BEST USE OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN 



REGION 



The Preservation of Its Forests Demanded by all Far- 

 seeing Citizens that Valuable Industries may Prosper 



BY 

 H. J. ROBERTSON 



I 1888 Francis Parkman, the his- source of a vastly greater income from 

 irian, sent a short article to the the attraction they will offer to an in- 

 first number of Garden and Forest creasing influx of tourists. At the 

 about the lumbering which was then same time the streams flowing from 

 going on in the White Mountains, in them, and especially the Pemigewas- 

 the course of which he said : set, a main source of the Merrimac, 



"New Hampshire is not a particu- w ^l be saved from the alternate 

 larly wealthy state, but it has some re- droughts and freshets to which all 

 sources scarcely equaled by those of streams are exposed that take their 

 any of its sisters. The White Moun- r i se m mountains denuded of forests, 

 tains, though worth little to the farm- The subject is one of the last import- 

 er, are a piece of real estate which ance to the mill-owners along the 

 yields a sure and an abundant income rivers." 



by attracting tourists and their money ; We may be sure that if Parkman 

 and this revenue is certain to increase were living now his eloquent pen 

 unless blind mismanagement inter- would be winning friends for the pro- 

 poses. The White Mountains are at jected national reserve in the White 

 present unique objects of attraction; Mountains; and although seventeen 

 but they may easily be spoiled, and years have elapsed since he wrote in 

 this yearly tide of tourists will thus be '88, he would find nothing to retract 

 turned toward other points of interest in what he then said. For, indeed, 

 whose owners have had more sense every word has been amply verified 

 and foresight. and illustrated. 



"These mountains owe three- In the first place this region of 



fourths of their charms to the prime- mountains and forests and streams, 



val forest that still covers them, has developed so as a summer resort 



Speculators have their eyes on it, and that it has become apparent that it is 



if they are permitted to work their truly a "resource" for the people of a 



will the state will find a most produc- great deal larger territory than is 



tive piece of property sadly fallen in comprised within the boundaries of 



value. If the mountains are robbed the State of New Hampshire. It is 



of their forests they will become like sometimes said that this is no argu- 



some parts of the Pyrennees, which ment for a federal forest reserve and 



though much higher, are without in- that it does not justify the outlay of 



terest because they have been stripped federal funds which would be involved 



bare. or rather, it is said that it is the last 



* * * A a j r amotm t of good and weakest argument, for no one 



timber may * * * be drawn from denies it all force. But the truth is, 



the White Mountains without impair- that, as Parkman perceived it is one of 



ing their value. As the permanent the strongest arguments. Our oppor- 



