The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1911-01-04
COOK LANDS FOR A STATE PARK.
Plans Being Made for Bill Before the
Legislature tO Provide for Pur.
chase OF the Property.


Conservation is one of the subjects of
universal interest in this country which is
likely TO receive considerable attention by
the legislature of this state at the coming
session, although it has scarcely been men
toned by the press of the state yet as
among the things under consideration.
For school legislation, commission, APP
pointed for the purpose will report pro-
posed draft; the amending corporation and
election and road laws have been among
the topics chiefly discussed, while there has
been very scant reference to forestry or
other resources coming within the scope of
the conservation idea.
A movement has been taken up, however,
looking to the preservation of a property
in this section of the state comprising ten
thousand acres, still largely covered with
virgin forests, such as gave Pennsylvania
during the latter half of the past century
the distinction of being the greatest lumber
state in the Union.
The property referred to belongs to the
Dubois and is lying partly in each of three
counties; Forest, Clarion and Jefferson.
The timbered portion shows the finest for
est perhaps to be found in all the East
Among the present owners of the estate is
A. w. Cook, some years ago, when Forest
county was in this congressional district, a
candidate for the Republican nomination
for congress against Dubois man, the late
Hon. w. c. Arnold. The heirs have been
extremely reluctant about assuming the
destruction of the forest They have
wanted to see it preserved perpetually, but
under the laws of the state the taxation is
very heavy, and the cost of protecting it is
something to be considered where nothing
is derived from it except the satisfaction
and pleasure of sparing noble forest which
is almost the only remaining example of
what the territory i'll Pennsylvania was be-
fore the white mans civilization was ex-
tended from the Delaware to the Ohio and
Lake Erie. The Clarion river flows through
it and the hills and valleys are sylvan
scenes that are unmatched east of the great
plains beyoud the Mississippi.
A number of Dubois people have visited
the estate, on which the village of Cooks
burg was located, and it was through these
visits that the matter of interesting the
state in taking it for public park for all
time came up.
One of the heirs expressed to NJ. |. Nc
Creight on one of these occasions their re-
luctance about stripping the tract of the
timber, and Mr.. McCreight suggested that
hewould assist in getting proposition be-
fore the proper authorities for the state to
take it over, and it was brought to the no.
tice of Governor Stuart and the State For
eStry Commission. Mr., McCreight took it
up very earnestly also with the Hon. S. b.
Elliott, of Reynoldsville, member of the
commission and well advised on the con-
dition of natural resources of the western
part of the state. The result so far has
been that the governor instructed Mr.. FL
liott to examine the property fully and
make report that would serve as a basis
for urging legislation authorizing and pro-
viding for its purchase and maintenance.
Oil, coal and natural gas abound all
around the Cook lands. They are in the
very midst of producing districts, and were
at the very heart of the great forests of pine
and hemlock covering the Alleghenies in
Pennsylvania. None of the resources have
been parted with. All underground rights
are still intact, and the timber alone gives
it large value as a commercial proposition
But the idea in urging the state to take it is
to preserve it from private speculation and
conserve it for the people of today and gen
erations to come.
The park, as it would be under state con
troll, is reckoned to be within nights ride
by train of one-half the population of the
nation. 1t is within few hours by auto
mobile of PittSburg Cleveland Toledo
Erie and Buffalo, besides hundreds o
smaller cities and towns within the sam,
radius.
Mr.. Elliott is on the property now max
ing his inspection, and it is expected tina
his report will be ready for the preparation
of bill in time to get it before the legisla
ture early in the session.-DuBois Courier
December 30th