BB4 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May iS, igot. 
and had maps prepared showing all standing timber, size 
of streams, burnt lands, agriculture lands, etc. The Sec- 
retarv of Agriculture had the co-operation of the Geo- 
logical Survey in this work, and there was actually spent 
about $25,000 during the summer in investigating the 
forest condition of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. 
Following this report, the Secretary of Agriculture 
and the President transmitted, this report, together with 
and the President transmitted this report, togetmer with 
a special message by himself, indorsing the Secretary 
of Agriculture's report and recommending it to 
Congress. 
Following this special message and the report of the 
Secretary of Agriculture (copies of which I herewith in- 
close), Senator Pritchard, of Noi-th Carolina, introduced 
a bill into the Senate asking for an appropriation of 
$5,000,000 to be expended in the purchase of a forest re- 
serve in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, approxi- 
mating 2,000,000 acres. This bill was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and was re- 
ported back by this committee favorably. 
Owing to matters of great importance in Congress dur- 
ing the last few days of the past session, the friends of 
this Appalachian National Park movement agreed that 
it would be imwise to push the matter in Congress at that 
time for fear of offending those who are, heartily in favor 
of the measure. I mean that by becoming too aggressive 
during the last days of the session, when there were so 
many mattei's of great importance before Congress, we 
might have done our cause more harm than good. 
However, the measure only failed by being crowded out 
by more important matters. A canvass of the House 
has shown that almost without exception the members 
are in favor of the movement, and will support it when 
the opportune time arrives. 
By securing the legislation we have above mentioned 
in the different States we have practically removed the 
only opposition which we have met with in Washing- 
ton. I am pleased to report that the only opposition 
we have to deal with at present is that produced by a 
few selfish lumbermen. In order not to do an injustice 
to the many lumber corporations, however. I would 
state that such opposition as the lumbermen have pro- 
duced has been at the hands of a few private individuals. 
The large lumber corporations and the more progressive 
and up-to-date lumbermen are with us heartily in trying 
to establish a forest reservation in the Southern Ap- 
palachian Mountains. 
A few lumber operators are circulating a report m the 
mountains that this park project is simply a gigantic 
steal on the part of the Government and private individ- 
' uals located in Ashenlle.^and that if the scheme succeeds 
it will work a hardship on the mountain people. I would 
simply state in answer to this that the gentlemen in- 
terested in this matter here in Asheville and who started 
the movement two and a half years ags) are not forest 
land owners, and have no axes to grind other than pro- 
tecting a large area of the beautiful forest mountain 
land. 
As regards the Government working a hardship upon 
■the mountain people, it is almost too absurd to discuss. 
Mr. Vanderbilt has already located a forest reserve of 
160.000 acres, and has done so by buying out the people 
owning the land, and I am sure we have never heard a 
report in this country of any hardship being wrought 
by him. If Mr. Vanderbilt can secure 160,000 acres 
without hardship to any one, it certainly is possible for 
this Government to do the sam^ kind of business on ten 
times the scale. Our Government, moreover, is cer- 
tainly more able to pay the full value for land received 
than any private individual may be. 
The mountain people are now being shown wherein 
if this forest reserve is established it will result in con- 
servative lumber operations being carried out in the 
same under Government supervision, and will mean per- 
manent positions for hundreds of men in the lumber 
camps, as patrols and forest rangers, road bmlders and 
so on. If our movement is successful, one of the most 
important things of all will be to protect the preserve 
from fire, and this in itself would offer employment to 
many men. It is not the purpose at all to stop lumber- 
ing operations. When a tree is mature it should be cut, 
but it should only be cut in such a manner as not to de- 
stroy the young and growing trees, and moreover, the 
brush should be removed or destroyed, and not left on 
the ground to enhance the danger of forest fires. Tan 
bark would continue to be gathered, but only under 
Government supervision. It is not the agriculture lands 
which the Government would desire or acquire, but 
only the more inaccessible m.ountain regions which are 
still covered with forests. 
