Nogales international., 1927-07-22
Summer ". House
On Federal Forest

Inc summer White House In
the Custer State Park in the Black
Hills of South Dakota, where
President Coolidge is spending the
summer months, adjoins the Black
Hills National Forest and the
Harvey National Forest, which are
not only rich in Indian lore and
pioneer historic interest but furn-
ish one of the earliest examples
of forest management in the Unit
ed States. The President will
therefore have the opportunity
both of enjoying the hospitality
of the State of South Dakota and
of making himself at home on a
millionaire Federal forest estate.
The State park of $4,000 acres,
where the Summer White House is
located, is adjacent to the Harvey
National Forest and few miles
south of the Black Hills National
Forest. This park was the south
east corner of the Harnev Nat
ional Forest until the Federal
Government exchanged it, as a
solid block, for State lands scatter
ed throughout the Federal hold
ings. The two forests, set aside
by President Cleveland in 1897,
have net area of 1,135,167 acres
of Government land, $4,000 acres
of which are in the Theodore
Roosevelt Game Preserve and 50,--
900 acrs in Federal game refuge
adjoining the State park. Within
the present boundaries of the
forests there are also 240,457
acres of patented lands, some of
them in prosperous farms and
ranchs on the stream Bottoms,
some timberland more or less abus-
ed 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 Forests was
named for General Harney who
was one Of the early explorers of
the region.
The President will have oppor-
tunity to see how National Forests
are administered and developed.
He can see how timber sales are
made under methods that keep the
forest growing; how grazing is
regulated to keep the range green;
and how land more valuable for
farming than for timber growing
has been made available for home
stealing. The first timber sales
in any National Forest were in
the Black Hills in 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 25,000,000
board feet Of logs are cut each
year from these Federal timber
lands under thes anne methods, with
such an improvement to the forest
that the foresters expect to main
tai this annual harvest forever, and
even to increase it to 40,000,000
feet. This is partly because 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 he then gets is much more
free from rot and other defects
than was cut the first time. Also,
young timber is coming in on old
burns and other barren places and
will thus increase the areas which
can be cut over every 35 years.
Within and near the Black Hills
and Harney National Forests are
many points of scenic or recrea-
tional interest. The famous Hot
Springs at the southern end of
the Black Hills are visited by
thousands, and the Wind Cave
National Park and Jewel Cave Nat
ional Monument also are well
known. Harvey Peak, the high
est point in the United States east
of the Rocky Mountains, Custer
Peak, the Needles" and Sylvan
Lake are other points Of interest,
as we'll as the old mining town OF
Keystone, where is located the
famous Holy Terror mine, from
which came the richest gold ore
ever found in the world. Tradi-
ton says this mne was named IN
honor. IF the discoverer's wife.