May 6, 1899.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
349 
read by Mr. Samuel M, Davis, of Minneapolis, at a recent 
meeting of the Historical Society. 
"It is not possible," the author said in part, "to divide 
among Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay 
the exact honor due to each for saving the Northwest to 
tlieir country. To one, however, who goes through the 
original documents, it would seem that we are not least 
indebted to John Jay for his distinguished services in this 
connection. 
"England's claim to the Northwestern territory was 
founded both on conquest and on the charters of the 
original colonies; and she was very reluctant to surren- 
der so much of that region as remained in her hands at 
the close of the war. 
Minnesota's Origin, 
"The part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River 
was taken from the original Northwestern territory. As 
afterward ascertained, its west line northward from the 
source of the Mississippi, in Lake Itasca, would pass 
through Beltrami county, by the west margin of Red 
Lake, to the Lake of the Woods. The territory east of 
the Mississippi and this line now included in Minnesota 
comprises about one-third of the State. The remainder 
of Minnesota as a Territory and State was derived from 
the Louisiana purchase. 
"The interest that attaches to the Louisiana purchase 
is romantic as well as historic. That vast territory ac- 
quired by the United States in its early history laid the 
foundations for the subsequent greatness of the republic. 
That region had belonged successively to powerful and 
aggressive nations of Europe. Zealous and pious mis- 
sionaries had traversed it. Daring and adventurous ex- 
plorers and discoverers had plowed its rivers with their 
canoes and laid open the vastness of its extent and the 
magnificent wealth of its natural resources. At length it 
was returned to the dominion of France. Napoleon was 
at the head of the French nation, and was in need of funds 
to equip her armies for conquest. The United States 
stood ready to purchase Louisiana, and events hurried 
Napoleon to a conclusion." 
Proceeding onward from the dates of acquisition of 
these great tracts, the first from Great Britain in 1783, 
and the second from France twenty years later, which 
supplied respectively the northeastern third and the west- 
ern two-thirds of Minnesota, Mr. Davis reviewed, in the 
latter part of his paper, the successive changes of ter- 
ritorial organizations. 
Wilderness Incorrigible. 
Since the date of 1849, when Minnesota became a Ter- 
ritory, the changes have been too rapid to follow, yet in 
spite of the great development of the State there has al- 
ways remained, virtually unchanged, a great tract of wild 
country in the upper part of the State, which has not been 
and which never can be reduced to the purposes of agri- 
cultural or city-building man. Hundred of square miles 
remain now covered with forests, in part virgin growth, 
though now largely ruined by the lumbering operations. 
The soil over the greater part of this section is so poor 
and sandy that it can never be farmed. A few little vil- 
lages dot the wilderness here and there, dependent mostly 
upon the lumber companies. There is no permanent civ- 
ilization, nor will there ever be after the forests are cut 
of?. It is a country fit only to be a wilderness, but yet a 
country too noble to be merely a desolation. The time 
has come when, in the opinion of many thinking men, 
the desolation should be in part arrested, and the wil- 
derness preserved. 
It seeming desirable to place in available form as mucii 
information as possible regarding this region, a diligent 
study was made along all possible lines, and certain sta- 
tistics were tabulated, this work being done on request by 
Mr. H. G. McCartney, of Chicago, a gentleman who has 
long been interested in the country lying about the head- 
waters of the Mississippi. To put this information into 
form readily digestible, I may say that the proposed for- 
est reserve will include practically all of the four counties 
of Cass, Hubbard, Beltrami and Itasca. As stated above, 
the tract would be 140 by 125 miles, and would run from 
the southern line of Hubbard county clear to the Cana- 
dian border. This tract includes 4,000 lakes and count- 
less streams. While it does not include the great White 
Earth Indian reservation, it does include six large and 
small Indian reservations, whose territory is already un- 
der the control of the United States Government. Un- 
der the control of the State of Minnesota is the State 
Park, which surrounds the headwaters of the Mississippi 
River. 
