Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323152625
label
Centennial of State of Montana 9/18/89 [OA 6268] [3]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323152625
contentType
document
title
Centennial of State of Montana 9/18/89 [OA 6268] [3]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13685-002
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Backup Chronological Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323152625
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
a35720908d293790
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13685
Folder ID Number:
13685-002
Folder Title:
Centennial of State of Montana 9/18/89 [OA 6268] [3]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
19
3
5
R
MONTANA TM
RAINIER.
1889-1989
MONTANA CENTENNIAL WAGON TRAIN ITINERARY
Campsite
Date
Time
Scheduled Activities
Bannack
June 11
4:00 p.m.
Church Service at historic Methodist
Church.
5:00 p.m.
Centennial potluck provided by
Dillon area church groups - free of
charge.
June 12
8:00 a.m.
Official departure. Wagons Ho!
Harrington's
June 12
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
Sing-along
June 13
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Dillon
June 13
Noon
Arrival and parade through Dillon.
5:00 p.m.
BBQ provided by Dillon Centennial
Committee and town of Dillon. Music
by Junior Fiddlers.
8:00 p.m.
Square dance at Beaverhead High
School.
June 14
7:00 a.m.
Chuckwagon pancake breakfast
prepared by Dillon Boy Scouts -
$2.00.
9:30 a.m.
Departure
Christensen's
June 14
2:00 p.m.
Arrival
5:00 p.m.
Lamb BBQ by Montana Sheep Producers,
$2-$3 (wagon train only).
6:00 p.m.
Square dance and sing-along provided
by First Baptist Church youth group
and Monte Massar.
June 15
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Anderson's
June 15
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
June 16
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Ruby Reservoir June 16
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
6:00 p.m.
Box social. Town of Sheridan --
discount for wagon train.
7:00 p.m.
Sheridan's mountain man black powder
survival demonstration.
June 17
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Virginia City
June 17
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival and parade through town.
6:30 p.m.
"Tne Vigilante", a play about the
hanging of Sheriff Henry Plummer.
Performed by Dillon Masonic Lodge.
Tickets $3.00 at Elks Lodge.
7:00 p.m.
Elks Rocky Mountain oyster feed &
dance.
June 18
11:45 a.m.
Church service available at St.
Paul's Episcopal Church in Virginia
City.
5:00 p.m.
BBQ at Virginia City Centennial
Center. BBQ cost is $1.50 (burgers,
salad, hot dogs.
7:00 p.m.
"The Vigilante", $3.00 at Elks Lodge.
June 19
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Ennis
June 19
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival and parade through town.
7:30 p.m.
Square dance at campsite
June 20
7:00 a.m.
Pancake breakfast prepared by Ennis
Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.
9:30 a.m.
Departure
Earl
Knighten's
June 20
3.00 p.m.
Arrival
6:00 p.m.
BBQ for wagon train provided by
Knightens and Ennis Chamber of
Commerce
June 21
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Pete Jackson's
Sterling
June 21
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
June 22
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Pony
June 22
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival and parade through town.
6:30 p.m.
BBQ provided by Pony Homecoming
Assn. Music following.
June 23
8:00 a.m.
Departure.
Harrison Lake
June 23
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
7:00 p.m.
Music by The Parlour Pickers.
June 24
June 25
9:00 a.m.
Departure
Willow Creek
June 25
5:00 p.m.
Arrival and parade through town.
Hamburgers and hot dogs available
for public, prepared by Three Forks
Volunteer Fire Dept.
6:30 p.m.
Roast beef dinner for wagon train
only at Willow Creek Fire Hall.
7:30 p.m.
Entertainment for wagon train by Bob
Ross, author of "Muddled Meanderings
in an Outhouse".
June 26
6:30 a.m.
Pancake breakfast for wagon train at
Sarah Faith Ranch - $3.00. Money to
help fund Willow Creek School
playground.
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Tribble's
June 26
5:00 p.m.
Arrival
6:00 p.m.
BBQ and accordian music provided by
Town of Whitehall. (Wagon train
only.)
June 27
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Fox's
June 27
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival. Music by Milo Fadness
Country-
Western Band.
June 28
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Wickum Springs
June 28
1:00 p.m.
Arrival
June 29
9:00 a.m.
Departure
Boulder
June 29
5:00 p.m.
Arrival
June 30
Noon
Lunch prepared by Madison-Jefferson
4-H Junior Leaders.
5:30 p.m.
BBQ prepared by local townspeople -
free to wagon train and public.
Public requested to bring casserole,
salad, or dessert.
8:00 p.m.
Dance and centennial costure contest
($1 cover charge). Music by Finley
Creek.
July 1
3:00 a.m.
Departure and parade through
Boulder. Escorted by VFW Honor
Guard.
Jefferson City
July
1
5-6:00 p.m.
Arrival
6:30 p.m.
Pioneer BBQ prepared by Jefferson
City Volunteer Fire Department
July 2
8:00 a.m.
Departure
Montana City
July 2
2-9:00 p.m.
Buffet for public.
4-8:00 p.m.
Parlour pickers will play.
5:00 p.m.
Arrival
6:00 p.m.
Buffet for wagon train $4.95.
8:00 p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 229 - Indian dancing
and contests.
8:00 p.m.
Dancing under the stars: - Fool's
Gold
July 3
7-9:00 a.m.
Breakfast prepared by Boy Scounts -
$3 to wagon train and public.
10:00 a.m.
Departure
Helena
July 3
1:00 p.m.
Ceremony at Capitol
4:00 p.m.
Arrive at camp
6:15 p.m.
Sweet Adelines
6:30-3:30
Open house for public. BBQ prepared
by Helena Trailriders.
7:00 p.m.
Last Chance Square Dancers
9-Midnight
Band - California Country Comfort
July 4
6:30-8:30
Breakfast by 4-H at $3. For wagon
train only.
9:00 a.m.
Departure
11:00 a.m.
Parade in Helena
Fort Harrison
July 4
4:00 p.m.
Arrival
6:00 p.m.
Wagon train potluck - bring your
leftovers!
7:00 p.m.
Music by Jake and Theresa Thomas
7:45 p.m.
Music by Energetic Seniors
GOLD WEST COUNTRY
of MONTANA, INC.
1155 MAIN STREET, DEER LODGE, MONTANA 59722
406-846-1943
Montana
Centennial
Wagon Train
Bannack to Helena
June 11 to July 4, 1989
Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association
Rainier. The Only Beer.
