American Forest Congress 235 



the reserves, by judicious use, could best be preserved, 

 and the welcome words of President Roosevelt, in his 

 latest message to Congress, coincide with the views 

 which have been held by Western citizens since the 

 creation of the reserves, and they illustrate also how 

 closely and clearly the President is in touch with West- 

 ern needs and interests. In his message he said : 



"It is the cardinal principle of the forest reserve 

 policy of this administration that the reserves are for 

 use. Whatever interferes with the use of their re- 

 sources is to be avoided by every possible means." 



The most serious complaint lodged against the 

 administrative regulations of the forest reserve was 

 in reference to the restriction (in the earlier days of 

 the reservations, amounting to almost prohibition,) of 

 live stock grazing on the reserves. 



While the restrictive regulations were applied to all 

 classes of live stock, they were particularly and almost 

 viciously severe in reference to sheep. And, while it 

 may not be germane to my subject, it might be noted 

 that the poor sheep and the still poorer sheepman have 

 been the object of hostility of mankind almost since 

 the beginning of recorded time. The first attempt to 

 put a sheepm^m out of business was when Cain slew 

 his brother Abel, who "was a keeper of sheep." Even 

 the great John Randolph, it is said, declared "that he 

 would walk a mile out of his way any time to kick 

 a sheep." 



And this innate antipathy to sheep and sheepmen 

 found expression in the earlier regulations which the 

 officers of the forest service saw fit to put into effect 

 for the care and protection of reserves. With little 

 or no practical knowledge of the subject, they held 

 the sheep to be the most destructive animal in existence. 

 If allowed within the forest reserves, it was charged. 



