CIIAIM.cjAL I'lTS AT SUMMIT OF IJUiKV MOUNTAINS, ON D. & K. G. RY. 



Charcoal Pits. 



Along the Colorado Midland Railway 

 there are long stretches of mountain sides 

 on which no growth exists to-day, scarce 

 even a weed, yet a few years ago these 

 mountains were densely covered with 

 Douglas Spruce, Pinon, Cedar and other 

 forest growths. The charcoal kilns lower 

 down the valley, now deserted from ex- 

 haustion of supply of wood, stand as 

 gravestones marking the burial place of 

 the magnificent forests of the country. 



Tennessee Pass on the Denver & Rio 

 Grande has several of these forest de- 

 stroyers. 



In clearing the mountains of trees suit- 

 able for lumber, there are always many 

 left to serve as seed trees, from which, in 

 the course of time a forest may be repro- 

 duced. But when the charcoal burner 

 starts to the funeral of a forest he always 

 accomplishes his end in procuring a sub- 

 ject for his funeral pile. 



Every tree, stick and branch is de- 

 stroyed, the mountain being stripped of 

 every vestige of forest growth. No 

 young growths, no trees for seed, but 

 absolutely a desert is made of the region. 



With the abundance of coal through- 

 out the entire country, there is no excuse 

 for the charcoal burner. Railway com- 

 panies which have a long life in expect- 

 ancy and hope to have business for years 

 to come, are dependent upon the forests 

 adjacent to their lines for ties and lum- 

 ber not only for their own consumption, 

 but to supply their customers with lum- 

 ber in future and on which they may 

 have an income from transportation. 



(Officials must know and believe in cli- 

 matic cfTect of forests, and should by all 

 means in their power discourage the 

 deadly work of the charcoal burner and 

 refuse to transport their product. 



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