Of the region thus embraced but little is known by the 
average man, and I know of but one other section in the 
Middle West of America equally wild and equally un- 
known, and that is the canebrake region of the Missis- 
sippi Delta, which latter is so rich it is being rapidly taken 
up by settlers. There does not lie out of doors a tract 
of country less suitable for agriculture or mining, or more 
suited to the uses of a national reserve than this sandy, 
piny Minnesota wilderness. This is not intended as a 
national park, properly speaking, but as a forest reserve 
only, and its establishment would not impair individual 
rights. Details regarding the extent, resources, popula- 
tion, etc., of this tract are given below. 
1. The amount of land -within the proposed park, winch is 
included in the Indian Reservation, together with the number of 
Indians. The names of Indian reservations and number of acres 
and number of Indians: 
Number of Indians. Acres. 
Bois Fort 378 6 square miles. 
Leech Lake 1,155 94,440 
Red Lake 1,341 3,200,000 
Cass Lake 320,000 
Winnibigoshish 426 
Total 3,300 
NX'hite Earth Reservation contains 36 square tniles, with 1,322 
Indians. This reservation would not be included in the Park. 
Total number of Indians in Minnesota, 7,280. 
2. As near as can be concluded, the number of lakes within this 
region: Itasca county, 400; Cass county, 350; Hubbard County, 150; 
Beltrami county, 200; total 1,100. 
Z. The character of the soil in that region in Minnesota: Soil 
mostly oi the drift period. A sandy loam, interspersed with sandy 
and rocky areas, fit only in most cases for tree growth, 
4. The character of tlie timber and the probable amount of 
merchantable pine still standing: 
Beltrami coimty is remarkable for its great extent, and the 
magnificent body of virgin pine forest, situated on the Red Lake 
Indian Reservation, southeast of the lake. Pine is also found on 
liigh ground all the way tO the north boundary; White pine, 1,- 
500,000,000ft.; Norway pine, 350,000,000ft.; oak. maple, birch, spruce, 
poplar, tamarack, 250,000,000ft.; wood, 16,500,000 cords. 
Cass county contains rich forests of pine and hardwood around 
Cass, Leach and Winnibigashish. Land south of each lake to 
the width of ten miles has good clay and loam soil: White pine, 
1,600,000,000ft.; Norway pine, 400,000ft.; oak, 8,000,000ft. ash, birch, 
basswood, elm, etc., 25,000,000; wood, 6,000,000 cords. 
Character and amount of timber in Hubbard county: White 
pine, 450,000,000; Norway pine, 300,000,000; jack pine, 50,000,000; 
oak, 3,000,000; birch, 10,000,000; spruce, poplar, etc., 10,000,000; 
wood 3,300,000 cords. 
Character and amount of timber in Ipasca county: White pine, 
2,200,000,000, Norway pine, 550,000,000; jack pine, 30,000,000; cedar, 
100,000,000; spruce, 100,000,000; tamarack. 50,000,000; birch, 100,000,000; 
oak, 50,000,000; basswood, maple, elm, ash, poplar, etc., 100,000,000; 
wood, 36,000,000 cords. 
Itasca county has two important rivers, the Big Fork and Little 
Fork, Little Fork being the largest. The land traversed by these 
rivers covered with fine growth of timber, both hard and soft, 
and is good farming land. Much of the pine along these rivers 
has been stolen and floated down to the Lake of the Woods. 
5. The nupiber of villages or towns within the Park, and the 
inhabitants: 
Population. Acres. 
Itasca county 743 8,676,00t) 
Beltrami county 312 1,431,000 
Hubbard county 1,412 604,000 
Cass county 1,247 1,768,000 
Totals 3,714 7,479,000 
Number of acres reserved: Itasca county, 586,014; Beltrami 
county, 1,088,000; Hubbard county, none; Cass county, 421,240; 
total, 2,095,254. 