C 1988 Rainier Brewing Co Seattle, WA
Montana
Centennial
Wagon Train
Bannack to Helena
June 11 to July 4, 1989
Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association
Acknowledgments
Editing: Patricia Kelley
Layout: Barbara Lien
Cover typesetting: Penguin Typography
Photo halftones: Century Lithographers
Printing: Color World Printers
1989 Centennial Wagon Train
A very special thanks to the below-named Wagon Train committee members
who contributed thousands of volunteer hours and disrupted their already-too-busy lives
for two years to organize this wagon train.
These individuals represent the determination and backbone of Montanans today
who wish to preserve our heritage and celebrate our Centennial.
Wagon Train Committee
Souvenir Book Committee
Robert Clark - Wagon Boss
Ellen Dodds
Wayne Tichenor - Trail Boss
Pat Kelley
Leslie Clark - Secretary
Barbara Lien
Marlene Teague - Finance
Bonnie Morgan
Keith Horne
Vicki Rieffenberger
Leroy Fadness
Jim Lotan
Thanks to the following people for their contributions:
Steve Russell for information on historical trails;
Tom and Cory Plantenberg for the use of their printer; and
the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for the use of their computer system.
T
Mortant
he wagon train
Wagon Train
was financed in part
through the sale of our
five products which
were sold at meetings,
through retailers, and
to those who simply
wanted to support the
project. These items
will be for sale in the
Official Peddler's
Wagon, Entry No. 1.
Sanctioned Pin
$5.00
Sanctioned
Souvenir Booklet
$5.00
Sun Bonnet
$10.00
MONTANA
HOSPITAL
Coffee Mug
$7.00
ASSOCIATION
T-Shirt
$7.00
The Centennial Wagon Train wishes to thank each of the following
for their assistance with this project:
Joe Calnan
Brian Patrick
Montana City Store
Executive Director
Montana City, MT
Centennial Statehood Office
Helena, MT
Col. Jack Walsh
Col. Terry Wood
Bernard Menard
Adj. Gen. James Duffy
Townsend, MT
Ron Oesterle
Montana National Guard
Ike Lanning
Helena, MT
Wally Trerise
Montana City, MT
Dale Reagor
Luxan and Murfitt Law Firm
Tom Mazanec and
Helena, MT
Troop 229 Boy Scouts
Clancy-Montana City, MT
Montana Historical Society
Helena, MT
Helena Energetic Seniors
Helena, MT
Paul Blades and Rob Dunn
Fort Harrison VA Center
Lewis and Clark County
Helena, MT
Sheriff's Reserve
Dick and Korrene Livesay
Helena 4-H Clubs
Helena, MT
Thanks to all the generous landowners whose ground the Montana
Centennial Wagon Train crosses on its way from Bannack to Helena:
Cal Creek Ranch, Sheridan
John Heide, Boulder
Dan Leadbetter, Ennis
Hamilton Ranch, Boulder
Earl Knighten, Ennis
Dave Rieder, Boulder
Larry Hughes, McAllister
Harold Shervin, Boulder
Sitz Ranch, Harrison
Boulder Valley Cattle Co., Boulder
Carey Bros. Ranches, Boulder
Mick McCauley, Boulder
Steve Marks, Clancy
Bovey Restoration, Virginia City
To any we may have had the oversight to omit, our apologies,
and to all, our most sincere thanks.
Excerpts from Names on the Face of Montana, by Roberta Carkeek,
permission granted by publisher.
Thank you to the following people and entities for assistance with
the photographs included in this publication:
Dan Vichorek
Montana Travel Promotion
Montana Magazine
Montana Historical Society
THE
OF
STATE
SEAL
of
State of Montana
GREAT
MONTA
Office of The Lieutenant Governor
Helena 59620
THE
one
(406)444-3111
ALLEN C. KOLSTAD
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
It is an honor for me to commend the Centennial Wagon
Train, its organizers, sponsors and supporters on their outstanding
effort to bring a part of Montana's history to life.
The success of this outstanding project, undertaken against
considerable odds, is a tribute to the energy and tenacity
of those who believe in the "Can Do" attitude that makes
Montana the special place it is. Only those most intimately
concerned with the entire operation can know what it takes
to arrange an event like this, and to those hardy souls must
go a special salute.
Our entire statewide Centennial ef fort is living proof
that the true creative spirit is alive and well out here in
Big Sky country. Whether it's Circle or Joliet, Billings or
Browning, wherever one goes in Montana this summer, Centennial
events are sure to be nearby - entertaining, enlightening,
delighting spectators and participants alike.
As Chairman of the Montana Statehood Centennial Commission,
it has been exciting (and eye-opening) to know that thousands
of Montanans in communities and organizations statewide
are willing to sacrifice so many hours and so much energy,
often at considerable personal expense, to celebrate Montana's
birthday.
The Centennial Wagon Train, and all Montanans, can
be truly proud of their fine Centennial accomplishments.
On behalf of Governor Stephens and myself, I commend
this outstanding work. A job well done!
Sincerely yours,
Cur C. Kelatat
Allen C. Kolstad
Lieutenant Governor, Chairman
Montana Statehood Committee
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Entry No. 1 to Entry No. 26
1
Itinerary - Bannack to Virginia City
16
Historical Notes - Bannack to Virginia City
17
Entry No. 27 to Entry No. 54
20
Map of the Route from Bannack to Helena
32
Itinerary - Virginia City to Willow Creek
34
Historical Notes - Virginia City to Willow Creek
35
Entry No. 55 to Entry No. 89
37
Itinerary - Willow Creek to Helena
50
Historical Notes - Willow Creek to Helena
51
Map of Parade Route through Helena
54
Alphabetical Listing of Wagon Train Entries
59
NO: 1
Don and Beverly Huffman with Byron, Shaun, Chris, Danial
Billings, MT
Every wagon train needs a peddler's wagon to supply parts for inevitable breakdowns along the way.
The official Centennial Wagon Train peddler's wagon is driven by Don and Beverly Huffman, owners
of Big Sky Leatherworks, a harness shop in Billings. The wagon has a farm wagon running gear under-
neath it. The new peddler's box on top contains wagon train products for sale. When asked why they
wanted to come on the wagon train, Don and Shirley said, "After participating in many horse activities,
we have found the people who work draft horses to be the friendliest and most helpful."
