The Farmington Times

CALAVERAS BIG TREES
Most Famous Grove of Trees in the World to be Owned and Protected by the Government

Washington, Feb. 5.—Through the efforts of the National Forest Call, President has completed the arrangement at which has been the greatest fame of trees in the world. The people of California, the women of the California Club have been working to urge the Government in this wonderful grove of Big Trees upon the mountains that have been protected this year, but not great success has been achieved until now it has been possible to arrange a plan satisfactory alike to the owner of the land and to Congress.

The Senate bill passed by the House of Representatives has just been signed by the President.

Everyone interested in the great natural wonders rejoices that in the name of saving the big trees, the way has been paved for a practical exchange of the timber in the groves for a portion of other forest land owned by the Government.

The first Calaveras bill was introduced in the Senate four years ago by Senator Perkins of California. Bills for the same purpose were passed in the upper house of Congress a number of times but always failed of favorable consideration in the House until the Senate bill introduced by Senator Perkins was called up by Congressman Smith of California last week.

Hugh B. Whiteside, of Duluth, Minnesota, a prominent lumberman operating in the Lake States and on the Pacific coast is the owner of the Calaveras Big Trees. After his agreement to the proposals, which are simply a practical exchange of timber for timber, the entire California delegation gave its solid and enthusiastic support to the bill. No appropriation is needed to carry out the provisions of the act.

The land to be acquired under the bill includes about 80 acres in what is known as the North Calaveras Grove in Calaveras county, and 3,040 acres in the South Grove in Tuolumne county. The North Grove contains ninety-three big trees and in the South Grove there are 115 of these giant sequoias. Any tree under eighteen feet in circumference or six feet through is not considered in the count of large trees. Besides the giant sequoias there are hundreds of sugar pines and yellow pines of astonishing proportions, ranging to the height of 250 feet and often attaining a diameter of eight to ten feet. There are also many white firs and incense cedars in the two tracts. A government study of the land was made by a field party under the direction of Fred G. Plummer, United States Forest Service, in 1906.

The Calaveras Big Trees are known the world over. The North Grove contains ten trees each having a diameter of fifteen to twenty-five feet. Most of the trees have been named, some for famous generals of the United States and others for statesmen and various states of the Union. "The Father of the Forests," now down, is estimated by Hittell, in his "Resources of California," to have had a height of 450 feet and a diameter at the ground of more than forty feet when it was standing. "Massachusetts," contains 118,000 board feet of lumber; "Governor Stoneman" contains 108,000 board feet, and the "Mother of the Forests," burned in the terrible forest fire which licked its way into a part of the grove last summer, contains 105,000 board feet. Each of these trees named grows as much lumber as is grown ordinarily on fifteen or twenty acres of timberland. The bark runs from six inches to two feet in thickness. Among the other large named trees in the two groves are "Waterloo," "Pennsylvania," "James King," "Old Bachelor," "Pride of the Forest," "Daniel Webster," "Sir John Franklin," "Empire State," "U. S. Grant," "W. T. Sherman," "J. P. McPherson," "Abraham Lincoln," "Connecticut," "Ohio," "Grover Cleveland," "Mrs. Grover Cleveland," "Dr. Nelson," "General Custer," "Dr. J. W. Dawson," "General Hancock," "Knight of the Forest," "Two Sentinels," and "Old Dowd."