Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-31
MAGNIFICENT GIFT
TO GOVERNMENT
REDWOOD CANYON NEAR SAN
\ FRANCISCO DECIDED TO THE
UNITED STATE

Washington, Jan. Prone 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 29E
acres of primeval redwood forest on
the southern slope of Mt Tamalpais
about six miles from the cityeof San
Francisco. The land was decided to
the government with the approval of
Forester Clifford Pinchot, chief of the
United States forest service. The pa.
pers have now gone to the secretary
OF the interior and proclamation
declaring the canyon a national monu.
ment will be signed at an early date.
This means that more of California S
redwood giants will be saved for the
scientific study and pleasure of the
whole country, in fact the whole world
for the great sequois are. only found
in the Golden State. This grove given
to the government by Mr.. Kent is
one of the only tracts of redwood for
ests 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 alone is now valued at more
than $150,O00 on the market.
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, how.
ever, chiefly because the outlet is
on the ocean side instead of the bay
side, and also because the various
owners of the land have for senti
mental reasons jealousy guarded the
timber from harm or destruction,
Modern methods of logging would make
short work Of the timber and would,
besides, put handsome profit in. the
hands of the owners.
It is the intention to name the ma
tional monument muir Woods" after
John Muir, the noted naturalist. The
giants of Redwood Canyon will now
be given permanent protection by vir-
tue of the act of June s, 1905, which
provides that objects of scientific in
terest may be declared national mon
uments if such action is deemed neces-
sary for their preservation and pro-
lection. This 295 acre tract will be a
pleasure ground as well as q place
for scientific study for the people prac-
tically of the whole of California, for
within radius of SO miles OF the can
yon two-thirds of the population of
the entire state are centered.
The chief reason for the permanent
protection of the land by the govern
ment is that there is no other red
wood grove in the whole world more
accessible to so many people The
canyon is in absolutely primeval con
dition, not SO much as scratched by
the hands of man. 1t 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 pri-
vate ownership there is always. dan
ger that the trees will be attacked,
and Mr.. Kent feared this, but as a
national monument they will be safe
for all times. There are, of course,
many finer stands of redwood in Cali
fornia, 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 ex-
pense.
Originally this land was part of the
old Spanish grant, Rancho Sausa-
Ito Mr.. Kent purchased the land
some years ago for 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 a gift. The largest red.
woods are eighteen feet in diameter
at. the butt and will 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 it is safe to say
that the veterans have stood from one
thousand to fifteen hundred years.
The total stand of redwood, roughly
estimated, is about 80 million feet
with some 5 million feet of fir, and q
very considerable amount of tan bark
oak. The redwood alone, at a fair
valuation, has a market value Of
$500 as it stands. Except for a
narrow strip of brush along the east
border and a fringe along the osuth
4.