NO: 2
Dr. John and Karen Harlan
Clancy, MT
John and Karen have Tennessee Walking horses
and mules which they ride, pack, and drive.
They are driving a spring wagon, built about
HARLAN'S
THE
John & Karen Harlan
1890, that was used as the Helena-to-Marysville
OF
stage. It is now used for pleasure driving and
GAITS
MOUNTAINS
P.O. Box 348
Clancy, Montana 59634
parades.
TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES
John, a surgeon in Helena, and Karen, a teacher
in Clancy, have two sons: Jason and Jabez.
406/933-8583
When asked to contribute a tall tale, John said,
"I am tall enough for a tail but none has
sprouted yet. They are on the wagon train "to
be a part of the historic celebration of our great state's birthday."
The draft horse and mule breeds hitched to the wagons in the Montana Centennial Wagon Train exhibit a variety
of colors, sizes, and shapes. Other distinguishing characterisitcs are their temperament, ability, and use.
Mules
Technically, a mule is a sterile hybrid born to a horse mare and sired by a long-eared donkey stallion known
as a jack. Several breeds of donkeys produce jacks including the Sicilian, Catalonian, and Andalusian breeds.
In the first part of this century American jack breeders developed the Mammoth Jack from several of these
breeds. The best Mammoth Jacks stand up to 16 hands and weigh 1200 pounds.
Jacks are bred to mares of either saddle or draft horse breeds to produce riding mules or work mules. Draft
mules stand from 15 to 16 hands high while lighter saddle mules weigh from 900 to 1200 pounds and are 14
to 16 hands high. Mules come in every color that horses do. Mules are legendary for their smooth ride,
toughness, and surefootedness in mountainous terrain.
1
NO: 3
Cotton Riley
Richfield, ID
Cotton Riley brought three mules, Kate, Ribbon, and Mickie, to pull his wagon. The wagon is between
50 and 60 years old, originally from the Richfield, Idaho area.
Cotton and his wife Nina, grew up in the Richfield area and farmed and raised livestock until their only
son was out of high school. Then they rented the farm, and Cotton took a job with a cattle association
and Nina taught school. While riding for the cattle association, Cotton began packing mules to haul salt
for the cows and even rode some of the long-ears. During his 22 years with the cattle association Cotton
says he had some hair raising experiences, including finding mutilated cattle and seeing UFOs.
The Riley's are both retired. Cotton fixes up old wagons for parades, using them sometimes spectacu-
larly: he had a nice run-away with his team of mules in the wagon days parade at Ketchum, Idaho, on
Labor Day 1988. He didn't run into or over anyone or anything, but he did generate a lot of speed and
excitement. Cotton says he's going on the Montana wagon train because he's always been interested in
pioneers, wagon trains, and freight lines. Now he's going to live it.
Cotton is sponsored by Shoshone Sale Yard, Inc. Shoshone, Idaho 83352, phone 208-886-2281 which is
owned by Pete Peterson. Pete says he sells all kinds of livestock every Monday and honesty is their
motto.
M.J. McDonald driving wagon
Montana Magazine
2
REGISTERED "Striving to raise good, quality
BELGIAN
HORNE
DRAFT
horses since 1977. Registered
Belgian colts for sale every year."
BIG
HORES
Senior herd sire - Mosquito Creek Archie (Canadian & American Registry)
Junior herd sire - Schaefer's Kyle
Registered mares by - Constable, Conqueror, Jerrett du Marais and Continue
NO: 4
Keith Horne and Marlene Teague
Helena, MT
Keith and Marlene raise registered Belgians and have about 20 around their place. Bonnie and Dacia, a
team of full sisters out of their mare and stallion, will be pulling their wagon. The wagon was Marlene's
uncle's. Keith modified it to a 5th wheel for showing and breaking colts. Wheels were rebuilt by Dave at
Old West Coach in Joliet, Montana. The cover was loaned to them by their good friend Rollie Hebel of
Ennis.
Marlene, a banker, has been secretary-treasurer of MDHMA for the past seven years. She crafted the
old fashioned bonnets whose sale is helping fund the wagon train. Keith, a fireman, says he is a jack of
all trades and a master of none. He builds different types of horse-drawn equipment, out of both metal
and wood, always looking for a better way to make them. Keith and Marlene are dedicated to raising
quality Registered Blonde Belgians. For fun they go to the Sandpoint, Idaho, draft horse show every fall.
They were scheduled to be married on this trip but spent the wedding dress money on a new tent for the
wagon train trip.
Jeannie, Marlene's mother from Oregon, will be joining them for the trip.
3
NO:5
James Syme
Plentywood, MT
James Syme's Belgians are pulling
his mountain wagon, which origi-
nated in Plentywood. Participation
in previous wagon trains and trail
riding make him an experienced
hand around horses. When he's not
wagon training, he's working on
his farm or dancing. He figures that
at his age the Centennial Wagon
Train will be the highlight of his
wagon train days.
NO:6
Robert H. Walker
Richey, MT
Originally from Fort Keogh near Miles City, the 80-year-old wagon of Robert Walker served as a
campsteader wagon for many years for McClain's Sheep Company of Paxton, Montana. Robert's dad
bought and used it on his ranch for another 10 years. Johnny and Irene, Robert's Quarter horses, are
pulling the rebuilt wagon.
Robert is a retired construction worker, sheepherder, and bartender who raises hogs in his spare time and
likes to tease his seven grandkids. Traveling from the rolling hill country near Richey, where wheat farm-
ing and livestock predominate, Robert is on the wagon train to meet new people and see new country.
NO: 7
Gerald L. Gabel
Huntley, MT
Gerald Gabel's Belgian-cross sorrel mules are in the harness of his covered Studebaker wagon. The wagon
had been made into a grain wagon so he had to convert it back to a covered wagon. The team has been
used for pulling just about all kinds of farm equipment as well as Santa's sleigh at Christmastime. Gerald
runs an excavation and construction business and relaxes by rebuilding old horse drawn farm equipment
and working with his horses and mules.
He says he didn't know there was such a smooth ride until a friend, Bill Greene, interested him in mules.
Now he won't ride anything else.
4
NO: 8
Will and Jan Donahue
Belgrade, MT
Jan and Will's team of Belgians,
Dick and Dolly, were broke by
the fine old teamster Edgar
Loomis, of Brusett, Montana.
