The Elbert County tribune., 1908-11-05

In the process of redistricting the
national forests, which has just been
completed, numerous changes of name
were made. These changes were by
no means haphazard or arbitrary. The
new names have been chosen on ac-
count of their Importance in local and
national history. and they will serve
for all time as reminders of men and
events prominently connected with the
country's progress from the pioneer
days. Merely to read them under
standingly is to trace the salient facts
of western growth and development.
The national forests in New N.sl-
co, with the Significance and deriva-
tion of their names. are as follows:
The Alamo National forest is named
from Fort Alamo. which received its
name from the old Alamo mission of
Texas. This fort is the site of the
most memorable battle which has ever
been fought on Texas soil, being the
altar on which William r. Travis.
Davy Crockett, James Bowie, ]. b.
Bonham and their heroic companions
offered up their lives in the cause of
liberty and popular government The
name Alamo signifies cottonwood" or
poplar" and was probably given it
by the troops quartered there who
come from Fort Alamo de Parras, in
the province of Coahuila, to which
province Texas was annexed This
forest includes 1.164,906 acres, and is
under the supervision of Acting Su-
ervisor Arthur M. Neal, with head
quarters at Alamogordo.
The Carson National forest takes its
name from the city. pass, lake, river
and valley in Nevada. all of which
were named after the Rocky mountain
guide, Kit Carson, one of the most
picturesque figures of western history.
His early life was spent on the
plains. where he met Gen. John C.
Fremont, by whom he was engaged as
guide in subsequent explorations. In
this capacity he was eminently use
full and to him is probably due much
of the success of these explorations
He was perhaps better known to a
larger number of Indian tribes than
any other white man, and from his
long life among them learned their
habits and customs. understood their
mode of warfare and spoke their Ian
guage as his mother tongue. No man |
did more than he in furthering the |
settlement of the northwestern wilder
ness.
The Chiricahua National forest is !
named from the Chiricahua Apaches,
who were one of the most warlike |
branches of all the Apache nation.
They made their home in the depths |
of what is now the Chiricahua forest, |
and the Cochise strongholds where |
Cochise, their greatest warrior of mod |
ern times, for years defled the white |
man, is an important point for sight |
seer5 in the region. The word means |
mountain" or 'lawless," that is, I'm
dians living in the mountains and hav-
ing little respect for the white mans
laws" This forest includes 466,497 |
acres and is in charge of Acting SUI
pervisor A. H. Zachau. with head
quarters at Douglas, Ariz.
The Datil National forest derives its
name from a large mountain spur of
the Rockies called the "Datils." There
is no certain knowledge of the mean
ing of the word. 1t has by some been
supposed to be the Spanish word
meaning the fruit of the date palm,
and various other explanations have
been given as to its origin. One of the
most probable is that it is an Apache
Indian word, because there are sew
eral words similar to 1t in the Apache
language. This forest includes 1,84s.-
s15 acres and is in charge of Acting