Oct. 22, lg04.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
341 
great floods, and settlers along the streams have raised a 
great outcry against the dams. But the settlers are weak, 
the lumbermen strong, and any one can guess who has. the 
best of that argument. 
More than, half of the men who have been elected to 
high office in Minnesota have grown rich out of timber 
lands. In this list I hear mentioned United States Sena- 
tors, Governors, members of Congress, and State legisla- 
tors. Add to these innumerable county officials and the 
capital necessary to< work their plans, and you begin to 
gain some idea of the power behind the throne of timber 
destruction. As before said, the evil is not so much in 
the cutting of available timber as in the terrible litter 
left behind. To clear up this litter would cost money, 
and no matter how many millions a corporation may have 
got for nothing, they are not willing to pay one cent to- 
ward mitigating the evil they have done. 
_ In olden times the outlaws of Robin Hood type were 
pictured as giving something back — a stage fare, a meat 
ticket, or some trifle. But these have no heart, no soul, 
only cold and senseless greed. One of the main evils 
of this wholesale slaughter of the innocents is the great 
numbers of workmen brought into the country to do the 
necessary work. These in time settle all through the 
woods, far from any base of supplies, where they can 
only struggle and die or turn timber thief or "Winchester 
farmer." I was told when I came here that I could not 
make a living unless I joined the timber brigade; but 
my natural abhorrence for a thief is too great to be 
overcome, and I shall join the "Winchester farmers" 
as far the nobler class. 
Large lumber companies own most of the land and 
hold it at impossible figures. This causes the settlements 
to scatter through all the woods in place of working out 
solidly from a base of supplies and building good roads 
as they go. These scattered settlers encounter untold 
hardships which would make the world stare if it could 
only see. 
This county of Aitkin has immense natural wealth, 
but is hard to develop and utilize. Not the least of the 
obstacles in the way of progress is the land companies, 
which are but the aftermath of the lumbering operations. 
One of the main plans by which money is made out of 
office is in the timber estimates on public lands. Men 
are sent out to estimate the amount of timber on given 
sections , of school and Government lands. The officials 
see that the right men are sent, and they get. the correct 
estimate for private use, while another far below the real 
value is given the public. This eliminates the trouble of 
some competition in the bidding; thus the Government 
sells the land for a song and then turns. the crank of the 
phonograph and sings the song itself, besides helping the 
lumber companies to float out their boodle. 
Grover Cleveland dug out a nest of this class of esti- 
mators and appointed a new lot. I got acquainted with 
this new crowd, who at the time were drawing $6 per day 
and keeping open club at a hotel many miles from the 
land they were supposed to be estimating. However, I 
could tell them all they need to know of the land over our 
cinch games, as I had camped and traveled over it several 
seasons, and there was not a stick of marketable timber 
on it. We had jolly times over the cinch games, though, 
for they were indeed a pleasant set of gentlemen to asso- 
ciate with. Oh, man of boasted honor, thy name is surely 
Treachery and Deceit. E. P. Jaqtjes. 
The Adirondack Forests. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your editorial note of October 15, on the protection 
of the Adirondacks and Mr. Suter's report on forest fires, 
you say: "The serious aspect of the subject which makes 
worth while this distribution of the report of the Associa- 
tion, is that under like conditions of a protracted drouth, 
the State would now be no better fitted to cope with 
Adirondack forest fires than it was in 1903. New York 
suffered loss then; but it has not profited by the lesson. 
The Legislature of last winter was not equal to the de- 
mand upon it to provide for a competent study of Adiron- 
dack conditions, which might furnish a basis for an ade- 
quate scheme of fire protection. The Legislature, for 
session after session, is content to intrust its forestry af- 
fairs to junketing commissions who are not fitted by 
technical education and training to investigate the Adiron- 
dacks intelligently and to report upon them in a way to 
merit public confidence. So long as the penny wise and 
pound foolish policy of Governor Odell shall prevail, with 
respect to the forests of the North Woods, we may not 
look for any .radical betterment." 
