The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-03
AN AMERICAN FABLE
Address made before the National Geographic society in 1908 By
Clifford Pinohot, chief Of tho United States forest service.

S NSsfAs "a 100000
Address made before the Nation
Clifford Pinohot, chief Of q
Address made before the National Geo
graphic society In 1905 by Clifford Pin
ehot. chief OF the United States fores
q service.
The conservation OF our natural re
sources 10 q subject which has had littl
attention In the past; but 1t IL so simple
20 elementary that 1t might almost b,
told In words like those OF the old fair,
tales that we all loved when we wert
boys and girls. It might run in this way:
Once upon 9 time there was o young
man who had been given a great propert,
In @ distant region, and left home to take
possession OF II. When he reached his
property he frst made himself acquainted
with Il. As he explored It and studied 1t.
value he began to think how he would
make his living out OF It. The problem
wassnot q hard one.
H FOUND that his property was wonder.
fully rich. and supplied his needs at the
cost OF fer less exertion than he would
~ had g make at home-a fair land,
Wall sWatered, we'll timbered, and abound
!ng IN game AM fruits. with broad mea-
dows for cattle and horses and sheep, and
With no small store Of rare and curious
minerals. and an outcrop Of excellent
coal Life was easy. and he lived lavish
ana 3oyously ct first. after the initial
AAfds work OF moving in and building his
and raising his first crops wa over
ANshad fAy more land than he could use,
tar more ga1ne; and what he lacked he
49, able to buy from home with furs,
With timber with minerals, and with the
surplus Of his crops.
By and by he saw and liked a girl and
alnAtly married her. Together they pros.
pered on their property. which seemed too
I1ch 70 1t necessary for them to
ONbl0 about the future. Game was stifl
nlentieuls though less 50 than ut first;
M timber. though growing less, was still
4bdhdantS enough to last longer than they
could 9 TO live: by breaking new land
: Gould! always our on marvellous
cfOps: the coal was q little harder to get
q, hut still close to the surface, and be-
seedes@the man only dug out the easiest.
whom b earth began to cave In
sMaFted again at q new place. His stock,
1aseufed ongthe meadows, had trampled
- some grass. but there was still no
1eek.sIhAtssone day strangers would pos
- their property when they had done
WITH u, and flndsdt somewhat run down,
90 not trouble these two good people at
But children had come to them with;
9 a by ana by these children
- TO grow up, Then the point OF view
q tns man and. his wife changed. They
Wansed ato REQ their sons and daughters
E0vtdeds for and settled on their home
ys0petty. dSthey beganEto see thai what
sWeAgenough and TO spare for them would
- SUPPORT all their children inSthe same
s0oaa1ott unless they themselves used It
1T better foresight. Through thinking
81 Sssi hell children they were led to live
hey looked forward and said to them
e d only must We meet our own
ID from this property. hut we must see
se9Aae that Y children come In for their
S1Atksohar0 OF ~, so that after a while the
0leaee0ness We have had here may be car
14oA@0nsto them, So the family estab-
ttself. The nan became respected
80 hlss children rev up around him: and
Mnen tnSth0 fulness OF time he passed
s ~ snd nls children took the place In.
NalcnS = had at00d. because OF his fore
4aeaASalndgcars they enjoyed the same
4A9e#artoep4rtty he h1dgenioyed.
sSaAs Ste&eSbeffoct1 simple story; We llsof
- AnsMSn scores OF men who have
ies1e TIL Same thing. Tie men and the
N1ealsen who de q are not famous, are not
seNloardedsas remarkable In any way: they
ssssampl good everyday. average citi-l
aens. Who arescarrying out the duties OF
= Sayerago citizen.
otory % Our Nation.
Now once upon a tins there was a
young nation which left It's home and
moved s0nstoa new c~ontinent. A = soon as
3th0ssp6ople5 who formed the frst settle
msnts began to examine the value and
eondition Of this new continent, they
1cuisd 10 marvelously rich In every possi-
- The forests were so vast
tha& they we're not q blessing in the early
hut = hindrance. The soil was so
sytchS q there was so much OF It thai
we're able ct first only to scratch the
e6gea of their great property. It was
SQuite plain to these people in the early
Times Sthat however much they might
6ovef.h0wever much they might
sslWAste. there was going to be plenty left.
sEheysfound wonderfully rich deposits Of
ore great oil fields. and vast stretches OF
tn richest bituminous and anthracite
4ooal lands;--noble rivers making fertile
sbs0ad expanses OF meadow, rich alluyial
aprairies. great plains covered with count
- herds OF buffalo and antelope, noun
tains In the west filled with minerals, and
On both coasts opportunities richer than
! ynation had yer found elsewhere be-
fore.