The San Francisco call., 1909-10-09
COW MUST CRAZE
UPON TEN ACRES
Chamber of Commerce Succeeds
in Securing Permission to
Establish Forest
Eight Hundred Dollars Needed
to Pay for Planting and
Years Care

After unwinding several yards of red
dom and wandering around in a perfect
maze OF bureaus and departments the
San Francisco chamber of commerce
succeeded yesterday in having the cow
on Coat island limited TO 10 acres of
psstursge and in receiving permission
10 plant trees on the remaining 90
scres OF government land.
The 80 acres was an eyesore to the
esthetic traveller. 1t stood out bleak
barren and eheerless from the tapping
waves, devoid of foliage. depressing in
its desolation, bare OF living creature
save the obnoxious lighthouse COW,
The artist and estbete gazing thereon
rozred In dfsapprovsl. So multitudinous
became the protests that the chamber
OF commerce jumped TO the fore. The
land was under the jurisdiction OF the
lighthouse board in Washington.
CIRCUMLOCUTI0N PREVAILS
A letter was sent to the board asking
permission 70 plant trees on the island
The lighthouse board replied that the
object was worthy, but being but a part
labor IL did not have the power to grant
ths request The COW grazed on in
tranquil scorn.
The second request was made to the
department of commerce and labor, and
= reply was received stating that while
the artistic spirit Of the citizens of San
Francisco was TO be spplauded the
planting OF trees was done by the forest
service.
The chamber of commerce began to
enter into the spirit Of the game. And
The COW xrazed on.
a third letter was sent to the forest
service. The officials replied that while
The planting of trees was to be en-
coursg ged they were but insignificant
coEe in the agricultural department and
permission would have 10 come from
The officials there
And the COW grazed on.
ANIMAL BECOMING An OBSTACLE
The agricultural department was
notified OF the existing conditions. It
replied that while happy TO observe
such sylvan tastes in the people of San
Francisco. it could not. without violat-
ing departmental ethics, command the
forest service 10 splsnt trees on prop
erty belonging 10 the lighthouse board
without request from the latter.
The chamber OF commerce took of
its coat, kicked out the office cat and
settled down TO work. And the COW
xrszed on.
A letter was sent TO the lighthouse
board asking ii to request the depart
ment OF commerce and labor TO request
the department Of agriculture to COM
nsnd the forest service to plant trees
on Goat island.
The lighthouse board replied: What
about the COW? Where will 1t grazeT'
Those who had been pushing the
scheme up 10 this stage began TO think
the best way out of the difhculty would
Hindu inhabitants OF the Pacific slope
by catching the COW on a dark and
stormy night and dumping it oversize.
In the meantime the COW grazed on.
NEAR END OF TROUBLE
The trouble did not end there. The
navy department was consulted about
the trees, the lighthouse board argued
for the rights Of the COW, and, to add
TO the heart breaking maze, the forest
service discovered that the only trees
that would grow on the island were
The species cupressus macrocarpa, ditto
xoveniana and the eucalyptus globulus,
ditto corynocalyX. ditto rostrata and
ditto tereticornis.
The chamber OF commerce did not
know whether the island would look
like q natural forest or a beer garden
when the forest service hurled it's die
tunl at il. And the COW grazed on.
Ultimately the lighthouse board
agreed TO drive the COW to mean 10
acres Of pasture. II requested the de-
psrtment of commerce and labor TO re-
quest the department of agriculture to
request the forest service TO plant the
trees. The forest service agreed TO do
this il the people OF the bay cities
would be willing to provide $500 for
the planting and the first years care.
Immediate steps TO raise the money
will be taken.
In the meantime the cow grszes on.