Population of towns in proposed park: Park Rapids, 277; 
Hubbard Village, 533; Grand Rapids, 415; Walker, 200; Bemidji, 
1!")0; Deer River, 50; total 1,626. 
Character of unappropriated and unreserved land: Beltrami 
county — Prairie land and timber, hardwood. 
Cass County — Timber, brush and swariip. 
ITxibbard county — Timber and prairie. 
Itasca county— Largely timber; gold in the north, with light 
swamp; agricultural m the south; iron belt in center, running 
east and west. 
6. As to the navigability of the Upper Mississippi for our light- 
draft steamers from St. Anthony Fafls at Minneapolis to Grand 
Rapids: From St. Anthony Falls from Minneapolis to Brainerd, 
navigation is obstructed by rapids. Light-draft boats from Brain- 
erd to Grand Rapids. Light-draft boats from Grand Rapids above 
the United States Government dam to Winnibigoshish dam ; 
Winnibigoshish dam to Cass Lake. 
7. The diflferent kinds of game and fish in that region: 
Birds — Woodcock, plover, prairie chickens, wild geese, quah, 
pheasant, wild ducks, all varieties; grouse, snipe. 
Game — Elk, moose, caribou, deer, bear. 
Fish — Muskalonge, great Northern pike, black bass, wall-eyed 
pike, pickerel, lake trout, whitefish, silver bass, * croppies, rock 
bass, perch. 
8. The market value of the land on an average, subject to the 
removal of the merchantable pine: In small lots, $3 per acre; 
in large lots, $1.50 per acre. 
9. All the facts from Government reports and otherwise, bear- 
ing upon the management and cost to the Government of the 
Yellowstone National Park. The number of employees and the 
people under Government control, as well as the reports of officials 
having charge of the Park. About the number of forests througn 
that Park, as well as to the extent of the Park itself: 62 miles 
long from north to south; 54 miles wide from east to west; 
contains 3,348 square miles; Park controlled by U. S. troops. 
Sequoia and General Grant National Park: Sequoia Park, 
Tulare county, Cal. ; contains 250 square miles. General Grant 
Park, Mariposa county, Cal., contains four square miles. Park 
is controlled by U. S. troops. Hot Springs reservation contains 
900 acres. 
The distinction between national parks and forest reservations: 
National parks special act of Congress; individual titles extin- 
guished; private interests excluded. Forest reserves under a gen- 
eral act; no private holdings disturbed. 
Itasca State Park: Amount of land owned and under State 
control, 10,879 acres. Private ownership, 8,823 acres. Park orig- 
inally proposed by Mr. Albert J. Hill, in 1889. Seven miles north 
and south and five miles east and wes^ 
10. Adirondacks Park under the control of the State of New 
York. State of New York owns 677,220 acres in the Adirondacks 
and 48,491 acres in the Catskills; a total of 725,711 acres, which 
has been set apart by law as a forest reserve. The management 
ot these lands was vested in a State bureau, styled tlie I'orest 
Commission; a board of five members to serve without pay. 
Under them a superintendent with assistants. 
Private clubs own 550,000 acres; three of them own jcraar 100,000 
acres each, or a total of 390,000. 
New York State has come owner of nearly 1,000,000 acres 
abandoned land by lumbermen because it was not worth tlie taxes. 
11. Comparative statements from other countries, such asi 
Germany, about their Government parks: 
German Forest Administration — Average yearly new growth, 50 
cubic feet per acre, or 2 3-10 cubic feet for lOO cubic feet standing 
timber. In Germany the prices of wood has increased in the last 
30 to 40 years at the rate of 1 5-10 per cent, to nearly 3 per cent, 
per annum. In Prussia prices doubled from 1830 to 1865. From 
1850 to 1891 it rose 59 per cent. From 1830 to 1879 net yield increased 
1 36-100 per cent, per year. In Saxony from 1850 to 1879 at the 
rate of 3 2-10 per cent. 
