Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-03-09
SAVES FAMOUS TREE GROVE.
President Signs Bill Creating Csia-
veras National Forest.


ing the bill for the creation of the
Calaveras National Forest, Califor-
MIA, President Roosevelt has com
pleted the legislative act which saves
for all time the most famous grove
of trees in the world. The people Of
California, particularly the 500 wo-
men Of the California Club, have
been working to interest the gov
ernment in this wonderful grove of
big trees for more than nine years,
but not until now has it been posi-
bic to arrange plan satisfactory
alike to the owner OF the land and
to Congress.
The Senate bill passed by the
House Of Representatives has just
been signed by the President. Every
one interested in the great natural
wonders rejoices that as a means of
saving the big trees, the way has
been paved for practical exchange
of the timber in the groves for
stumpage on other forest land own
ed by the government The first
Calaveras bill was introduced in the
Senate four years ago by Senator
Perkins Of California. Bills for the
same purpose were passed in the
upper house OF Congress Number
Of times, but always failed of favor
able consideration.
Robert b. Whiteside, of Duluth,
Mimi, n prominent lumherman ope-
rating in the Lake States and on the
Pacific coast, Is the owner Of the
Calaveras big trees. After his agree
ment to the proposals, which are
simply practical exchange of tim
Der for timber, the entire California
delegation gave it's solid and enthu-
siastic support to the bill. No ap-
preparation is needed to carry out
the provisions OF the act.
The land to be acquired under the
bill includes about go acres in what
Is known as the North Calaveras
grove In Calaveras county, and
3,040 acres in the South Grove in
Tuolumne county. The North Grove
contains ninety-three big trees and
In the South Grove there are 1880
OF these giant sequoias. Any tree
under eighteen feet in circumference
or six feet through Is not considered
|" the count of large trees. Besides
the giant sequOias there are hun
dreds of sugar pines and yellow pines
OF astounding proportions, ranging
n tnhf -
attaining a diameter of eight to ten
feet. There are also many white frs
and incense cedars in the two tracts.
The Calaveras big trees are known
the world over. The North Grove
contains ten trees, each having
diameter Of fifteen to twenty-five
feet. Most of the trees have been
named, some for famous generals of
The United States and others for
statesmen and various States of the
Union. THE Father Of the Forest"
now down, is estimated by Hittel, in
his "Resources Of California, to have
had height Of $50 feet and a diam
eter at the ground Of more than
'o''y iSSI "lcH IL WAS Slanuln5,,
Massachusetts" contains $4,000
board feet Of lumber; "Governor
Stoneman" contains 1OS,OOO board
feet, and "The Mother of the For
est burned in the terrible forest
lire which licked it's way into part
or the grove last summer, contains
lO5. 900 board feet. Each Of these
trees named grows as much lumber
as is grown ordinarily on fifteen or
twenty acres Of timber. The bark
runs from six inches to two feet in
thickness. Among the other large |
named trees in the two groves are |
Waterloo, Pennsylvania, James King.
Old Bachelor, Pride OF the Forest. |
Daniel Webster, Sir John Franklin,
Empire State, u. S. Grant, w. r.
Sherman, j. p. Mcpherson. Abraham
Lincoln, Connecticut, Ohio. Grover
Cleveland, Mrs Grover Cleveland
DR.. Nelson, General Custer, DR.. J.
W. Dawson, General Hancock.
Knight of the Forest, Two Sentinels
and Old Dowd.