They were Edgar's wheel team
for a fourteen horse freight hitch
in the Miles City Centennial
Parade in which he won first
place. All parts except the wagon
bows and sheets are original on
the old John Deere wagon, whose
original owner brought it to
Nebraska around 1902. Its wide
wheels suited the travel conditions on the sandy soil of the country below the Platte.
Jan and Will have lived in Belgrade for six years. Jan, a certified nurse-midwife, delivers babies in
normal, uncomplicated childbirth situations in her birthing room, Bridger Birth Center. Over the past six
years she says she has helped add about 300 new Montanans to the census. Will, also a registered nurse,
worked the night shift in the emergency department of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital for five years. He
is now directing the nursing services at Bozeman Care Center, a long-term care facility.
It was Jan's idea to do this wagon train. The Donahues said "We've always had horses and wanted a
team but never could figure out a way to fast talk each other into buying a team. This was the opportu-
nity we'd been waiting for." Their two children, Jesse, 7, and Kelly,3, will be with them on the wagon
train.
NO:9
Norman Frankland and Bonnie Evans
Victor, MT
The Frankland-Evans entry is a 75-year-old International Harvester/Weber grain wagon pulled by their
team Nellie and Fred. The wagon came from Wolf Point and was part of the Racetrack wagon train that
traveled from Wisdom to Hamilton in 1976. Norman was born in England and emigrated to the U.S. in
1957. Bonnie is originally from Maine and arrived in Montana by way of New Mexico. She is an endur-
ance rider, artist and horse breeder. They call their farm Flying Heart Farm. Joining them is Charlie
Yearian, draft horse trainer extraordinaire, Teddy Bryan, a cowboy and captain of industry, his wife,
Laura Yelloweyes, a beadworker, Chip Jasmin, a folksinger, and Chadeynne Roush, a drummaker.
5
NO: 10
Ken and Pearl Roy
Darby, MT
Ken doesn't need any instruction
on driving a team and wagon.
After 13 years of rolling along
with a variety of wagon trains,
Ken organized the Bitterroot
Valley wagon train in 1976 and
has ramrodded it since except for
one year. But his experience
before that started at an early
age. Ken came to the Bitterroot
Valley in 1935 from Fort Peck,
Montana, with his Dad and three
brothers bringing two wagons,
two teams, and one saddle horse. Ken said it took 23 days to cover 740 miles. The horses wore out one
and a half sets of shoes. After World War II and a stint in the air force Ken and his wife, Pearl, settled
down to raise grade and purebred Hereford cows til semi-retiring in 1976. They still break, train and
trade horses and put up hay. Their two sons, Ben and Tom, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren
love horses and ranch life. The grandchildren learned to ride almost before they shucked their diapers.
Ken and Pearl's mixed breed-pintos are pulling their "Western" wagon. The wagon was built around
1900 and rebuilt in 1965 by Ken and Ben. Everett and Ruth Brown will begin driving Roy's team and
wagon. Ken and Pearl will take over after Ken ends his duties as trail boss on the Stevensville to Ban-
nack wagon train. Ken and Pearl said this Centennial Wagon Train looked like their kind of fun.
Shires
The Shire horse was developed in the 1700s in the eastern and central counties, or shires, of England for use
as dray horses in London and Liverpool. The breed was developed primarily from Dutch and Belgian stock.
The early breeders concentrated on producing a massive, muscular horse with heavy bone and heavily
feathered legs. Shires first came to the U.S. about 1830, and a number of Shire stallions were standing in
Montana in the 1880s and 1890s. J.H. Truman, the biggest Shire importer, had a branch in Billings, and the
Yellowstone Park Company owned several of the breed. They were used to pull supply wagons in the
Yellowstone Park.
Shires are rare in the U.S., with the greatest concentration in the Northwest. Shire numbers fell to a few hundred
in the 1950s and 1960s; few of the horses bred in this period were registered. Imports from England have helped
the recovery of Shire numbers in recent years. Postwar American Shire breeders have concentrated on
maintaining the draftiness of the breed, but have bred for smaller size and less feather. The horses imported
from England in recent years have generally been leggier and less drafty.
The Shire comes in all colors, with bay, brown, black, and grey being the most common. White markings on
the face and legs are almost universal.
6
NO: 11
Kathleen Meyer
Patrick McCarron
Stevensville, MT
Stevensville
Between us we're farrier, author, actor, editor,
sailor, storyteller, packer, philosopher, commercial
fisherman, drywall contractor, whitewater rafting guide,
teamster, cowboy, teacher, canoeist, seakayaker, gourmet
camp cook, wrangler, rambler, roughneck, and entrepreneur.
We're survivors, both. We're English, Irish, Scottish, German, French and Dutch, but one of us is a
purebred. We're 12'10" with one atop the other's shoulders (ok, ok, maybe that's stretching it an inch).
We have 86 years experience. At what? Well-that's advertising for you! Look us up on the Wagon
Train and find out who's who. Come get your horses shod or look over a copy of the newest wilderness
handbook: How to S# *! in the Woods - an environmentally sound approach to a lost art. It's humorous,
informative reading-a must for the city-slicker, new to squatting under the Big Sky, or other friends
and relatives still fumbling with their drawers. (Copies for sale will be available in local bookstores.)
On July 5th, trail's end for the Centennial Wagon Train, we plan to keep rolling down the dusty
road by team and wagon until the snows. We'll be searching for a somewhat circular, 6-week route linking
ranches needing a shoer. And should you be looking for ranch sitters for the winter, talk to us.
The old Clydes are too gimpy to make this trip. By the time we circle-up in Stevensville, we'll have
a younger team. So gather up your hello's, tall tales, old-timer wisdom, and bales of unwanted advice and
stop by for a cup or bottle of something. Meet us, meet the horses, and see if our newly acquired Missoula
freight wagon (above) looks any different after a long winter's work. Wagons ho! Yessiree!!!
Many thanks to the Bitterroot Carriage Company and Frank Ringel for all their help
Harvest in Liberty County, circa 1912
Montana Historical Society / Montana Magazine
7
NO: 12
Marlen Halverson
Glasgow, MT
Back in 1972, Marlen Halverson gave a Canadian
farmer five silver dollars for the running gear of a
Massey-Harris wagon from Saskatchewan, Canada. He
rebuilt the running gear and a friend helped him rebuild
the box. From these beginnings he began driving teams
and wagons in conjunction with a youth camp. He
drove hundreds of miles each summer and hauled from
10 to 60 people each outing. Marlen considers himself a
cowboy, farmer, and merchant who also raises and
trains horses. Born in Scobey, Montana, in 1940,
Marlen says he's still very young and enjoys work so
much that he can't tell whether he's working or playing.
