GEORGE W. MELVILLE ]k7 



action on the part of Congress. This (k-niand rf.sultod in the 

 insertion in the snndrv civil hill that hecanie a law Jniie, 1<S'.>7, 

 of a nntnher of paragraphs which put into etl'ect at once many of 

 the provisions of the McRae hill. The legislation thus secured, 

 while open to criticism in many directions, marks a distinct 

 progress and is undouhtedly the hest that can he had under the 

 circumstances, where such a large and influential hody of citi- 

 zens are interested in preventing any measure which sliall inter- 

 fere with their ohtaining practically for nothing the great stores 

 of puhlic timher. 



The hill provides for the innnediate survey of tiie l)Oun(laries 

 and for the suspension until March 1, 1898, of the thirteen reser- 

 vations proclaimed on Fehruary 22, 1897. It is explicitly de- 

 clared that " no puhlic forest reservations shall he estahlished 

 except to improve and protect the forest within the reservation, 

 or for the purpose of securing f!ivoral)le conditions of water 

 flows, or to furnish a continuous supply of timher for the use 

 and necessities of citizens of the United States; but it is not the 

 pur|Hise or intent of these provisions . . . to authorize the 

 inclusion therein of lands more valuable for the mineral tlierein 

 or for agricultural purposes than for forest purposes." 



Authority is given to the Secretar}^ of the Interior to make 

 suitable regulations for protection against fire and dei)redations 

 and for the sale of dead, matured, or large growth of trees. On 

 the other hand, tiie rights of pros[)ectors and miners are care- 

 fully guarded by the statement that " nor shall anything herein 

 prohibit an}' person from entering upon such forest reservations 

 for all proj)er and lawful purposes, including that of prospecting, 

 locating, and develo})ing the mineral resources. Settlers, miners, 

 residents, and prospectors may be permitted to use timber for 

 firew.ood, fencing, buildings, mining, and domestic puri)oses." 



GEORGE W. MELVILLE 



Enginekk-in-Chikf, U. S. Navy 



Thk National Gkoouaphic Magazink presents to its readers 

 wuth this number a portrait of one of the most distinguished 

 meml)ers of the Societ\' of whose prticeedings it is the exponent. 

 Born in the city of New York January 1(», is II. young Melville, 

 after graduating in the Polytechnic School of Hrooklyn. ac<iuired 