No more inaccurate or misleading or disappointing 
paragraph could be written by the leading forest and 
game publication of this State. I have been for six years 
chairman of the Senate Forest, Fish and Game Commit- 
tee, and up to the close of the last Legislature my com- 
mittee had made no trip, whether junketing or otherwise, 
except to spend two days in New York city last January 
listening to suggestions of members of the Association for 
the Protection of the Adirondacks and others interested, 
with a view to improving forest conditions. As a result 
of that trip and much other work both in and out of the 
session of the Legislature, the committee submitted a re- 
port known as the report of the special committee on 
the future policy of the State in relation to the Adiron- 
dacks and forest preservation, in which they recom- 
mended : 
"First— The passage of an act definitely fixing the 
limits of the Adirondack Park so as to include the con- 
tiguous forests which the park was established to protect. 
"Second — A resumption of the State policy of purchase 
of lands in the Forest Preserve. 
"Third — The enactment of laws requiring adequate pre- 
cautions against fire setting by steam engines, a stricter 
accountability in damage of all parties setting fires care- 
lessly or wantonly, and the establishment of a system of 
fire patrol. 
"Fourth — The adoption and execution of a plan of re- 
forestation of denuded State lands in the Forest Park. 
"Fifth — A constitutional amendment empowering the 
Legislature to pass laws for the destruction or removal of 
dead timber and debris on burned areas through agencies 
and employes of the_ State, and not by contract, for the 
purpose of reforestation; and for the sale of lands owned 
by the State in forest preserve counties outside the park 
limits when unsuited for a forest preserve, and the ap- 
plication of the proceeds to the purchase of lands in the 
park. 
"Sixth — The passage of an act defining the boundaries 
of the Catskill Park." 
All of these recommendations were adopted by the 
Legislature without exception. Two hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars were appropriated for the purchase of 
lands. The appropriations for the forest department were 
unusually heavy, including a large number of items, and 
because Commissioner Middleton and Col. Fox, Superin- 
tendent of Forests, believed that in view of the unusually 
large appropriations for the department, the appropria- 
tion of $10,000 to be used in connection with the National 
Government, could safely be postponed until another year, 
Governor Odell struck the item out, that being, I believe, 
the only item in the department that was stricken out. 
A system of fire patrol was established by statute under 
language elastic enough to- enable the commission in case 
of necessity to patrol every township in the Adirondacks 
arid Catskills. Additional powers were also giveh to local 
fire wardens, placing- fire patrol and compensation there- 
for upon the same basis as compensation for putting out 
fires. It was believed that prevention of fires was more 
important than extinguishing them after they had started. 
Radical provisions were adopted in sections 228 and 230 
of the Forest, Fish and Game Law against railroads set- 
ting fires, and the rule of damages heretofore existing 
changed so that the railroads should be liable for State 
lands burned, although such State lands did n«# foin the 
railroad lands. , Five permanent assistant fire Wardens 
were added to the force, whose duty it is to serve along 
the line of steam railroads in the forest preserve inspect- 
ing the engines and reporting to the commission, and also 
serve as game protectors. Power was also given to the 
Commissioner in case of an emergency to convert all the 
'-forest, fish and game protectors into fire wardens, and to 
set them to patroling the forests. If approved of by the 
Governor, any number of men can be employed tem- 
porarily for such purpose. Many other provisions of the 
law were changed and strengthened, and it was at the 
time declared by all forest experts consulted to be the 
best fire protection law in the United States. Compli- 
ments to the committee were received from the Associa- 
tion for the Protection of the Adirondacks, from Mr. 
Suter, and, if I recollect correctly, in your own journal. 
I do not hesitate to say, after making a careful study of 
the subject during my seven years in the Senate, that the 
law is now entirely adequate for the prevention of fires, 
and a failure to prevent fires will raise a strong presump- 
tion of incompetency of administration. Everybody knows 
that there may be exceptional conditions which no one 
can overcome, but even then the damage can be 
minimized. 
I have no defense to make of junketing trips made 
for the gratification of junketers, and not for the public 
benefit, but if you will look over the two reports I send 
you, one the report above referred to, and the other the 
report of the special committee of the Assembly on the 
Adirondacks, -of which Thomas M. Costello was chair- 
man, submitted April 13, 1904, and then say that the re- 
cent work of the- legislative committees in relation to 
the forests does: not meet your approval, I shall be even 
more astonished than by your latest editorial remarks. 
