WISDOM OF NATIONAL PARK MOVEMENT, 303 



WISDOM OF NATIONAL PARK MOVEMENT. 



LEO M. CRAFTS, M. D., MINNEAPOLIS. 



In what I have to say I am going outside the physician's stand- 

 point because I am interested in this subject for more reasons than 

 that. Let me briefly review the general reasons why it is wise to es- 

 tabHsh a national park in the northern part of the state. You all 

 know thoroughly well, I presume, the location of the proposed park, 

 and yet some of you may not have a very clear idea of it. I have 

 brought with me a map of the state, and you can see that the pro- 

 posed park area is located in the north center of the state. These 

 lakes form a great reservoir which serves as a supply for the Mis- 

 sissippi river. One reason why it should be established for a national 

 park is for the improvement of the water supply of the Mississippi 

 river. Capt. Allen referred to the drying up of our lakes and rivers 

 incident to the cutting off of the timber. Some of us have observed 

 the depreciation of the water supply during the last twenty-five 

 years. In the Mississippi at this point (indicating) there has been a 

 marked depreciation. It is estimated that the cutting of the timber 

 around these lakes will diminish the water supply to such an extent 

 that in less than forty years no water power will be available for 

 practical purposes. 



Another reason why the timber should be preserved and a na- 

 tional park provided for is because of the influence of forests upon 

 the rainfall and moisture, with the conditions of which most of you 

 are more familiar than I am. I have lately seen it stated that the 

 forests have no relation to the rainfall and water supply, but that 

 certainly does not agree with established theories I have read, and 

 I think it is well established that the rainfall does depend in a large 

 measure upon the forest area itself. Those who have not traveled 

 cannot appreciate the desolation which reigns over the northern 

 part of the state where the lumberman has gone ahead and fire has 

 followed him. To the slashes which remain the forest fire would to 

 a large degree be an improvement. Within forty miles of the interior 

 I have seen a partial failure of the crops, and it is a well established 

 fact that the drouth this year (1900) was brought about partially by 

 the cutting of timber in the northern part of the state, and this is only 

 a beginning in a state that has practically never seen a crop failure. 

 The time will come when, as a result of this timber cutting, the 

 failure of crops will be the rule and not the exception. I am per- 

 sonally familiar with that country, I have been there a good many 

 times. For recreation there is no other region in America that can 

 equal it, and if we look on the aesthetic side of it we ought for that 



