304 PETRIFIED FORESTS OF ARIZONA. 



At his suggestion, as well as with the advice of several other inter- 

 ested parties whom I met in the Territory, I addressed a letter to 

 Governor Murph}^ on m}' return to Washington, asking him for a full 

 expression of his views. In my letter to him I said among other 

 things: 



You will understand that my instructions do not indicate the nature of my report, 

 which is expected to be entirely disinterested upon the question of the advisability 

 of the action asked for by the memorial, but I have not concealed my personal inter- 

 est in the preservation of this wonderful natural feature of the country, and while my 

 investigations in the immediate locality, which were quite thorough, did not reveal 

 any blameworthy action on the part of any particular individuals, still, with the 

 rapid growth of the Territory and the increasing travel and interest in all such mat- 

 ters in this country, it is ob\nous that it can not be long before something will need 

 to be done if the scenic features of this region are to be preserved. It is not perfectly 

 clear to me in what way the Government would accomplish this purpose if the res- 

 ervation were made, and I doubt whether it could be successfully done without the 

 active cooperation of the people of Arizona, and this would have to be something 

 more than could be expected of the local residents of that district. 



I therefore write you in the hope that you may freely express your views on the 

 general subject, so that I may avail myself of them in my report. From the geolog- 

 ical standpoint I, of course, have all the data necessary for the report, as I spent six- 

 teen days in that general region constantly in the field; but upon the practical ques- 

 tion of what the Government should do in case the district is set apart, and especially 

 after such action, I do not feel fully competent to advise and need the assistance of 

 practical public-spirited people, to whom the subject comes nearer home. 



He replied promptly to this letter as follows: 



Office of the Governor, 

 Phoenix, Arizona, November 28, 1899. 



Dear Sir: Your letter of November 23, in reference to the so-called Petrified Forest 

 in northern Arizona, received. I know of no way the Government can preserve this 

 natural curiosity except by having it set aside as a reserve and appointing a keeper to 

 protect it against vandalism. 



As you probably observed when there, it. is not attractive in the way of natural 

 scenery. It seems to me peculiarly valuable for scientific purposes. I shall be glad 

 to cooperate in any appropriate way for the preservation and protection of the 

 so-called forest, but much expense on the part of the Government in creating a 

 reserve for scenic purposes does not seem to me justified. I do not apprehend that 

 any very large proportion of the agatized material will be removed. Some of the 

 wood has been removed and polished and was exhibited at the World's Fair in Chi- 

 cago, and I understand an exhibition of it is proposed at Paris next year. I do not 

 think any injury can result from small quantities of the material being used in this 

 way. As the mineral is scattered over the sands in large quantities, some of it cov- 

 ered at considerable depth, and there being a lack of water there for improving the 

 grounds, I do not know of anything that can be done except to guard against its 

 removal, and it is likely that your personal observation will enable you to make the 

 most appropriate recommendations to the Department in regard to the matter. 

 Yours, very, truly, 



N. O. Murphy, Governor. 

 Mr. Lester F. "\V.\rd, 



Paleontologist, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. 