We have taken Mr. Vanderbilt's experiment as an 
object lesson to the natives, and they themselves are 
now comine to realize the possibilities for them in this 
undertaking. The opposition which they at one time 
developed has almost entirely died out, and m fact our 
whole park project is now in the best possible shape, 
with practically no opposition, so far as we are aware, 
and with the very best and brightest prospects of re- 
ceiving favorable consideration at the hands of Congress, 
and that quite possibly at the next session. 
We are going to succeed! » -vt -r. a 
C. P. Ambler, Sec'y A. N. P. A. 
and after seeing it I could well understand why Mr. Van- 
derbilt selected this place of all the world in which to 
build his Chateau d'Espagne. 
Edgar Magness. 
Attalla, A\&.— Editor Forest and Stream: The in- 
closed clipping, taken from the Chattanooga Times, Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn., will show the readers of Forest and 
Stream that we of the South are alive to the possibihties 
of the Appalachian Park, and are working to secure its 
establishment. 
That immediate action on the part of the Government 
is necessary is evident to us who see every day the price 
of select timber advancing and the value of mountain 
lands for fruits and small farming enhancing. I believe 
under proper conditions Tennessee, A'^irginia and North 
Carolina and possibly other States of the South would 
make appropriations to further this project. 
I was very much interested in the recent letter in 
Forest and Stream from Mr. Henry Stewart describing 
the North Carolina section of this park. Although I 
have not been myself at Highlands, I have a botanical 
friend who lives there (Mr. T. G. Harbison), and he has 
told me much of the_ wild attractiveness of the surround- 
ing country, I have tramped over the Asheville section, 
Judge William R. Day, of the United States Circuit 
Court of Appeals of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and for- 
merly Secretary of State, has written to Judge C. D. 
Clark the letter given below in regard to the Appalachian 
Park matter. 
It is not generally known that Judge Day was the first 
to originate the Appalachian Park 'idea. Returning worn 
out by his labors on the Paris Peace Commission, he 
spent the summer of 1899 in the mountains of North 
Carolina, where his health was completely restored, and 
where he was so charmed with the country, climate and 
scenery that he set on foot the project for the creation of 
the Appalachian Park: 
Cincinnati, April 11, 1901. — Dear Judge: I observe 
with satisfaction that considerable progress is being made 
in advancing the plan of establishing a park or forest 
reser\'e in the mountain district of western North Caro- 
lina, southern Virginia and eastern Tennessee. Having 
passed the spring and summer of 1899 in that region. 1 
became much interest-ed in the project, and have watched 
its progress. When I was in the Asheville region a num- 
ber of gentlemen interested in that country were talking 
of the matter, resulting, as I understand, in eniisting_^thc 
services of Senator Pritchard and other members of Con- 
gress in bringing it to the attention of .that body. Aly in- 
formation is that Secretary Wilson, of the Department of 
Agriculture, has recommended an appropriation of public 
moneys with a view to establishing a forest reservation 
rather than a public park. However this may be, the 
main thing to be desired is to preserve this region in its 
natural beauty for the benefit of not only the people of 
your section, but those who are now attracted there and 
the many more who will be if it comes under the jurisdic- 
tion of the national Government for the purposes stated. 
If something of this kind is not done these mountains 
will, in the course of a few years, be denuded of the 
forests which are now so attractive. Such removal of 
the timber, I am told, will result in drying up the clear 
and beautiful streams which now everywhere abound and 
constitute one of its most attractive features. 
My sojourn in that country led me to believe that there 
is no more attractive or beautiful spot in our broad domain 
than exists in that part of the Appalacliian range. To 
permit the destruction of its forests with the conse- 
quences that would follow seems little short of vandalism. 
The streams abound with fish; the forests with game; 
the climate always salubrious: the air clear and bracing, 
all tending to make the region alike attractive to sports- 
man, tourist and health seeker. 
One who has once been within its charmed circle, espe- 
cially when the azalia and rhododendron are in the beauty 
of full bloom, will believe as I do that when its attrac- 
tions are known there will be no more popular resort in 
the United States. The forests should be protected; the 
natural beauty of the region preserved for the benefit not 
only of your people, but the thousands of others to whom 
the'region will afford a place for rest and recreation. 
