FORESTRY IN WISCONSIN 



559 



looked strong and able, when the 

 excitement was over and they had to 

 return they moved like invalids and 

 cripples. 



"So much for the present. We are 

 still waiting for the signals announcing 

 the return of these two cruisers. Ac- 

 cording to the talk they wont have 

 much show. It is something wonderful 

 the amount of men of valor we have 

 here now. Why, it would be too easy 

 for us to conquer the world. I sit and 

 listen, I do not speak. I was never 

 sick of the ague and I never had an 



attack of the shuddering fit. But you 

 cannot imagine how badly I was seized 

 on that morning. I shook like an aspen 

 leaf or as if somebody was tickling me 

 with a white feather and it was not 

 until the cruisers were well out of sight 

 that my ague and shivering passed. 



"And so now I say nothing but sit and 

 sip cocoanut water and listen. Truly, 

 for my part I would rather have these 

 brave fellows tell what they could do 

 and would do than have the poor 

 Germans come back and suffer. Ja ora 

 na! (Good bye.)" 



GERMAN STEAMER CAPTURED 



[Editor's Note. -The writer of this interesting description of the bombardment did not de- 

 scribe one feature of it which really belongs in the story. It was the sinking by shots from the 

 German cruisers of the German steamer "Walkure" which lay, the prize of the "Zelee, " in the 

 harbor. 



When war broke out and the news reached the far off little French colony at Tahiti the 

 commander of the "Zelee" learned that a big German steamer the "Walkure" was loading pearl 

 shell at a small island some 50 miles away, and he resolved to capture ber. 



The "Zelee" found her, hoisted the French flag and called on the "Walkure's" Commander 

 to surrender. The German laughed at what he considered a joke and invited the " Zelee's " captain 

 on board to dinner. He had not heard there was a war or any likelihood of one and it was some- 

 time before he could be convinced. Then fuming with rage he became with his ship the captive 

 of the little French gunboat. 



This was probably the first French naval engagement of the war. 



The Walkure was mistaken by the German cruisers for a French merchant steamer and 

 during the bombardment she was sunk while the frantic German captain, on shore with his crew, 

 raved at the misfortune of war which compelled him, helplessly, to see his own steamer sunk by 

 his country's cruisers.] 



FORESTRY IN WISCONSIN 



By E. M. Griffith, State Forester 



WISCONSIN'S forest reserves, 

 established 10 years ago, are 

 being sought by private 

 interests. In the past when 

 private interests have wanted any part 

 of the State's public heritage, they have 

 gone, directly or indirectly, to the 

 State Legislature, and the desired 

 legislation has been promptly forth- 

 coming. There are in the State about 

 thirteen million acres of land awaiting 

 development and yet it is a question 

 whether the 374,452 acres of forest 

 reserves will be allowed to continue 

 as such. 



For 48 years two forces have been 

 working side by side, one to save some 

 small portion of the wonderful natural 

 heritage of the State, another to gain 

 private possession of the timber wealth, 



to despoil it and turn it into money. 

 The net result of the efforts of these two 

 forces are small tribute to the past 

 quality of Wisconsin's statesmanship. 



As far back as 1867 a commission of 

 three members was provided for by law 

 to report to the State Legislature "on 

 the disastrous effects of the destruction 

 of forest trees, now going on so rapidly 

 in the State of Wisconsin, ; ' and on the 

 duty of the State in regard to the matter. 

 The report of this commission dealt 

 very comprehensively with all phases 

 of the question and contained the 

 following paragraphs : 



"A State that finds authority to regu- 

 late the times and seasons when its 

 citizens may catch fish, or shoot game, 

 may certainly assume such as may be 

 needed to preserve the civilization of the 



