98 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



toll roads, owned, at least in part, by the same corporations that con- 

 trol the bulk of the valuable timber of the reserve. By making the 

 rates of toll on timber over these roads practically prohibitory, these 

 corporations have made it impossible for any one to conduct lumber- 

 ing operations except under their auspices or by their permission. 

 In this connection the following statement, taken from a report by 

 Mr. John B. Leiberg* on the San Bernardino Forest Reser\'e, is of 

 interest : 



"There is, however, a point to which I desire to call attention. 

 This relates to the means of communication with the forest areas 

 from the plains. On the Mohave side of the uplift a number of roads 

 and trails lead into the reserv^e. These roads are free and communi- 

 cation over them with the interior of the reserve is easy. On the 

 western slope the only wagon roads leading into the forested tracts 

 are toll roads owned by private corporations. The section of road 

 from Highland Mill to Bear valley, along the crest of the ridge, is 

 likewise a toll road. These corporations charge persons traveling on 

 Government service toll, or not, according to their pleasure. The 

 Arrowhead Companj'^ customarily refunds the toll or gives a pass 

 upon proper application ; but not so with the Highland Company, 

 controlling the City Creek Road. Considering the fact that the dif- 

 ferent corporations own the bulk of the commercialh' valuable tim- 

 ber which grows in the reserve, and that the Government, in patrol- 

 ling the reser\^e in general, protects this timber as well, it would be 

 but a matter of equity that officers of the Government should at all 

 times be entitled to the free passage of these roads. ' ' 



As a result of the lumbering operations, the roads that lead into 

 these forest regions are much traveled, and in summer they become 

 very dusty. Some of them have much clayey road material, which 

 grinds into very fine powder}^ dust. Parts of the Cit}- Creek trail 

 are of this character. It has been said that ' ' in all the State of Cal- 

 ifornia there is not another road so dust3^ ' ' 



I am not in pos.session of much information concerning the winds 

 in the San Bernardino mountains. It is always stated, however, by 

 those whom I have heard express any opinion in the matter, that 

 winds prevail there to a greater extent than in the San Gabriel 

 range. From what has already been said of the winds in the vicinity 

 of the Cajon pass, and from the proximity to the Mohave desert, we 

 should reasonably expect more wind, at least in the western and 

 more exposed parts of the San Bernardino range, and, along with it, 

 much desert dust high in air. 



*U. S. Geol. Survey, Twentieth Ann. Rept. iSgS-gg, part V, Forest Reserves, p. 454. 



