Evening star., 1908-01-19
MUNIFICENT GIFT
REDWOOD CANYON DECIDED TO
UNITED STATES.

One of the most public-spirited gifts ever
made to. the government has come from
William Kent of Chicago. who has just
decided to the United States 295 acres of
primeval redwood forest on the southern
slope Of Mount Tamalpais. about six miles
from the city of San Francisco. The land
was decided to the government with the
approval of Forester Clifford Pinchot, chief
of the United States forest service. The
papers have now gone to the Secretary of
the Interior. and a proclamation declaring
the canyon national monument will be
ssigned at an early date.
This means that more of California s
redwood giants will be saved for the sci
entific study and pleasure of the whole
&ountry-in fact. the whole world-for the
great sequoias are only found in the
Golden state. This grove given to the
government by Mr.. Kent is one of the
only tracts of redwood forests TO be found
in its natural state in California today.
The land is said to have cost Mr.. Kent
$4,000 some years ago. but its stand of
redwood timber alone is now valued at
more than S150OO0 on the market.
The Canyons of Tamalpais.
The canyons of Tamalpais. which drain
into San Francisco bay, were cut clean
years ago. and the redwood obtained from
them went into the construction of the
old San Francisco. The giants on the
tract to be known as Muir Woods escaped
the ak, however. chiefly because the out
let is on the ocean side instead of the bay
side. and also because the various owners
of the land have for sentimental reasons
jealously guarded the timber from harm
or destruction. Modern methods of log
gng would make short work of the tim
Der and would. besides put a handsome
profit in the hands of the owners.
1t is the intention to name the national
monument Muir Woods after John
Muir. the noted naturalist. The giants Of
Redwood canyon will now be given per
manent protection by virtue of the act OF
June g, 1905. which provides that objects
of scientific interest may be declared ma
tional monuments if such action is deemed
necessary for their preservation and pro-
lection This o95-acre tract will be a
pleasure ground. well as a place for
scientific study for the people practically
of the whole of California. for within a
radius of fifty-two miles on the canyor
two-thirds of the population of the entire
state are centered
The chief reason for the permanent pro-
lection of the land by the government is
that there is no other redwood grove IN
the whole world more accessible 10 so
many people. The canyon is in absolutely
!
scratched by the hands of man. 1t. lies
within an hours ride of San Francisco, at
the very doors of hundreds of thousands
of people.
Safe as a National Monument.
So long as the land remains i'll private
ownership there IS always danger that the
trees will be attacked. and Mr.. Kent
feared this but as national monument
they will be safe for all time. There are,
Of course. many finer stands of redwood
in California but there are no typical
groves owned BY the United States. nor
are there any which might be acquired by
the government except at great expense.
Originally this land was part OF the old
Spanish grant. Rancho Sausalito Mr..
Kent purchased the land some years ago
for sum said TO he about SiI.un The
largest redwoods are now eighteen feet in
diameter at fhe butt and viii approach
three hundred feet in height, rising with
perfectly straight and clean stems. As
none of the big trees have been cut. their
age is of course. somewhat problematical
but il is safe to say that the veterans
have stood from 1.090 TO 800 years.
The total stand OF redwood roughly es-
timated. Is about 30.O1o.uO0 feet. with some
| ; 600 900 feet Of fir and very consider
| able amount of tanbark oak. The red
| wood alone. at fair valuation. has a
market value of S1Jo.OOO as II stands.