The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-19
FROM OTHER PENS

RESTRICTIVE LAWS NOT NEEDED
The governors whose conference at
the White House has already resulted
in the appointment Of separate state
conservation committees, will not
make the mistake, we think, of urging
restrictive laws instead of providing
for the distribution of economic facts.
Private owners of the countryS re-
sources, if ignorant of the means of
conserving them. will proceed obstin-
ately in spite Of hampering laws. If
the Investigations of government ex-
perts can show them that their inter-
est is uniformly identical with the
states interest, and that the methods
of protection suggested would enhance
the value of their property, every good
purpose would be served.
ed the principle that information
should be supplied. They are taking
stock Of the resources of their states.
In West Virginia the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad company has just
bought 100000 acres of hard woods,
mostly poplar, cherry. oak, maple,
birch and ash. which the directors of
the road intend shall be converted into
ties A few months ago we might have
prophesied evil in this, sale of the
t-growth forest. The stripping of
500 square miles of the Appalachians
would mean destructive foods-the
annual rainfall here is "a inches-de-
nuded soil, naked and Improbable
desolation There are many such desc
late areas in the south. But lumber
men are adopting more enlightened
forestry methods. Some OF the rail-
road companies are actually planting
forests covering thousands of acres.
The officials of the Baltimore and
Ohio probably know that, by leaving
the smaller trees and providing for re-
production by seed trees, their source
of ties will become perpetual. They
will learn gratefully of the new and
better methods for bringing this about.
New York Times.
o.
cHARLESTON'S BUZZARDS.
Charleston, the metropolis of South
Carolina. is the only city in the coun-
| trv that has become noted by reason
| of the fact that buzzards are to be
seen daily on one of its streets: In a
| recent magazine article Mr.. Samuel
| Hopkins Adams creates the impression
that there are no scavengers in
| Charleston to speak Of save the buzz
yards. Nothing could be wider of the
truth While it may be a fact that
| Charleston is not the most sanitary
| CITY in the world, it is, nevertheless.
true that it is very delightful place
| of residence, and that the buzzard
| story has been worked almost to
| death.
Mr. Adams tells with a good deal OF
| evident pleasure how he has seen buzz
yards "at their un1ovely feast in the
streets of Charleston, leaving the
| reader to infer that scavenger birds
have their habitat at all over the city,
That isn't so. 1t may be doubted that
ANYBODY ever saw a buzzard in
Charleston elsewhere than in Market
street, between Meeting and Bay The
city market is situated there, running
some seven or eight blocks. The IA
nous buzzards feed alongside the
meat stalls, but are never seen else
where. How they ever learned to
gather in Market street is a mystery
| Whence they came. and wither they &C
no man knows. The idea that they
have "unlovely feast as Mr.. Adams
says, is NEUROLOGICAL. unless it be ad-
mitted that fresh meet scraps. such as
one might well put into soup pot
are "unlovely.'' The buzzards Of
Charleston are pets, not par1ahs; they
are not scavengers in the generally &C
cepted sense of the term; they are. a:
matter of fact, blue bloods. They
are regarded as wards OF the mu'
nicipality, and are fed by the butch
ers on good fresh, and wholesome mea
every day. No carrion is ever OF
their bill of fare. They are fastidious
They are Charlestonians-Sa
News