He especially likes long, hard horse treks, like this one - no trailers or campers just real people.
Marlen brought Clydesdales and mules to pull his wagon. His first team of mules in 1976 taught him
plenty. His helpers hitched the team up to the wagon and Marlen said gitty-up. Off he went - down the
road, over the road bank, around a building. He braked the wagon but no brakes, so he headed to a tree,
one mule on each side. He said it was a sudden stop. Bouncing over the road bank he had broken the
reach and lost the back wheels.
Marlen came on the wagon train because he won't be here for the 200 year celebration.
NO: 13
Wayne and Lola Eby
Victor, MT
From their herd of 12 Belgians,
Wayne and Lola Eby chose Pride
and Chubb, to pull their 100-year-
old Studebaker wagon. Originally
from North Dakota, the wagon
has been rebuilt twice and used
around their farm to haul anything
that needs hauled. They ranch in
Victor, raising cattle. They "fool
with horses" in their spare time
taking part in horse shows and
parades. The Ebys joined the
wagon train because it is a once in
a lifetime trip.
8
NO: 14
Bill Brand
Ketchum, ID
Bill Brand and his two mounts, a Tennessee Walker, Prince, and a Missouri Foxtrotter called Blue, are
riding along with the wagon train. Bill says he spends half the year in Arizona and half in Idaho riding
around the back country of these states. He is on the wagon train because it sounded like a fun trip and
offered new country to travel.
NO: 15
Homer and Helene Malaby
Freestone, CA
Starting in the horse business with saddle horses, Homer and Helene Malaby have now acquired draft
horses. Their half-Percherons, Sunday and MaeLynn, are pulling their wagon which they guess to be
between 80 and 100 years old. Their neighbor, who is in his 80s has been their guiding light. Homer
says "Mr. P. still has his draft horses as well as every tool, piece of hardware, and wagons from days
gone by." For fun, Homer and Helene take their team to Mr. P's, hitch to one of his original vehicles and
cruise the streets of Petaluma, listening to some of Mr. P.'s experiences.
Homer is a Veterinary Medical Officer with USDA in animal care, presently working in the southern
California area. One son, Dan, lives in the Bay area working in the electronics field. Helene works hard
keeping house, garden, and animals running smoothly. They have 37 acres in pasture, apple orchard, and
woods. The horses are earning some of their keep by pulling out downed logs for firewood and slash.
NO: 16
Russell Starlin
Ronan, MT
Russell Starlin works on rebuilding wagons
when he's not ranching or selling. Belgians are
in the harness as they have been on many past
wagon trains. His wagon is one from the 27
wagons and 7 buggies around his place.
Russell maintains he must be the only box car
cowboy left. "We rode box cars all over the
state taking only our saddles. I broke horses for
$5 a head. I worked only on big ranches and
made $15 month."
9
NO: 17
Don Coutts
Red Lodge, MT
Rough and Ready and Rock and Rye, the four good Belgians owned by Don Coutts are pulling his
wagon. One team is hitched to a Studebaker, the other to a freight wagon. Don is an old hand at driving.
His wagons see a lot of use in his wagon train business: Beartooth Wagon and Sleigh Rides. His "out-
side" income to support his horse activities comes from his work in the construction business. He enjoys
all horse activities and is looking forward to a good time on the wagon train.
NO: 18
Larry Vance and Isabelle Carlhain
Livingston, MT
Larry and Isabelle's team are pulling a wagon with a 1909 original undercarriage. Isabelle, who studied
architecture in school, designed the box. Larry built it and put it to use. Isabelle came from the Tetons to
Red Lodge where she wintered as a sheepherder. She had packed one horse all the way and alternated
between riding him and walking. A serious accident while logging halted her travels for two years. But
it was by no accident that she decided to stay.
Larry and Isabelle met in hunting camp where they worked as guide and cook respectively. Two months
later they rode out as a team. After 16 years as a deputy sheriff for Park County, and a lifetime working
with stock, Larry left the force to work his horses full time. Larry and Isabelle raise draft horses, mules,
and crossbred riding stock. All are broke to ride, pack, and drive because, Larry says, one day they may
be pulling a wagon or manure spreader and the next day skidding an elk from the high country. They
use the animals to "commute" for supplies from their ranch nine miles from Livingston. Larry's teams
have been used in parades, on wagon trains, in front of farm equipment and for pulling sleighs at Bridger
Bowl ski area. He logs with them in the fall and winter, and packs them in the summer to build and
maintain wilderness trails. At last count they had 16 head.
They want everyone to feel free to visit with them. They break stock to ride and drive and have good,
well broke young teams, single horses, and mules for sale.
Fjord Horses
The versatile Norwegian Fjord horse is used, both English and Western, for riding, jumping, hunting, trail
and in driving all types of hitches. The Fjord stands 13 to 15 hands high, weighs 1000 to 1400 lbs, and can
pull up to three times its own weight. They have a gentle disposition, and like people. Their color is usually
brown dun with a stripe of black in the center of their back and a light mane.
10
NO: 19
Edwin Clementino
Petaluma, CA
When Ed Clementino was tipped off to the Centennial Wagon Train by the Huffmans of Big Sky Leath-
erworks in Billings, Montana, he knew it was a once in a lifetime experience that he just couldn't miss.
Born in Gustine in Merced County, California, Ed never left the Golden state. From Merced County he
moved to Sonoma County where he and his wife Bena owned a dairy and raised three children. Ed's
son now owns and manages the milking herd which has since moved to Glenn County, California. Ed
manages the replacement stock in Sonoma County. Ed purchased six mules, Tom and Jerry, Doll and
Babe, Lillian and Bell, when they were just green broke. Ed set to work, making them what they are
today. Ed has shown his hitch at the Bishop Mule Days in Inyo County, California, taking first in the
six-up classes and in the parade. Local parades and Draft Horse and Mule shows keep Ed busy winning
many awards and ribbons. He is a member of the Sonoma County Trail Blazers and drives the six-up in
their annual ride. When not taking part in parades or organized drives, Ed's favorite activity is to "just
hook'em up and go fer a
drive" in the Petaluma Hills.