The far West has its Yellowsfone Park, no mo^« at- 
tractive, I am sure, than this mountain country, which is 
much more accessible to the majority of our people. The 
Government may well aft'ord to make the necessary ap- 
propriation, not to beautify the region, for nature has 
done that, but to provide it with good roads and maintain 
it under such regulations as shall preserve it practically 
as it is. Permit me to congratulate you upon the progress 
which I understand is being made in the right direction. 
Very truly yours. 
William R. Day. 
Fun. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
A few congenial spirits were seated in the smoking 
room of the club and had been talking of various ways of 
spending a vacation, and one of the party, who because 
he never went camping could see no good in it whatever, 
said, "I suppose you amateur campers meet with many 
thrilling adventures while camped on front lawns or back 
yards." 
Another spoke up and said, "I don't know what you d 
call it, but here's something I went through last October 
that I would not like to repeat, and I call it downright 
hardship. 
"My camping partner, Herb, and myself started late 
in October of 1900 from Lindsay, Ontario, for Long Lake, 
which lies some distance northeast of that town. 
"Each with a canoe and camping stuff enough to make 
Nessmuk throw up his hands could he have seen it, we 
boarded the side-wheeler Esturion, bound for Bobcaygeon, 
at the head of Sturgeon Lake, then we hired a farmer to 
cart our boats and duffle fourteen miles to Long Lake. 
"In due time we got our camp in shape and turned in 
early, for the next morning we were to try the black 
ducks, for it was on their account we had taken all this 
trouble of packing and traveling. 
'Tn the morning we were in our stands, each with about 
a dozen decoys out. The weather, which had been threat- 
ening for several days, now turned real mean and gave us 
a cold, drizzling rain. 
"At about 10 A. M. I gathered up my decoys and 
started for camp with not a duck to pay me for my damp, 
cold vigil, and, boys, you don't know what it is to be 
cold until j^ou have sat in a canoe for three or four hours 
on a late fall morning, with the ducks all hugging the 
middle of the lake and not a shot coming your way to 
relieve the monotonj'. 
"When I reached camp it was raining hard, and after 
turning my boat bottom up I got inside the tent and started 
a fire in the stove with the dry wood we had under cover. 
"Well, it rained harder and harder, and when my part- 
ner came home with only two birds, we both agreed that 
bacon was fine eating. A duck apiece is what any dys- 
peptic can eat on a trip of that kind, but we made those 
two last three meals, for though we went out in the rain 
and mud the next two mornings, not another did we 
get. 
"This lake, with no houses on it and no towns near it, 
could not boast of a single flock — at least not during our 
stay there. 
"We smoked and ate and told stories. 'And the rain 
fell and the wind blew,' but no ducks flew, and to come 
down to the real hardship of the trip, when our tobacco 
pouches were empty and we looked for the tin box which 
held our main supply, we found it lying near the path 
leading to the lake with the cover off and the precious con- 
tents 'gone to mix forever with the elements.' Then our 
spirits fell, and that night we drew lots to see who would 
walk the six or eight miles to the nearest farmhouse for a 
wagon to haul tis out. 
"I won and stayed in camp, and it was a dreary wait 
from 6 A. M., when my partner left, till nearly 11, when 
I heard the welcome rumble of the wagon wheels. 
"On the ride out we smoked chewing tobacco and felt 
relieved. When wc reached Sturgeon Lake our hardships 
were at an end, for we were near supplies and could have 
fresh milk every morning if we wanted it." 
"Is that all?" said the non-camper.^ "And you call that 
fun ? Let's have one more drink and we'll go home. 
H. A. R. 
Brooklyn, N. Y., April 30. 
Poke-o-Moonshine. 
Boston, May 4. — Editor Forest and Stream: I have 
long had much curiosity to know the origin and meaning 
of the name '"Poke-o-Moonshine" as applied to a moun- 
tain or stream. Can any of your readers furnish them? 
