THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICAN FORESTS 115 



one per cent, .of the reserves were de- made from the wood of these forests, 

 vastated by fires last year, causing the The East has, also, the only hard-wood 

 small loss of $76,000. Comparing with forests in the country. Can, then, their 

 this the millions of dollars worth of commercial value be overestimated? 

 timber consumed annually by fires in Besides being of great value commer- 

 private holdings, one gets an idea of dally, these forests regulate the stream 

 what conservative methods mean. It flow of the largest rivers in the East, 

 is very evident, then, that as long as The Merrimac, Connecticut, Hudson, 

 we do not apply the principles of for- Delaware, Potomac, Savannah, and 

 estry in preserving and using our Ohio revers are among the most im- 

 woodlands, we cannot hope to stave off portant that rise in the Appalachian 

 that inevitable famine which will leave mountains. Hundreds of cotton mills, 

 desolation and misery in its wake. pulp mills, and factories of various 

 The result of this pernicious cutting kinds are dependent upon the regular 

 of our forests is only too apparent. A flow of these rivers, 

 timber famine is at our very door. The Merrimac alone drives mills 

 Floods, caused by denuding mountain- worth $100,000,000, employing 80,000 

 sides of their forests, are causing enor- people upon whom another 350,000 are 

 mous loss of life and property. Tur- dependent for support. In the Caro- 

 bulent streams carry with them gravel Hnas and Georgia, over $40,000,000 is 

 and silt and deposit them in harbor and invested in cotton mills which must de- 

 river channels, seriously menacing pend upon the equable flow of some of 

 navigation. Rivers rise to from fifteen these rivers. In these mills over 60,- 

 to twenty feet above normal height in ooo are employed, upon whom 250,000 

 the spring, but are only chains of stag- are dependent for support. If we could 

 nant pools in summer. This inequal collect similar statistics of all the East- 

 flow seriously affects the factories and ern states we would see that we people 

 mills along these rivers, because such in the East about 70,000,000 in num- 

 establishments depend upon a regular ber are all dependent more or less di- 

 flow of water. Water used for domes- rectly upon the wood and water of the 

 tic purposes becomes polluted and in- Appalachian forest region. -What hap- 

 snfricient. Our far-famed mountain pens when we deprive these moun- 

 regions are being deprived of their tains of their forest covering is very 

 glory and grandeur; soon their beauty evident. Floods in the southern Appa- 

 and recreative influences will be en- lachians alone have in a single year 

 tirely destroyed. Where does this de- destroyed over $20,000,000 worth of 

 struction end? In what part of the property, and have impoverished many 

 country do we not notice its results? thousands of people. Last year Pitts- 

 Let us now, by taking a familiar ex- burg experienced floods which caused 

 emple, get a more definite picture of enormous losses of life and property, 

 the situation. Let us consider pres- Congress appropriates several million 

 ent conditions in the East. The con- dollars annually for dredging river and 

 ditions here doubtless form a more harbor channels in the East. Instead 

 striking picture than those in any other of appropriating the millions for pre- 

 part of the country. It is here that serving the forests on the watersheds 

 the need for reform is felt the most, of our Eastern rivers, Congress spends 

 Seven-eighths of our population live them in paying for the damage done by 

 here, and hence about seven-eighths of their misuse, or, in other words mill- 

 the commerce and industry of the coun- ions for tribute, but not one cent for 

 try is carried on here. Here, too, are defense. This destruction not only robs 

 situated the forests which, it is hoped, us of our future wood supply, to say 

 will some day supply the entire country nothing of causing destructive floods 

 with certain kinds of wood. Practi- and loss of life, but it deprives the 

 cally all the wood-pulp used for the mountains of their value as summer re- 

 manufacture of our newspapers is sorts, where thousands of care-worn 



