PRESERVING PETRIFIED FORESTS x 



So far as the House of Representatives can guarantee 

 it, the people of the United States will be assured, when 

 the present bill passes, of the possession, as a public park, 

 of the famous petrified forests of Arizona. The vast tract 

 of interesting country thus set apart for the people and 

 preserved forever from the devastating hand of the van- 

 dal will be known as the Petrified Forest National Park. 

 There is no doubt that the bill will become a law and a 

 wonder of the New World will thus be added to the na- 

 tion's pleasure grounds. 



A description of the remarkable scenery and objects of 

 interest in the region where the new national park is to be 

 located will show that the United States government has 

 taken a timely step in the people's interests in making 

 public property of this extremely interesting section of 

 Uncle Sam's dominions. 



The United States government tardily recognized the 

 necessity of preserving as public property some of the 

 great wonders of nature. The Yellowstone National Park 

 was the first one of these reservations thus set apart as a 

 national resort. Since then the public lands around the 

 Yosemite have been embraced in a national park. Efforts 

 are being made to save the big trees of California from 

 the saw of the lumberman. Mt. Ranier has become a park 

 and its natural scenery preserved from mutilation. 



Arizona, with her pure healing air, has for many years 

 been the source of renewed life to the invalids of America. 

 New Mexico and Arizona will in due time take the place, of 



i By John F. Lacey, Washington, May 19, 1900. 



