The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-09
Frederic Haslxin's Letter
tsoeaa correpondencs e
Get Out of Doors.

Washington, D. c., Aug. s.
Roughing it is rapidly becoming
the accepted antidote for overdoses
of business, housekeeping, hot
weather, worry-eyen running q
government.
President Harding was the last
notable recruit to camp life, though
any one reading of his necessarily
de luxe camp with it's half hun
dred attendants, and its movie men
catching Mr.. Edison in, the act OF
brushing a fly OFF his nose and the
president reading a paper, must
feel that Mr.. Harding scarcely had
a chance to get the real flavor OF
life without a necktie.
The everyday citizen is in this
more fortunate. If he aspires to
build a log cabin in the woods and
fish, hunt, take pictures, tramp,
study nature, or merely sit, he can
enjoy these recreations undisturb-
ed for as many weeks as he likes.
at the price of a few days at any
fashionable resort.
Back to the forest is now the
annual slogan of over 100000
people who have solved the prob
lem of restful. cheap vacation by
using the national forests. There
would probably be very little for
est left to get back to by this time
if the reckless cutting and burning
Of timber had not been restricted
some twenty years ago and a ma
tional forest system built up.
Since then, 147 forests, contain
ing 156,000,000 acres of land, have
been dedicated as Fairgrounds for
the people
In one way, the national forests
are of necessity a one-sided propo-
sition. OF the lat forests. all but
20 are in the west. In the east, |
which so much needs camping
there is left comparative !
ly little forest which could be set
aside for the people.
But the back to the woods germ |
is too contagious and viruIent to |
be checked by difficulties of dis
lance. We are told that the Col |
orado forests, which are perhaps |
the most famous in the country. at |
tract people from every state in
the union and from a number of |
tional forests are rapidly becoming +
as practical Fairgrounds,
and automobiles, the wanderlust,
good roads, nerves and high prices
are all contributing to the popu-
larity of the public Fairgrounds
everywhere.
The 100000 people who have
got the habit of using the national
'orests are only beginning. Some
II the western forests are so extern
'ive and so comparatively unused
~ campers that party may travel
or days at a time without meet
ng any other Vacationists,
The west is hOneyCOmbed with
hese vast forest stretches. with
mountains. lakes hid
len among the pines. shady streams
locked with fish, and smooth roads /
nd trails, all at the service of the
'eople
Eastern Forests.
The east has its national forests, t
90, in Florida, the Carolinas, Ark
nsas. Alabama, Georgia, Oklaho- |
Ia, Maine, New Hampshire, Ten I
essee, Virginia and West Virginia.
'hese forests set aside, most of {
hem, long after the states were j
ell built up, are limited in area, Il
to the big western for
SITS. The smallest of these east {
m forests, for instance, Boone {
)rest, in North Carolina, is only i
900 acres, while the largest. the :
rkansas forest is some 100000 &
cres. In the west there are a
umber of national forests with l
100000 or more acres, and one, in
ew Mexico, with 100000 6
In all the national forests except I
few in the east any one who q
1shes to build a cabin or cottage t
ay lease a camp site of from a f
larter of an acre to five acres of t
'ound for from $40 to $25 a year. c
imber for the house may be bought a
here available, at cost price, off /