312 Proceedings o^ the 



attention of the Association the fact that there are 

 certain conditions in and about the Black Hills Reserve 

 which should not be forgotten when suggesting laws, 

 rules, and regulations for its government. In the first 

 place, it will be remembered that the Black Hills 

 Reserve was the home of the Sioux Indian until 1877, 

 and that the Government, having satisfied itself that 

 there was within the exterior boundaries of that home 

 a valuable mineral kingdom, arranged for the red man 

 to vacate the premises. Announcement of the new 

 find was then made to the world, the area was platted 

 on the Government maps as a mineral zone, and the 

 miner was invited to enter, explore, and develop the 

 zone. The miner came upon this invitation, has been 

 diligent ever since, and has invested millions of dollars 

 in exploration, development, and improvements, rely- 

 ing in the prosecution of his work upon having the full 

 benefit of all of the natural resources of the country, 

 and without which his work cannot continue success- 

 fully. I therefore submit to this Congress that it will 

 be manifestly unfair to advance any legislation having 

 for its effect the depriving of the Black Hills miner 

 of those natural resources in any degree. 



Touching another subject, suggested in Article II 

 of its By-laws as justification for the being of this 

 Association — the advancement of educational measures 

 tending to promote forest welfare — I think that we 

 may confidently rely upon that department of the 

 Association which will have in hand the dissemination 

 of knowledge relating to forest welfare to do its duty. 



Fully realizing that the benefit of the forest to 

 mining is of such importance that it can only be 

 appraised by giving it the value that attaches to an 

 absolute necessity, and that much value also attaches 

 to the forest in its relation to the other great industries 



