Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-24
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIa

WASHINGTON. D. c.. May "a
great strip Of forest land along the
backbone of the Allegheny Mountains
from Pennsylvania to Georgia has now
been put under the administration OF
tho United States Forest Service. For
several years tho service has been en-
gagged in purchasing and surveying
these areas. Strengthening out titles
that date back TO the land grants Of
Colonial times Now the actual work
OF forest administration has begun
Roads and trails are being built; tele-
phone lines. lookout towers and tool
stations have been established, guards
and rangers patrol tho woods.
Although much smaller and les. i'm
posing than the great Western forest
areas, these new national forests are Of
more Immediate Importance than any
OF them. They cover the watershed
which is the source OF all the great
rivers Of the South Atlantic seaboard.
The Potomac. James. Roanoke, Santee,
Savannah. their tributaries and many
smaller streams rise In these noun
tains. These rivers carry commerce.
furnish cities with water supplies. arc
the basis of importan, industries.
Their even fiow-the prevention OF
freshet and food-depeuds upon the
protection Of the forests that cover the
Watersheds at their sources
Furthermore. these mountains are
within easy reach OF Philadelphia. Bal
timore, Washington. Richmond Raleigh
and many lesser cities of the South
Atlantic section. The people OF the
West have learned to use the national
forests as their summer Fairgrounds.
They resort to them by the hundreds
of thousands every summer. The es-
adjustment OF these eastern forest re-
serves means for the people Of some
OF our largest cities similar play
grounds. where the natural scenery is
preserved. where the most dcsirab BILE
camping places are made accessible b.
roads and trails. and where any one
may lease the land upon which to
build a summer home for a nominal
sum.
Important Arcns Secured.
The Forest Service has now secured
the most important areas along the
Allegheny divide. and the purchases
have ceased for lack of funds. The
foresters assert that Congress should
Immediately make further appropri-
ations so that these reserves may be
rounded out and made certainly SUM-
cient 70 serve their purposes.
One of the most interesting phases
forests has been the contact between
the government forces and the noun
taineers. The people of the Allegheny
ranges have been the subject OF a great
deal OF romance, usually centering
about their feuds and their moonshine
stills" and OF occasional ministrations
by the forces OF uplft. which have
brought them religion. and sometimes
small quantities OF food and clothing.
But no one has taught them the econo-
mic efficiency which is the basis OF all
modern civilization. and so they have
remained picturesouely backward.
The Forest Service has enabled them
10 take some steps toward the attain
ment OF economic efficiency. and II may
be that conservation will be an inn
portant factor in the development OF
these people.
hen the foresters first entered
these lands they found themselves con-
fronted by an attitude Of profound
suspicion. For generations a govern
ment officer had been to many Of thes
people simply revenue officer. in
search Of Illicit distilleres A people
OF fine natural intelligence. however.
they were not long in perceiving that
the foresters were in no way danger
Gus to their interests. The govern
ment men found that in each neigh
borhood there was usually some old
patriarch. who. as one forester de-
scribed it, was the kingpin OF the COM
munity without the authority Of Of
fee, he exercised wide control, and
once he had been won over to the
cause OF conservation, the way was
open. The mounta!neers took the for
esters into their homes and even show
ed them their hidden stills"
Race of Strange Contrasts.
In these mountain people the gov
eminent men found race OF strange
contrasts. OF excellent Scotch, Irish
and English blood, the men were tall,
well-formed. proud and often had fea-
lures OF decidedly arstocratic cast.
The women were pretty when young.
but quickly acquired the stolid face
and heavy carriage, which are the
marks of monotony and hard manual
work.
These people lived in log cabins OF
one or two rooms, which sometimes
sheltered twenty to twenty-five per-
sons. They lived on cornbread, salt
pork. with a few vegetables in the
summer and occasionally game or fish.
This food was almost always badly
cooked. Their farms consisted in
patches OF twenty or thirty acres on
the hillsides. reclaimed by girdling and
killing tho trees. so that the corn
could grow between the dead trunks
AS summer storm frequently washed
whole farm away, there was not
much incentive to fertilize or to culti-
vate intensively. The people had "a
few scrub cattle and some raZor-back
hogs. All OF their implements were
OF the crudest. Cut off from the world
by wilderness of forestclad ridges,
crossed by neither highway nor rail-
road. they lived almost exactly as had
their ancestors. who settled these
lands and fought for their freedom
in the Battle OF Kings Mountain.
One Of the regular practices Of the