Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-02-01
THE REDWOOD ANY0S
2s5 ACRES DECIDED TO GOVERN
MENT BY WILLIAM KENT.
This Grove Viii Become a Permanent
Pleasure Ground. As Well As j
Place for Scientific study

B the most public spirited sits eve
made to The government has cone
from William Kent. Of Chicago. who
has inst decided to The United States
! 2a5 acres If primeval redwood forest
on the southern slope Of Mt. Tamal-
| pals, about Six miles nom the city Of
\ San Francisco. The land was decided
to the government with the app. oval
Of Forester Clifford Pinchot chief uf
I the United States Forest Service The
( papers have now gone 10 the sscre-
tary of the interior aud a proclama.
/ tion declaring the canyon national
! monument VIII be signed al an early
/ date.
This means that more Of califor-
Mas redwood giants will be sawed
/ for the scientific study and pleasure
Of the whole country IN fact the
whole world. for the great sequoias
are only found in the Golden State.
This grove given 70 the government
/ by Mr.. Kent is one of the only tracts
Of redwood forests to be found in It's
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 atone is now val
ued at more than $4,000 on the mar.
! ket.
The canyons of Tamalpais which
drain into san Francisco Bay. were
cut clean years ago and the redwood
obtained from them went into the con
struction OF the old San Francisco.
i The giants on the tract to be known
as Muir Woods escaped the ak how
ever, chilly because the outlet Is on
the ocean side instead of the bay side.
I and also because the various wners
! and also because the various owners
sons jealously guarded the timber
from harm or destruction Modern
methods Of logging would make short
work of the timber, and would, be
sides put handsome profit In the
hands of the owners.
/ 1t is the intention to name he ma
tional monument Muir Woods" after
John Muir the noted naturalist. The
giants of Redwood Canyon viii now
be gwen permanent protection by vir-
tue of the Act OF June s. 1906, which
/ provides that objects OF scientific in
terest may be declared national mon
uments If such action deemed nee
essary for their prescription a-d pro
lection. This 295 acre tract will be a
pleasure ground as well as place
4 for scientific study for the people
/ practically OF the whole Of California.
for within the radius Of SO miles OF
the canyon two-thirds OF the Dcpula-
ton Of the entire state are centered.
The chief reason for the permanent
protection Of the land by the govern
ment is that there is 40 other red
wood grove in the whole world more
accessible to so many people The
canyon Is an absolutely primeval con
dition not so much as scratched by
the hands Of man. IT lies within an
hours ride of San Francisco, at the
very door of hundreds of thousands
Of people.
So long as the land remains IN
private ownership there is always dan
ger that the trees win be attacked
and Nh Kent feared this. but as a
national monument they viii be safe
for ali times. There are. of course
Emany finer stands OF redwood in Cal
ifornia. but there are no TYPICAL
groves owned by the United States
nor are there any which might be ac
! quired by the government except at
great expense.
Originally this land was part of the
old Spanish grant, Rancho Sausal-
ito Mr.. Kent purchased the land
some years ago for a sum said to be
about $4,000. To insure the preser-
walton OF the redwoods for the in
struction and enjoyment of all the
people for the years TO come, he has
now decided the tract to the United
States as gift. The largest red
wods are eighteen feet in diameter
at the butt and will approch three
hundred feet in height, rising with
I perfectly $ aight and clean stems.
As none of the big trees have beer
cut, their age rs Of course somewhat
problematical, buta Il Is safe 10 say
that the veterans have stood from
one thousand to fifteen hundred
years.
-