Ed's Baines Freight wagon
has a canvas cover and is
around 75 years old. He
purchased it about six years
ago and aside from changing
the seat, has done nothing
major to it.
Christine Kaplan hails from
the Wiedemann Ranch in
Contra Costa, California.
When not helping Ed as an
outrider or swamper, she team
ropes, rides, and drives her
own horses, and works with
her father in the family's
commercial real estate busi-
ness. Al Kaplan, her father is
a native of Oilmont, Montana.
11
NO: 20
Lyle E. and Wilma Jane Wanderlich
Twin Falls, ID
Lyle and Wilma own Roseacre Farms in Twin Falls, Idaho, where they raise several breeds of horses
including paints, Quarter horses, Thoroughbreds, Belgians and mules. He and Larry Aslett are traveling
on a farm wagon, originally from Washington, that was rebuilt by Lyle. Lyle is a semi-retired anesthesi-
ologist, and chariot races in his spare time. As a young boy, Lyle worked the fields with teams of draft
horses. Since that early age it has been his dream to drive the big animals in a wagon train.
NO: 21
Les Broadie
Arco, ID
Wanderlust seems to have captured Les Broadie who drives his teams and Weber wagon in parades and
wagon trains throughout Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, California, and now Montana. Some of Les' 30 mules
are pulling his rebuilt wagon in the wagon train. Les, who claims to be retired, spends his time on
wagon trains, packing, showing horses, selling wagons and buggies, and taking some time to smell the
roses as he passes by. He lives near Arco back home at Idaho, a little town south of Idaho's rugged
central mountain area at about 6000 feet in livestock country.
Oxen breaking ground near Coalridge, Montana
Montana Historical Society / Montana Magazine
12
NO: 22
Kevin Irish and Glenn Bailey
Helena, MT
Well-broke horses are a joy to handle says
Kevin Irish. That's why he brought his team
of sorrels, Packett, an ex-race horse, and
Boomer, a registered Quarter horse. He says
his dark brown team is coming around nicely
and are real powerful. This team includes Dan,
Kevin's lead pack horse, and Pete, a new
arrival.
Kevin shares ownership of the wagon with
Glenn Bailey of Helena, Montana. In Helena's
early days, the wagon was used around town
delivering goods. Around 1974 or 1975, Bud
Pierson of Race Track, Montana, purchased the wagon and rebuilt most of it. He used it for six years,
particularly during his start as wagon master of the Race Track Wagon Train. Kevin and Glenn pur-
chased the wagon in August, 1988. The wagon has yellow running gear and natural box finish.
Kevin's son, Clint Irish, is the brakeman. The outriders are John LaRocke who will be trading between
his two big mares, Glenn and Shadow, a gray Quarter horse, and Kevin who will be on his saddle horse,
Drifter.
Ned and Shorty with Grandpa Nash
Conrad Public Library / Montana Magazine
13
NO: 23
Jim and Ruth Lotan
Stevensville, MT
One of the Belgians in
harness on Jim and Ruth
Lotan's team is a barrel
racer, too. Marshall, the big
red gelding, ridden by son,
Erik, won the draft horse
barrel race at Ravalli County
Fair in 20.4 seconds. The
Belgians are pulling their 80-
year-old Birdsell farm wagon
that originated in St.Maries,
Idaho. It was used on the
1988 Scout Train.
Versatility does not belong solely to their horses. In addition to raising Belgians, Jim and Ruth are busy
with photography, writing forestry handbooks, hunting, fishing, and partaking in mountain man rendez-
vous. They also take part in parades and wagon trains, and drive for a commercial wagon train near
Glacier Park. Jim says that Ruth tolerates his horses. Their grandchildren, Eric and Ellen, will be joining
them on the wagon train.
NO: 24
Chuck and Mary Jensen
St. Regis, MT
Dreaming for many years of a wagon train experience, Chuck and Mary Jensen feel the Centennial
Wagon Train is the chance they've been waiting for. They brought their two Belgians, "Pesky Prince"
and "Dancing Dan", and Quarter horse, Tucker, to help them down the trail. Behind the Belgians comes
their Bain Company wagon which they purchased at the Sandpoint sale in northern Idaho. Originally
from Deer Lodge, the Jensens now farm and ranch in St. Regis, Montana. When the works all done in
the fall, they like to travel a little. Their friends, Dick and Shirley, are joining them on the wagon train.
14
NO: 25
Leon and Gertrude Reynaud
Santa Rosa, CA
A fun time and a challenge is what Leon and Gertrude Reynaud were looking for when they heard about
the Centennial Wagon Train. Leon, a realtor and native Californian, and Gertrude live on the edge of
Santa Rosa, California. In their spare time, they fish, boat and ride with the Sonoma County Trail Blaz-
ers. Their two Quarter horses are pulling the new, amish-built wagon from Pennsylvania. They have
pulled the wagon on rides in the hills and on Sonoma County Trail Blazer's trips.
NO: 26
Robert and Leslie Clark
Whitehall, MT
Colorful teams of Pinto
Belgians pulling Robert and
Leslie Clark's two wagons:
an 80-year-old Mitchell and a
1901 Studebaker. The Mitch-
ell came from Ovando and
the Studebaker from Boze-
man. The Clarks rebuilt both
wagons. The Clarks have
driven the teams and wagons
in parades and in the Virginia
City wagon train. In fact,
Robert and Leslie have taken
part in all of the scout trains
for the previous three years in
preparation for the Centen-
nial Wagon Train. Robert, a
building contractor, calls
himself a used hippie and
claims to be the only fool in the valley who farms with horses. Leslie is a potter. Robert and Leslie also
enjoy other horse activities such as poker runs, field days, and shows. In honor of the Centennial, Robert
is growing his hair to look as authentic as possible because he feels beard-growing contests discriminate
against women. Leslie is gritting her teeth as usual. They think their gelding "Buck" is the biggest Pinto
west of the Mississippi.
