a well known Eastern ma mag
azine writer. has been visiting friends
in Cincinnati during the past week
says the Cincinnati Commercial Fri
bune. VI d.
Mr.. Elliott halls at present y from
Denver, where he went for his health
two years ago, and has built up. n
great popular representative magazine
for the Rocky Mountain region. Yes
terday he talked Ientertain1y to a Com,
ilerclal Tribune representative.
THE most Interesting question In
the far West just now said Mr. Ell.
lott. lis the problem OF the tlisposi.
tion and administration OF Uncle
Sans public domain. especially the
National forests. You know that
practically all our. National forests ar.
in the West. They are very carefully
and scientifically tended. 20 g.
Praises President. 5it
"a great deal has been accomplish
ed in the past six years in sperfectlng
the service: and the credit for this
is due to the President. Secretary viii
son and sMr. Plnchot. the Chief For
ester. But there is spreading widely
a sentiment that we are stopping over,
little In the matter OF the forest re-
serves s.li
Are the people out West opposed.
then, to forest reserves?" he was asst.
ed.
'-s'Not on your life said Mr.. Elliott.
emphatIcally. "Nowhere in the whole
world are people in such Intimate anil
intelligent sympathy with the purpose
OF forest reserves as out in the arid
West. Irrigation has transformed the
Great American Decentralization.
you understand. not rains It Is still
the land OF the ralnless years. But
the water for spring and summer IT..
rlEation comes. OF course, from the
melting SHOWS caught and hell
through the winter in the arms of the
mountain forests You people here In
the Middle West long ago realized
your wanton prodigalfty with your for.
ests. your floods and the alternat..
tlroughts and the wasting soil have
or created an alarm only second to that
caused by your vanishing timber sup
ply. b,
Snow Helps Crops.
Your farmers depend upon rain.
and must continue to do SO; but out
in the Rocky Mountains we are chief
ly concerned about snow. The first
snowflake in winter Is the farmers
star Of hope. These mountain forests
are, therefore. perpetual reserves. anil
the people realize their dependence
upon them.,"'
The dissatisfaction refer to is not
With the institution, therefore, but
with some features OF the admins.
tratlon OF the National forests. It is
right to be Jealous about our Nation
al forests, right to learn to use them
and not abuse them, but 1t is not right
TO be fanatfcal and to sacrifice all the
comfort. prosperity and DEVELOPMENT
OF the West today for the sake or
locking IN a vast undeveloped do.
main main Tor posterity. II that domain-orr
portion OF it-does not contain any
forests. never did, and never will con.
tain any forests: does not minister
In any way to the conservation OF wa.
ter supply. and is absolutely fit for
no purpose except for agriculture or
grazing. There are flllions and mil.
lions of acres OF this sort that are
locked up from the people In the for.
est reserves.
Belong to Nation.
Another thing you want to remen,,
her," hec, ontInued, I'VE do not constd.
er IN the West that the agricultural
lands Of the public domain belong to
the people of the West alone. We arc
specially anxious to Impress that they
belong to the citizens OF Ohio. In.
LLAMA. Illinois and every other state
ANYBODY may go out there and take
mem up In the manner the law spe,ct.
les. The people OF the West want set.
'lers to come; they want them more
han anything else In. the world. The |
let OF June !, 1897, which set aside
Eit!mhered areas or noun tain water
'he'ls for forest reserves, specifically
md distinctly fprbids the Including
II lands good only for other purposes.
The Idea was that the interest of the
settler should have first consideration.
and unavailable for timber protec.
ion or reforestation or for conserv-
ng the flow Of streams, was to be
sept open for farms and homes and
communities. This principle is not
,nfnu {, ,lbo.ol A., -. % - :.