The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-06-24
SUMMER WHITE HOUSE IN THE
BLACK HILLS ADJOINS
MILLION-ACRE MA
TIONAL FORESTS

MILLION-ACRE MA
TIONAL FORESTS
The Summer White House" in
the Custer State Park in the Black
Hills of South Dakota, where Presi-
dent Coolidge will spend the summer
months, adjoins the Black Hills
National Forest and the Harvey Ma
ticnal Forest, which are not only.
rich in Indian lore and pioneer his
toric interest, but furnish one of the
earliest examples Of forest manage
ment in the United States. The
President will therefore have the OPP
portunity both OF enjoying the hos
pitality of the State Of South Dakota
and OF making himself at home on a
millionaire Federal forest estate.
The state park. of 10000 acres,
where the Summer White House is
located, is adjecnt to the Harvey
National Forest and a few miles
south of the Black Hills National
Forest. This park was the south
east corner of the Harvey, Natlona.
Forest until the Federal Government
exchanged it, as a~soIid block, for
State lands scattered throughout the
Federal holdings. The two forests.
set aside by President Cleveland in
1897, have. a net area OF 1,l3o,167
acres OF Government land $4,000
acres OF which are in the Theodore
Roosevelt Game Preserve, and 50,-
900 acres in Federal game refuge
adjoining the State park. Within
the present boundaries of the forests
there are also 24O,457 acres of pa
tented lands, some OF them in pros
stream bottoms, some cumberland
more or less abused by hard cutting
and fire, and some mining claims.
The name BLACK Hills" was given
to the region by the Sioux Indians.
In their tongue, it was "Paha Sapa,
in allusion to the somber appearance
of the forest clad heights as seen
from the plains. The Harvey For,
est was named for General Harvey
who was one of the early explorers
vi me reslOn.
The President will have OpporsCn
lty IT, see how National Forests ART
acnilnrslered and developed. FL.
can bee how timber sales are made
under LII, .hc DIS that keep the forest
growing: how grazing is regulated
to keep rne range green; and now
land more valuable for farm ng than
for timber growing has been made
first timber sales in any National
Forest were in the Black Hills il
1899 and 1900, and the timber to be
cut was so carefully selected, under
scientific forestry, that the area can
be cut again by 1885. About &c.
100000 board feet OF logs are cut
each year from these Federal tim
berlands under the same methods
with such an Improvement to the
forest that the foresters expect tt
maintain this annual harvest for
ever, and even to increase it to 40,
100000 feet. This is partly be-
cause the old defective trees in the
virgin forest are removed in the first
cut, and the thrifty sound trees left
to grow. When the logger comes
back 35 years later, the timber ht
then gets is much more free from
rot and other defects than was that
cut the first time. Also, young tim
Der is coming in on old burns and
other barren places and will thus in
crease the areas which can be cut
over every IS years.
Within and near the Black Hills
and Harvey National Forest are
many points of scenic or recreationa,
interest. The famous Hot Springs
at the southern end OF the Black
Hills are visited by thousands, anG
the Wind Cave National Park and
Jewel Cave National Monument also
are well known. Harvey Peak, the
highest point ip the United States
east of the Rocky Mountains. Custer
Peak, the Needles and Sylvan
Lake are other points OF interest, as
well as the old mining town OF Key
stone, where is located the famous
Holy Terror mine, from which came
the richest gold ore ever found in
the world. Tradition says this mine
was named in honor OF the discoy-
erer's wife.