In the Bavarian forests at the rate of 3-14 per cent, per year. 
This will repeat itself in the United States. 
12. What forest reservations the United States Government has 
provided for, and the manner in which the Government has taken 
control and is managing the same: 
Report of the Secretary of the Interior — Forest Reserva- 
tions by States. 
Arizona — 
Grand Cation 1,851,520 
California — 
San Gabriel 555,520 
Sierra 4,096,000 
San Bernardino 737.280 
Tabuco Caiion 49,920 
Colorado- 
White River 1,198,080 
Pike's Peak 184,320 
Plum Creek -.. 179,200 
The South Platte 683,520 
Battlement Mesa 858,240 
New Mexico — 
The Pecos River 311,040 
Oregon — 
Bull Run 142.080 
Cascade Range 4,492,800 
.\shland 18,560 
Washington — 
The Pacific 9(57,680 
Wyouiing — 
Yellowstone National Park, tifnber reserve ...1,239,010 
Total amount of acres in above reservations. .. .17,504,800 
Lands actually reserved are only vacant, unappropriated public 
lands in said boundaries. 
The number of these reservations is 16, and they are partially 
protected by the Government, by rangers / oi- fire wardens. 
Objects for making these reservations not defined by law, but 
are supposed to be protection against fire and axe, and also 
upon conditions of water flow, which are said to be dependent. 
13. As to the effect of preserving the timber at the headwaters of 
our rivers in maintaining a volume of water therein as against 
a condition where timber has been cut off, it has been established 
beyond controversy that forest cover influences the regularity 
of water flow. 
Forest floor prevents rapid evaporation, and tends to turn 
surface drainage into underground channels. Retards melting 
snow and thereby reduces spring floods. 
Miscellaneotts Notes. 
Red Lake Reservation.— Arable land limited, but sufficient for 
llie tribe; 95 miles wide and 115 miles long. 
Secretary ot the Interior recommends the sale of all timber on 
reservation at once to save loss hy fire and wind. 
White iiarth Reservations contain 36 square miles of the best 
farming land in Minnesota. Ample in size and resources to ac- 
commodate all the Indians in Minnesota. White Earth Indians 
are self-supporting. 
Area of timber land in the United States estimated, 500,000,000 
Timber growing scarce, of the following kinds: White pine 
of the North, white ash, tulip poplar, and black walnut. 
We consume 25,000,000,000 cubic feet of wood a year. Sixty years 
will exhaust our existing supply if there is no new growth, 
Forest resources treated as a crop, rather than as a mine, from 
which we take _ what is useful and abandon the remainder. 
White pine timber grown for maricet takes about 100 years. 
Mayor Goes Snipe Shooting. 
Hon. Carter H. Harrison, Mayor of Chicago, is a 
sportsman of no mean pretensions, which is to say, he is 
a sportsman of no pretensions whatever. The Harrison 
family came from Virginia to Kentucky, and from Ken- 
tucky to Chicago. It would be strange if the sportsmen's 
instinct did not show in it. Mayor Harrison is the second 
of his family to be Mayor of Chicago, and like his father 
is holding his second term of ofhce. An ardent ffy-fisher 
of wide experience, a bicycler of thoroughgoing sort, and 
a sportsman tourist, Mayor Plarrison is also a good wing 
siiot, and now and then takes a day afield with the Lou- 
isiana quail of the Indiana jacksnipc. To-day he sent for 
me to ask where he could get some good snipe country, 
as he wanted to go out for a day before long. We both 
agreed upon the country near Lorenzo, on the Santa Fe 
road, where there is quite a section of marsh which is 
sometimes very good. Mayor Harrison will probably 
put up with Mr. Kelly, at his place on the banks of the 
Kankakee River, where, as Mr. George E. Cole and my- 
self can both testify, the table groans, and the daughters 
of the family sing. I am sure I hope he will have very 
good fortune. 
Snipe Situation. 
