Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-11-09

tional rangers to be stationed in the
several sections of the park. Addi-
tional rangers, he asserts, will not
only serve as a check to poaching
but would reduce the danger of for
est fires.
He recommends that the govern
ment acquire all private holdings in
the park, saying:
Business Volume Shown.
There are approximately 1900
acres of private land within the park
all of which is held for speculation.
1t is covered with excellent timber,
and it is only question of time
when some speculator or millman
will gather it up; then the next move
will be to cut off the trees and leave
it as 'logged-off land is usually left
covered with kindling up denuded
of trees.
Every action should be taken to
extinguish these titles, either by the
ordinary method of condemnation
and purchase or by offering there
after other lands located outside of
the park"
Reporting on the business trans
acted in the park during the past
season, Mr.. Steel reports that he is
sued two permits for driving loose
stock through the park; took in
$201.1S in licenses from concession
aires; issued LOAF round trip auto
mobile permits at 81 each, and eight
season auto permits at SIS, as well
as 1S motorcycle permits. The past
season shows an increase in auto per-
mits of 2S7 over 1918.
At the close OF September there
were 1906 visitors as against 5,S26
at the same time in 1913. They
were divided as follows: February,
s; March, 6; May, 9S; June, 345;
July, 2,549; August, 1928; Septem-
Der, 1,167.
New Highway Made.
or the general situation, in part,
Mr. Steel says:
Under these appropriations grad
ing and draining have proceeded
steadily, resulting in new road
from the klamath entrance to the
rim of the lake, distance of thir-
teen miles, as also one from the
southeast, or Pinnacles entrance, to
the rim of the lake at Kerr Notch,
distance of six and a half miles.
Before the season closes the Rim
road will be completed from Crater
Lake Lodge to a junction with the
Pinnacles road, and from Kerr Notch
to point a little beyond Sentinel
Rock, or a total completed by grad
ing and cross-drainage this season of
ten and half miles, which, added to
the work of 1918, gives about twen-
ty-five miles of newly graded roads
within the park, including about half
mile on the Medford road, built
this season, by means of which a
bad switchback, commonly known as
the Corkscrew, has been entirely
eliminated.
81 understand it is the intention
of the war department to commence
surfacing as soon as climatic condi-
tions will permit in the spring OF
1915. This plan is questionable, for
the reason that If this is done it will
be impossible for many years to get
anything better, whereas if surfacing
is left for the present it will permit
of an effort being made to secure
from congress money with which to
construct paved roads.
Self-Sustaining Plan.
"The time has forever passed when
macadam roads will satisfy the de-
sires of a progressive community
and they are rapidly being changed
for something very much better
Then why construct something that
will be unsatisfactory from the very
beginning? According to estimates
of the war department it will cost
$4,000 per annum merely to sprin'
kle such roads. 1t is the part of wis.
dom to build roads Of such a charac'
ter as that this heavy burden will
not have to be borne. 1t hope to
make the Crater Lake national parB
self-sustaining in few years, but il
this great burden is to be added that
happy condition will be delayed in
definitely.
"a line of automobile stages is
maintained by the Crater Lake Com
pany from Medford, on the main line
of the Southern Pacific, and from
Chiloquin, on the northerly extension
of the Southern Pacific from Klam
ath Falls, that has rendered emf
nently satisfactory service.
Camping is Free.
"For the first time in the history
of the mark II has been possible rC