15
Centennial Wagon Train Itinerary:
First Week, from Bannack to Virginia City
Sunday, June 11, 1989 The Centennial Wagon Train meets in Bannack
COMMISSIO
'3' TH & WAGON SHOP
ox SHOEING
Main Street of Bannack
Travel Montana
Monday, June 12, Evening camp at Harrington's Rattlesnake Ranch
Helen Larson, a participant in the wagon train, once owned the Rattlesnake Ranch. She says that Henry
Plummer and his gang spent a lot of time at the ranch when it was the home of Red Jaeger, a buddy of
Plummer's. One of the ranch's attractions for the gang may have been the bootleg whiskey flowing from a
still there. Plummer, notorious in this area as a criminal who also was elected sheriff, inspired the formation
of the vigilantes, who took the law in hand and hanged Plummer and many of his gang. Near the creek on
the ranch, as the story goes, workers found two chests of loot, including watches and gold, buried there from
stagecoach hold-ups. Don and Shirley Harrington, who now own the ranch, raise commercial Black Angus
cattle and registered Quarter horses. Their son Mark manages the ranch and does some rodeoing. Don is a
distributor for Pepsi and announces rodeo.
Tuesday, June 13, Evening camp at Dillon Rodeo Grounds
The Chamber of Commerce anticipates an entire week of events to celebrate the Centennial Wagon Train.
A warm welcome from the people of Dillon is certain.
16
Historical Notes Along the Wagon Train Route:
Bannack to Virginia City
The Centennial Wagon Train heads up at Bannack on the west leg of the original Corinne Wagon
Road.
The Corinne Wagon Road, sometimes known as the Corinne-Virginia City road, headed north
from Corinne, Utah, to the southern border of Montana and branched. The east branch passed near
present day Monida and divided again into two roads. The west road went to Bannack through Red
Rock Creek and Horse Prairie and continued to the Deer Lodge valley. The east road went through
the head of Blacktail Deer Creek, past present day Dillon and on to Virginia City. From there it
continued to Helena.
A $40 toll was required to travel the Corinne Wagon Road. This angered some people since the
route was supposedly one of the most "remarkable natural highways" and little labor had been ex-
pended to make it usable.
The founding of Bannack had its roots in the discovery of gold on July 28, 1862, where
Grasshopper Creek enters the Beaverhead River. After panning for a short time, the prospectors knew
they had discovered a significant gold deposit. They followed the placer gold upstream, and soon 300
people had settled on the site of Bannack, 12 miles above the first discovery. Named after a local
Indian tribe, the Bannocks, the settlement was initially called East Bannack, later Bannack City, and
finally Bannack. By the summer of 1863, the population had grown to 1000 people, expanding later
to around 5000.
Bannack's status as Montana's first capital makes it a fitting jumping-off point for the Centen-
nial Wagon Train.
From Bannack, the wagons will follow the old stage road to Dillon. It was along this road that
the notorious Plummer gang of road agents performed many of their stage holdups. The wagon train
route passes "Road Agent Rock", which the holdup men used as a lookout point to spot the gold stage
leaving Bannack.
A woman's diary from 1881 notes "Of all the dreary looking places I ever saw, Dillon is about
the worst." Perhaps the treeless landscape caused the woman's melancholy. Grasslands near Dillon
are famous for producing quality cattle.
Dillon was named for Sidney Dillon, president of the Union Pacific Railroad, who supervised the
completion of the line from Utah to Butte. The town was once called Terminus because the construc-
tion of the railroad was halted there - a rancher refused to give his ranch up for a right-of-way. The
rancher was finally bought out. The town of Terminus, established in 1880, became Dillon in 1881.
At one time Dillon was also known as Blacktail, a name taken from the creek that runs through the
town.
17
Wednesday, June 14, Evening camp at Christensen's ranch
Art Christensen was born on this ranch near Dillon. Since he took over the operation in 1945, he has increased
his sheep flock from 14 to over 450 ewes. According to an article in SHEEP! magazine, this ranch covers
elevations from 5000 to over 8400 feet and is well-known for its prolific Finn-cross ewes with a lambing of
over 200 percent. The Christensens also do some farming. Sheep are usually herded to the high mountain
pastures in late June. To protect the lambs from coyotes and other predators, Art has tried bells on the collars,
tape players, pneumatic cannons and guard dogs; the latest experiment is a guard donkey.
Thursday, June 15, Evening camp at Anderson's Ruby Dell Ranch corrals
Part of the old horse and OX pasture on the Anderson's ranch was used by freighters on their trek from
Corinne, Utah, to Virginia City over the old Virginia Trail on the Sweetwater. The ranch was purchased by
the Anderson family from J.E. Morse in 1919 who had earlier sold it to the Beaverhead Ranch Co, then bought
it back. Deer, antelope, sage chicken, and grouse roam the area and there are trout in Sweetwater Creek. The
host says the ranch has a prehistoric buffalo jump and medicine wheel. Other areas of interest include
deposits of garnets and Indian teepee rings.
Friday, June 16, Evening camp on BLM ground near Ruby Reservoir
The nearby town of Sheridan is planning some special activities including a black powder shooting
demonstration.
Saturday, June 17, Evening camp at Virginia City
The people of Virginia City are planning a big welcome with a parade, barbeque, and dance on Saturday.
18
Robber's Roost near Virginia City
Travel Montana
From Dillon, the wagon train will cross the Ruby range of mountains then travel along the Ruby
River to Alder Gulch. The name "Ruby" was given by prospectors who thought the garnets they
found were rubies.
The wagons will arrive in Alder Gulch near Nevada City. Nevada City was the second largest city
in Montana Territory in 1865.
Alder Gulch entered Montana History the spring following the gold discovery at Bannack, when
a group of miners left Bannack in search of more gold. They made camp on a creek near the Tobacco
Root mountains and did a little panning, hoping to get enough gold to buy tobacco. Instead, they
stumbled upon one of the biggest placer gold deposits in Montana.
Miners rushed to this Alder Gulch site and in June 1863, a claim was filed for a townsite. Con-
federate sympathizers had chosen the name of Jefferson Davis' wife, Varina. The newly elected
judge, however, had strong sympathies for the north and refused that name. He substituted Virginia
City. By the end of the summer 10,000 miners crowded the gulch.
The territorial capital moved from Bannack to Virginia City and remained there from 1865 to
1876. Virginia City was the first incorporated city in Montana. Many of Virginia City's original
buildings stand. Above the town white wooden markers identify the graves of several of Henry
Plummer's road agents who had their necks stretched by the Vigilantes.
The first leg of the Centennial Wagon Train will end with a layover at Virginia City.
19
NO: 27
Roger Reinhardt
Hinsdale, MT
Roger Reinhardt brought along two of his eight head of Percherons to take part in the wagon train.
