The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-05
MOST FAMOUS GROVE
Calaveras Big Tree National Forest
Bill Signed.

CalaVeras Big Tree National Forest
Bill Signed.
Washington, Feb. 27.-By sign
ing the bill for the creation of the
Calaveras National Forest, Cali
fornia, 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
he 500 women of the California
,lub, have been working to interest
he government in this wonderful
grove of big trees for more than
nine years, but not until now has it
oeen possible to arrange plan salts
actory alike to the owner Of the
and and to congress-.
The senate bill passed by the
house of representatives has just
been signed by the president.
Everyone interested in the great
natural wonders rejoices that as a
means of saving the big trees, the
way has been paved for a practical
exchange Of the timber I'm the
groves for stumpage on other forest
and owned by the government. The
first Calaveras bill was introduced
II the senate four years ago by
Senator Perkins of California. Bills
or the same purpose were passed
n the upper house of congress
number of times, but always failed
OF favorable consideration in the
house until Senate Bill 1874. also
Introduced by Senator Perkins, was
allied up by Congressman S. G..
Smith, of California, last week.
Robert B. Whiteside, of Duluth,
Minnesota, prominent lumberman
operating in the Lake states and on
The Pacific coast, is the owner OF
he Calaveras Big Trees. After his
agreement to the proposals which
are simply practical exchange Of
timber for timber, the entire Cali
fornia delegation gave it's solid and
enthusiastic support to the bill. No
the provisions of the act.
The land to he acquired under the
bill includes about $50 acres in what
Is known as the North Calaveras
Grove in Calaveras county, and 81
O40 acres in the South Grove in
Tuolimne county. The North Grove
contains ninety ?three big trees and
in the South Grove there are L.
$50 of these giant sequoias. Any
three under eighteen feet In circum-
ference, or six feet through is not
considered in the count of large
trees. Besides the giant sequoias
there are hundreds of sugar pines
and yellow pines of astonishing
proportions, ranging to the height
of 275 feet and often attaining a
diameter of eight to ten feet. There
are also many white frs and incense
cedars in the two tracts. A gov
eminent study Of the land was made
by a field party under the direction
of Fred G. Plummer, United States
Forest Service, in 1906.
The Calaveras Big Trees are
known the world over. The North
Grove contains ten trees each having
a diameter of twenty-five feet or
over, and more than seventy having
a diameter of fifteen to twenty
five feet. Most of the trees have
been named, some for famous gen.
erals of the United States and others
for statesmen and various states of
the Union. 1.-THE Father of the
Forests" now down, is estimated by
Hittel, in his Resources of Cali
fornia," to have had q height of
$50 feet and a diameter at the
ground Of more than forty feet when
it was standing. Massachusetts,"
contains $4,000 board feet Of lum-
Der; Governor stoneman" con-
tains 100000 board feet, and the
Mother of the Forest" burned in
the terrible forest fire which licked
its way into a part of the grove last
summer, contains 100000 board
feet. Each of these trees named
grows as much lumber as is grown
ordinary on fifteen or twenty acres
of timberland. 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 For
est" Daniel Webster" "Sir John
Franklin Empire State" gu. s.
Grant" "W. T. Sherman" ~. P.
MCPHERSON" Abraham Lincoln, !"
Connecticut" Ohio Grover
Cleveland" MRS. Grover Cleve-
land CDR. Nelson" General Gus
ter" "Dr. ]. w. Dawson" General
Hancock" Knight of the Forest .
1.-TWO Sentinels," and "Old Dowd."
CARDINAL Gibbons Refute Charges
Baltimore, Feb. 26.-An article
appears in the March number of