I know it is the fashion to take a fling at Governor 
Odell, and perhaps I ought not to have expected any 
more discrimination upon your part in that respect than 
in the political newspaper. The list of measures outlined 
in the above report, all of which were adopted, would 
seem to be sufficient refutation of such a charge for the 
last session of the Legislature. If not, you can add the 
act for the protection of black bear, increasing the com- 
pensation of game protectors from $500 to $600, stopping 
spring shooting for -shore birds, the sale of trout in cer- 
tain counties, etc., while not a single act in violation of 
game protection detrimental to the forests was passed. 
Taking up now the session of 1903, we find the law ex- 
tending the power of search for fish and game possessed 
unlawfully to the counties of New York and Kings, pro- 
hibiting the sale of grouse and woodcock killed within 
this State, prohibiting the; killing of water fowl in the 
spring, and many less important, but wholly desirable, 
acts. & : . 
_ The years 1901 and 1902 have equally valuable legisla- 
tion. It was in the, first year of Governor Odell's admin- 
istration that the forest commission was made a single- 
headed commission, ope of the greatest reforms of recent 
years in that department, and one which I hope may never 
be disturbed. I have no hesitation in saying that there 
has been as great an advance in forest preservation and 
game protection during the administration of Governor 
Odell as during the administration of any Governor of 
this State. In some respects it is distinctly superior to 
all others. This is no small praise when we recall the ad- 
ministrations_ of Governor Roosevelt and Governor Black. 
In the Washington review of game legislation throughout 
the country, published in the Evening Post under date of 
September 1, occurred these statements : "The four most 
important measures, viewing the subject in its national 
aspect, since no State works for itself alone in these mat- 
ters, are the new game laws for Louisiana, the new game 
laws in Kentucky, the search law and the shortening of 
the season on shore birds in Massachusetts, and the group 
of acts which have been passed in New York. The most 
important of these New York laws stops spring shooting 
of shore birds, extending to them the protection which 
the year before had been gained after a long struggle for 
the duck. Another provides for a Catskill park along the 
lines of the Adirondack Park. * * * New York seems 
to have done the most in its Legislature of any State dur- 
ing the last winter. There have been a number of minor 
changes, nearly all in the direction of greater protection, 
such as shortening the season for shooting birds, and ex- 
tending the close season on deer in certain counties. Be- 
sides the Catskill Park, a bill was passed last winter at 
Albany defining the boundaries of the Adirondack Park, 
another extending the protection upon Mongolian and 
English pheasants until 1910. New legislation provides 
for restocking the Adirondacks with elk and also with 
beaver. Black bear are to have a close season during 
July, August and September, which they have not before 
had. New York also sets a good example to other States 
in printing for widespread distribution copies of her fish 
and game laws, so that people may know the legal re- 
quirements with exactness," and much more of the same. 
I am aware of the criticism because Governor Odeli 
refused to approve appropriations for the acquisition of 
more lands during the first three years of his administra- 
tion, His opinion as to the wisdom of this course dif- 
fered from mine, but his action was unquestionably dic- 
tated by considerations not in the least unfriendly to the 
Adirondacks. He was seeking to abolish direct taxation, 
and believed that good business sense required more cau- 
tion on the part of the State in its efforts to acquire 
these lands. It would be about as reasonable to treat 
Governor Odell as an enemy of the Adirondacks because 
he differed from the Association for the Protection of the 
Adirondacks, or with me, on the wisdom of suspending 
purchase of lands, as it was for the Abolitionists to de- 
nounce Abraham Lincoln for his attitude toward the 
negro race. 
Forestry and game journals throughout the country 
have very generally recognized the supremacy of New 
York 111 her last year's legislation for the protection of 
both forests and game. I think, in view of these facts, it 
is incumbent upon you to revise your editorial criticism. 
Elon R. Brown. 
[It is obvious that our remarks on the Adirondack 
forestry situation neglected to make necessary note of the 
good work of Senator Brown's committee and the legisla- 
tive action on it. Our reference to Governor Odell's 
forestry record was in no sense political. The incident 
affords a striking commentary on the way in which the 
public's forest interests and the personal interests of poli- 
ticians have been so intimately associated in this State that 
one may not question the course of the executive respect- 
ing forestry without somebody promptly raising the cry, 
as Senator Brown does here, that it is a political "fling."] 
Snipe Shooting by Fire Light. 
