Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-06

ers from the east, as well as from Cali
fornia. will be there. and the intention
is to organize state conservation asso-
citation for mutual protection and CO.
operation. When that association Is or
gained and officers and committees ap-
pointed we hope to do something practi-
cal. The first question will be to decide
whether the timber owners will assess
themselves to maintain a permanent for.
estry service for protection against fire.
1t will cost only a small per cent of the
annual loss from that cause.
During the last year we have had no
big fires in the forests OF California ex-
cept in the Yosemite, and those were not
so destructive as the newspapers re-
ported They were only brush fires. No
big timber was destroyed, but at one time
the situation was very critical. We have
made thorough investigation, and have
discovered that two fires started almost
simultaneously not far distant from each
other-one caused by a spark from a To-
connective, the other by cigarette dropped
by an Indian. The chief cause of fires
Is sparks from locomotives and the care
lessness Of campers In leaving burning
Timber Owned by Outsiders.
How much California timber is owned
by non-residents?" I asked.
Probably two-thirds Of tho standing
timber in the state is owned by eastern
capitalists. c. A. Smith and T. B. Walker
of Minneapolis are the largest individual
owners. They own hundreds of thou.
sands Of acres. but are not cutting They
bought the land cheap years ago, and are
holding it for higher values, hence they
have a very great interest in all pro-
tective measures. The largest companies
which are cutting timber are the McLoud
Company. the Weed Company and the
Diamond Match Company, and all three
Of them are showing signs of interest in
scientific protection. The McLoud River
Lumber Company. of which ]. H. Queal
Of Minneapolis is president, has very
large tracts Of splendid timber in the
foothills of Mount Shasta, and a mill at
the town OF McLoud on the river of the
average of 100000 feet Of lumber daily.
They have recently organized a regular
force Of rangers. who patrol series of
fire lines. following roads, creeks and
ridges; they have erected signal towers
and established telephone connections. so
that they can communicate quickly with
any part of their forest. If a fire should
break out they can concentrate their
forces and start back fires without de-
lay
What is a back fre?"
THE best way to stop forest fire Is
to burn strip through the timber and
consume all of the combustible material
on the ground, 80 that when the fire
gets to that point 1t will die out for lack
Of fuel. That method IL adopted when
ever possible, and is the most ef1cacious
known.
Diamond Match Company.
''The Diamond Match Company, which
Is probably the second largest operator
in the state. and owns vast areas Of tim
Der, has adopted a similar system: has
organized corps of rangers, erected sig
nal towers. strung telephone wires and
adopted other precautionary measures.
That company does not cont1ne its ener-
gies to the manufacture Of matches, but
does an enormous business In shipping
lumber, manufacturing sashes. doors,
blinds and other building material-prob
ably more than any other company in the
state. The Management is intelligent and
progressive, and we expect great deal
from their example.
The effect of the reforms which have
been adopted by these and other COM
panes has been to reduce the number Of
fires and diminish the area exposed to
fire. Comparatively little timber has
been destroyed during the last two or
three years, and that is due directly to
the organization of fire patrols. Nearly
every company has had Its principal en-
ployes appointed fire wardens, with au-
thority to arrest persons suspected of
starting fires and to impress citizens to
fight fires that have broken out In their
timber.
mo. none of the California lumber
companies are planting trees or cutting
by selection as yet. They continue to
cut everything that will sell, and strip
the earth. And thus far none of them
has attempted reforestation. But there
them. and the tendency is that way.
Public sentiment and nNWSpapar senti.