^ Mr. E. H, Hughes, assistant passenger agent of the 
Grand Trunk Railway, in company with Warden Harry 
Loveday, of this city, and Fish Commissioner Nat H. Co^ 
hen, of Urbana, 111., went snipe shooting day before yes- 
terday, at Lottaville, near Valparaiso. They got there 
just a day too late, the birds having left, and they got 
but eleven jacks between them. 
Mr. W. P. Mussey, who has been snipe shooting at 
Maksawba Club, has had bad luck the last two days he 
has been out, though earlier he got thirty and forty birds 
a day. 
At Koutts, Ind., one of the best snipe marshes in the 
country, there have been some birds, though a great many 
shooters. Mr. Oswald Von Lengerke went to Koutts 
day before yesterday for a try at the jacks. At Shelby, 
Ind., or rathei- six miles north of there, there is a grand 
marsh, and this is a popular point. We are having very 
warm weather right now, and it may be the birds are 
moving out north, but if they are not leaving the entire 
section there should be shooting in the Fuller Island 
tract. 
A shooter of Blue Island, a Chicago suburb, says that 
he has been finding quite a number of birds along the 
Sag, a few miles west of Blue Island, within the past few- 
days. 
Wake op, 
Mr. R. R. Wiley, of Peoria, writes me as below: 
"Allow me to congratulate you upon the success of 
your eftorts in regard to the Senate bill 43. The stand 
that you and the other gentlemen so opportunely made 
should set an example to those who preach protection 
but who never do anything. If they would only wake up 
we might hope of having such improvements as 'm 
spring shooting' on the statutes." 
Itasca State Park. 
Among other good acts, the late Legislature of Min- 
nesota appropriated $20,000 for the enlargement and" im- 
l>rovement of Itasca State Park, around the headwaters 
ot the Mississippi River, which is, in the estimation of 
ate Warden Fullerton, one of the greatest breeding places 
for game m the State. 
The Executive, 
• '^^^'l^"^^^, executive agent of the Minnesota Commis- 
sion Mr. Beutner, is bestirring himself in his new duties 
He has looked into the matter of licenses for Lake of the 
Woods, has held an auction sale of confiscated fish and 
game, and at last accounts had gone to Ely Lake via 
Tower, for the purpose of collecting wall-eyed pike spawn. 
480 Caxton BuiiiiiNG, Chicago, 111. 
As to Flintlocks. 
Baltimore, April 26.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Noting "Snap Shots" in issue of 29th inst., and Mr. Orin 
Belknap's call for gun flints, do not, please underesti- 
mate the value of gun flint guns. My first gttn was a 
gun flint," and my afifections go out to it as a com- 
panion that never failed me. In the early 40s my older 
brother had it changed to percussion, and when I re- 
turned from school I felt disposed to cry. The gun was a 
smooth-bore, and was carried by my grandfather in the 
battle at Lexington. The change from flint to per- 
cussion destroyed half its value as a family relic of the 
Revolution. I was a shooter at ten years of age, when 
I could not hold the gun at arms' length. That was early 
m the 30s. What would I have done if my percussion 
caps had become exhausted, or my cartridges— in the case 
of a breecliloading gun. I lost a deer in Mississippi in 1843 
because iny percussion caps, carried in my breeches 
pockets, had become wet in my wading in the over- 
flows. How I then wished for my old flint lock. It 
never missed fire. It sometimes "hung fire," but I 
would hold it as long as the powder in the "pan" burned, 
and it was sure to give a good account. 
I don't see what people living remote from civilization 
want with breechloading guns, or percussion guns. 
Where could they obtain supplies of percussion caps or 
shells, presuming they would load their own cartridges. 
That is where the flint lock gun comes in. My ideas 
may be old-fogy and tinctured by my early education 
in firearms, but "thar T are." Edwin S. Young. 
The Fores'?- and Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday, 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
iBtgst by Monday and as much earlier as practicable. 