In your issue of this date Mr. J. B. Burnham in the 
tenth chapter of his enjoyable "Gens des Bois" twice 
refers to "Poke-o-Moonshine" Mountain in the Adiron- 
dacks. I know a "Poke-o-Moonshine" Brook in Piscata- 
quis county, Maine, and if I am not greatly mistaken 
there are two brooks of that name in the State. I have 
heard some local attempts to give meaning to the name, 
but, like most local etymologies, they were palpably ab- 
surd, 
In this connection let me also ask the meaning of "Poke 
Logan" or "Poke-e-Logan," which I have several times 
heard in Maine. 
Every person familiar with the Maine woods knows 
what a "logan" is, but what is a "poke logan" ? And, still 
further, is "logan" surely an Indian word like "wongan," 
"monhegan," "wichegan." "munsungan" (munsungun?), 
"Debskonegan," etc ? 
I have seen a statement that it is derived from or 
akin to "lagoon," but have the impression that it has 
nothing to do with that and is Indian. 
C. H. Ames. 
Seaboard Air Line. — V. 
Report to May J5. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The New York Sun of Feb. 20, last announced the 
arrival of the vanguard of migrating fowl in Long 
Island waters. These sturdy pioneers must have felt 
themselves a trifle previous while the cold, blustering 
weather of the ensuing two weeks kept them hustling; 
but strong in faith they persisted, being joined from time 
to time hy later arrivals. Somewhere to the north of us 
the}' are now well on in their housekeeping for 1901 and 
Avill soon spend long sunny days among the bogs and 
tens in company of their young. 
March 12 bluebirds appeared, stopping for a few hours 
only. March 14 dawned balmy and bright, with south- 
erly airs that fanned the face with a light touch as of 
feathers. With this soft south wind came the first grackles 
to our tree tops. For days these fierce-eyed pests grated 
out their evil thoughts with all the vigor of their granu- 
lated voices, as they perched among the leafless twigs, or 
waddled awkwardly over the grass below. I must con- 
fess to a feeling of gratified spite when later on the bois- 
terous winds and rain banged these iridescent black fiends 
rudely about. They looked so lopsided and bedraggled 
in rheir efforts to make headway against the furious 
gusts, with big tails all awry. These grackles are cer- 
tainly "hoboes," showing so much of the tramp in man- 
ners and appearance that the self-respecting travelers of 
the "air line" will not associate with them, hence you 
find them stealing their passage long before the feathered 
"elite" are on the way. 
March 15 I saw my first song sparrow. I had heard 
ihem before for some days, but this little chap sat in 
plain view among the topmost t\vigs of a scraggy mul- 
berry just at twilight. Though his feattires were indis- 
tinguishable, his silhouette showed plainly marked against 
the after glow in the west. Surely there was nothing in 
his surroundings to warrant his being cheerful, yet there 
he sat, his little head raised, looking up toward the heav- 
ens the while his tinkling notes floated in the growing 
dusk. His small song was free of suggestion of soft airs 
and blue skies. These little brown-coated harbingers of 
nature's resurrection are surely prophets voicing their 
foreknowledge in simple pastorals that all who have ears 
to hear may understand. I thought of this little brown 
bird very often during the hideous weather from the 15th 
to the 25th of April, and was curious to know how he 
managed to keep his spirits up, and whether he tried 
to sing. 
March 9 the first migrant robin to reach us tried 
an "obligato." He made a miserable first-attempt, but 
a day or two put his A'oice in shape. 
March 20 — Chank! ch-a-nk! said a topsy-turvy nut- 
hatch. He was not with us as usual the past winter so 
I welcome his return and take as much pleasure in his 
queer antics as though he_ were always accustomed to 
leave us in autumn. Did it ever strike you as strange 
that we never hear of apoplexy among the nuthatch 
family? The positions they often assume are surely con- 
ducive to a rush of blood to the head. 
My books for April do not show any passenger traffic 
worth mentioning; the lovely weather (?) so comforting 
to liverish people and pessimistic thoughts, did not war- 
rant the exposure necessary for field work. Our 
residents deserve a good word right here. During 
all the beastly strife 'twixt easterly winds and water, our 
redhead woodpeckers and starlings were full of fun and 