After the disappointment of the day, I had pretty 
much determined to give up my pursuit of the elusive 
snipe, for this year at least, give the good old gun 
a thorough overhauling and cleaning and put it away 
for its well-earned summer rest. 
I had covered what seemed to me miles on miles of 
soggy, sloppy country, sinking to the knee first with 
one leg, then with the other, and at one time taking a 
sudden and ignominious seat flat in the oozy marsh. 
To be sure, just at the close of the day, when I had 
given up all hope of having so much as one shot, and 
as I was nearing the sheltering clump of trees where I 
had left my horse and rig, I did happen on a pair of 
snipe that seemed, temporarily at least, to have given 
up their all-absorbing search for food, and bidden 
good-night to the rapidly departing sun. The surprise 
of _ meeting was mutual, and one of the pair paid the 
price of its unwatchfulness with its life. A signal miss 
was the result of my second barrel, but I promptly at- 
tributed this to the failing daylight. "Yes, of course, 
this was the cause of my missing." How one does love 
to discover a good excuse for a bad shot. 
Weariness was my portion on reaching home; but 
a . good, hot dinner, together with dry clothing, a sooth- 
ing pipe in front of the blazing log fire, put me in a 
little better heart. A second pipe (a rare indulgence for 
me) seemed to give me added content, and as I sat 
with that lazy, dead-tired comfortableness— the kind 
that only comes after good, hard, and healthy exercise, 
with the fire throwing out its cheerful warmth and cast- 
ing flickering shadows into the far corners of the 
room, I thought, "Now, why should I not try snipe 
just once more? There's, Smith's marsh and Robbin's 
Run; I haven't been to either for more than three 
weeks; sure to hold a few to-morrow. Why not try 
it, then call snipe off for the season, and turn my 
attention to more profitable, if less pleasant occupa- 
tion? Yes, I would go again to-morrow." 
i It did seem that morning came very soon. I was so 
tired, too; but the day was good; it had turned a little 
cooler, and a light breeze blowing from the north 
seemed to give the atmosphere a clearness that it had 
lacked on the previous day. Breakfast was over in a 
jiffy, and it took but a moment to "hook up." Call- 
ing Bess, my retriever, we were off, jogging along for 
Robbin's Run. I would take that in first, and then 
swing around through the Barrens, and down on to 
Smith's marsh. 
Scarcely had I come through the fringe of alders 
bordering the marsh, when scape-scape! up he jumps/ 
and scape, another just behind him. The light was 
evidently just right this time, for Bess is bringing in 
the first, and I hustle after the other myself, for time 
is precious and I cannot wait for her to retrieve it. Is 
not this my last day? 
A shot further up the marsh puts me in a bad humor. 
Some one else working down this way; putting every- 
thing up, and— great Scott!— here come seven or eight 
snipe right at me. Steady, slow, now; don't brown 
them. The last two seem to edge this— bang! and they 
1 are past like a streak, and I get the last two with one 
barrel; didn't mean to, though. Two more shots up 
the run do not so much as ruffle me this time; they 
may produce the same result as before. But no. This 
is my turn to do some "putting up," for Bess jumps 
a single bird and he is "gathered in" unresistingly 
(sight seems to be fine to-day). And then a strange 
thing happens. Down the marsh, directly at me they 
come. First three, then a single. This time it looks 
like five or six. There is an intermittent popping in 
front of me, but strangely indistinct— perhaps owing 
to my own fusillade. The other shooting appears like 
an accompaniment in a minor key. 
I am continually starting snipe, or having them sent 
down to me by my fellow sportsman at the other end. 
And, though usually I am not at all sure on snipe, I am 
certainly "on" them to-day; must have twenty or more 
by this time, and they are constantly dropping to the 
Greener's bark. Bess is working like an automaton, 
too. Everything is satisfactory, except . How cold it 
is; I am almost shivering. I er-er-sneeze ! And then 
Ah, me! yes. I might have known it. Cold? No 
wonder. Fire out, hearth cold, and there I sit with 
the indistinct reports of guns still sounding in my 
ears, and a vivid picture is before me of English snipe 
skimming past me, only to double up as if by magic 
at the gun's word of command; but there are real 
snipe days still to come to me, I hope, and— it was a bully 
dream, just the same. R. H. C 
