The Dolores star., 1924-07-25


them. Visitors TO the IS where records kept
numbered but 212,S26 last season. But that is be-
cause the people know almost nothing about the
national monuments. Some day these national
monuments will be made easily accessible and fixed
up then the people will flock to them. For all of
them are well worth seeing and many of them are
among the wonders of the world.
with national parks and national forests and
natona! monuments, etc, etc. the public is nat
urally mixed up on what's what Here's the right
of that:
There 10 national parks each established by
separate act Of congress and all in charge of the
national park service of the Interior department
Primarily they contain scenic features of national
Importance, though two--Hot Springs in Arkansas
and Plat in Oklahoma-are medicinal They are
kept as far possible in their original wild state
and are wild life sanctuaries. They protected
against commercialism. Familiar names in the ma
tonal park system Yellowstone, Yosemite
Rocky Mountain and Grand Canyon. Lafayette
on the coast of Maine, is the only scenic national
park east of the Mississippi Congress will not
purchase land for national park purposes and the
only public lands are in the West. Lafayette was
presented TO the nation by publicspirited citizens
There are six national military parks-Gettys-
burg and Vicksburg are familiar examples-under
control Of the War department
There approximately 1913 national forests
under control of the forest service of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. They were established for
scientific lumbering and for grazing and were
originally purely commercial propositions. The
Agricultural department, however in Its persistent
efforts to get control of the national parks has set
up recreatonal features in many national forests
In competition with the national parks.
Now we come to the national monuments. ma
tional Landmarks" would be a more fitting desig-
nation. Previous to 1906 the United States had
no provision for fhe establishment of national
monuments Pubic insistence became great
for the protection of natural wonders from vandaI-
ism that in 1906 the "Act for the Preservation of
American Antiquities" was passed by congress
This act provides for the punishment of vandal-
ism and for permits to excavate and collect Sec
ton Of the act reads:
That the President United States is hereby
authorized, In his discretion. by public
proclamation historic landmarks historic and pre-
historic structures other objects historic
scientific interest that situated upon the lands
owned or controlled by the government OF the
United States be national monuments, and may
thereof parcels of land. the limits
of which In all cases shall be confined to the small
compatible with the proper and
agement of the objects to be protected
Under this act about 30 national monuments
established. About 30 are in charge of the
national park service and about 10 under control
of the forest service. The War department
trolls three Exact figures cannot be given
changes are constantly occurring.
OF those controlled by the forest service the
largest is Mount Olympus in Washington, which Is
q region of mountains, forests and glaciers and the
home of the Olympic elk. Bandeler in New Mex
leo contains vast numbers Of prehistoric cliff
dweller ruins and is presumably slated for
tional park honors Bryce Canyon in Ut;ih-of
which more later-s an eroded canyon of 7,440
acres
The 1923 report of Director Stephen T. Mather
Of the national park service TO the secretary of the
Interior gives in addition to Devils Tower. Ell
Moro, and Petrifed Forest-of which more later
the following the list of the national monuments
under his charge. They have been grouped by this
writer. The list: