Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-08

states as big as Kentucky or Virginia
and they have more than 100000 000, 900
board feet of merchantable timber. At
this estimate they contain about one
tenth of the woods which covered the
United States at the time II began TO be
settled and, going back to our homely
comparison, contain enough lumber to
make a board walk foot wide from here
to the sun.
The value OF these government wood
lands cannot be overestimated. Mr.. Gif-
ford Pinchot once said they were worth
more than 81. OOO.Go0O0O and that the stand
ing timber upon them is worth close to
81, Oo0, 100000 He said that the forests
ought TO eventually bring in an income
of about s6,OOOe0O year by cutting only
the ripe and dead and down timber. and
at the same time yield some additional
revenue from the lands used for grazing.
These forests will grow in value and In
the amount of wood which they contain.
so that when our private forests are cut
away they will give us the lumber of the
future. In addition, they control the
sources of our rivers and are the basis OF
the water supply OF those regions. II is
also estimated that the waterfalls In the
woods are equal to 100000 horsepower.
They will some time be harnessed on
leases made by the government and VIII
thereby add to the revenue.
The forest men tell me that the work Of
patrolling Uncle Sans woods Is being
rapidly extended. and especially since
the terrible fires Of last year. So far
about 5000 miles of roads and 1900 miles
of trails have been cut. Fire lines are
being built and a system OF telephone
lines has been put up, connecting the
ranger headquarters with the lookout
stations.
Each Of the forests Is divided up into
districts about six miles square and every
district is In charge OF a ranger, who
goes to his post in May and stays until
the rains begin in October These rangers
carry their own supplies, comprising a
tent, rifle and plenty of ammunition and
food. At present there are about LOO
men who act as rangers, and there are
forest guards numbering $50. There are
also hunters and tranpeFs, making alto
gether a corps of about $500 men in active
charge of the national forests. In add
ton there are something like 600 scientists
and clerks, who are employed here in
Washington and at the district head
quarters.
The number OF men in charge Of the
forests should be increased. AS ii Is now
there Is only one man for every 100000
acres, whereas Prussia a man for every
Zoo acres, ami Baden one for every 200
acres.
Tyyenty-FIVe MiIIiOns in smoke.
The lack OF men was evident in the
fires of last year; they occurred at the
end Of the drouth, beginning in June and
reaching their climax In August. Con-
gress had appropriated 100000 for pro-
teeting the woods, but this was not
enough and although the War depart
neut aided by sending troops, and the
railroad companies, lumber companies and
private individuals also co-operated, the
fires spread over an area of more than
3, 10000 acres and killed something like
z. 900 OOO. 600 feet OF merchandise lumber.
The damages are said 10 have been over
ST, 10000 aud the costs of fighting the
fires were little more than Sl,00O.00O.
Altogether there were 1900 different
fires IN the national forests last year,
and most Of them were eXtinguished by
the forest rangers. The greatest fires Oc-
CURED In northern Idaho, where within
twenty-four hours after starting there
were practically continuous flames for
over 100 miles. In these fires seventy
OF the officials OF the forestry service
were killed and large number injured