Duchess and Holly are pulling a wide-bolstered freight wagon that Roger acquired from Lewistown and
rebuilt. Roger's son, daughter, and grandchildren are hitching a ride. Back on his ranch, the horses earn
their keep helping in haying, seeding and feeding. Roger takes time from ranching to do leatherwork and
wagon repair. He also enjoys draft horse events - both competition and parades. Roger said he had to go
on this wagon train because he won't be around for the next one in a hundred years.
NO: 28
Robert and Claudine Eby
Laurin, MT
A historic freight wagon once owned by Mr. Simeon Buford who started a freighting and grocery busi-
ness in Virginia City in 1878, is pulled by Robert and Claudine Eby's two Belgians, Captain and Molly.
Although dimmed by age, lettering on one side of the original box on the wagon reads "Buford Mercan-
tile, Alder Gulch, Montana Territory". The Ebys removed this box and replaced it with a sheep wagon
box and new wheels; the rest of the running gear is original. Bob and Claudine originate from Madison
County and have four children; their youngest daughter, Mykie, is an outrider on the wagon train. It is
rumored that Claudine has bred her two half-Shetland pintos to a burro and hopes to have a team of her
own that won't run her over. The Ebys enjoy anything that involves teams or driving and the highlight
of every year is attending the Sandpoint Show in the fall.
Percherons
The Percheron horse originated in the northwestern region of France known as Perche. The breed probably
was developed for use as war horses by knights, but around the time of Louis XIV of France, the breed was being
used for heavy draft work. It is believed that original breeding stock included Arabian horses left from the rout
of Saracen in 700 AD, as well as heavier native horses that may have been in existence since the ice age.
Percheron horses were introduced into the United States around 1840, but the greatest numbers arrived
between the 1850s and 1880s. In 1876, the Percheron-Norman Horse Association was formed in the U.S.; after
several name changes, it is now called the Percheron Horse Association of America. The famous Bar U Ranch
brought Percherons to prominence in Canada in the early 1900s. Much of the Bar U's foundation stock were
the 35 registered Percherons and 1200 grade Percheron mares they purchased from a ranch in Dillon, MT.
Percherons rank second in popularity to the Belgian as a draft horse breed in the U.S. The average Percheron
stands 16.1 to 16.3 hands high and weighs 1900 to 2100 pounds. The Percheron's ruggedness, power, and heavy
muscling in the lower thighs combines with good conformation of the feet and legs, and a clean way of going.
Percherons are usually black or gray (90 percent), although the breed has bays, browns, chestnuts and roans.
20
NO: 29
Roy E. and Pat Nonella
Sebastapol, CA
Roy and Pat Nonella's 1890 California Mountain Wagon, from Chico, California, was built by E.E.
Canefield. Roy rebuilt it and has used it on the Sonoma County Trail Blazer's week-long cross country
ride. He has brought with him his mules, Margaret and Mildred, and Quarter horses, Thunder and Duke.
Roy is a general contractor who enjoys any horse activity and hunting. Sandra Meyer is joining them.
NO: 30
Barbara Williams
Fort Harrison, MT
NO: 31
Bob and Sandy Green
Clancy, MT
Long before wagons came to Montana,
there were pack strings. To commemo-
rate this contribution to Montana's past,
Bob Green and his brother Floyd will be
riding the entire route pulling their pack
string of equine helpers. Bob Green
resides in Helena and is retired from the
Navy. Floyd resides in Puyallup, Wash-
ington, and is employed as a heavy
equipment mechanic. Bob will be
mounted on his Quarter horse and Floyd
will be riding a USDA-captured mus-
tang. When these two first read about the
wagon train, Bob says "There was no
doubt in our minds that we wanted to be
a part of it!"
John and Sandy Doster from Helena will be joining the Greens for portions of the trip. John is retired
from the Air Force and is a photography buff. Sandy works at Capital Ford Sales and Service in Helena.
Sandy Green, Kathy Moots, and Dean Carter will also be joining the string. Calling themselves the
Thursday Afternoon Saddle and Bottle Club, this group frequently gathers for short rides in the Helena
area. Extended pack trips take them into the Absarokee and Scapegoat Wilderness Areas.
21
NO: 32
Dr. Jim Curtis
Malta, MT
Jim Curtis is driving a North
Montana Prairie Wagon, which
Jim says is like most of us: of
unknown vintage and heritage.
Purchased about 15 years ago,
the wagon has rolled on several
Milk River Wagon Trains in the
Malta area and has made runs
into the Missouri Breaks and on
other expeditions. It has been
turned over, beat up, bashed
around and rebuilt one board at a time as needed. The pup was originally owned by Wesley Orahood of
Malta, built by Dale Freitag, and stolen by Doc Curtis. It has been on wagon trains and excursions
across Northern Montana and Southern Saskatchewan for the past twenty years. The hitch is lashed
together with authentic gear including crotch chains, finger links, and fiddle links.
Jim Curtis has been the local Veterinarian in Phillips County (Malta) since 1970 and is president of the
Montana Veterinary Association. Doc Curtis's 13 year old daughter, Katie, and her horse, Cal, are
veterans of several wagon trains in the Malta and Moosejaw, Saskatchewan areas and will be riding
along. Chief outrider and all-around hand for the hitch for the past 10 or 12 years, Jim Jr. helped pre-
vent, helped cause, or watched wrecks on wagon trains from the Missouri Breaks to Moosejaw. Rusty
Pray was about three years old when the first Milk River Wagon Train pulled out and he has been on
just about every one since.
The wide open prairie and rough "Breaks" country of Montana north of the Missouri gives the crew lots
of room to ramble through desolate, uninhabited land. Doc says the Montana Centennial Wagon Train is
a natural for this crew to participate in and do their part to recognize Montana's Centennial Celebration
and remember with pride our heritage.
Suffolks
The most ancient draft horse developed for agricultural purposes is no doubt the all chestnut-colored breed
from Suffolk County, England: the Suffolk Punch. In 1768 Crisp's Horse of Ufford was foaled, the stallion to
which almost every Suffolk horse today traces in the direct male line. The Suffolk Horse Society was founded
in 1877; the first stud book was published in 1880.
The importations of Suffolks began in the late 19th century; one stallion, Gold Dust 1824, won the sweepstakes
prize at the Oregon Spring Show in 1899 for any age or breed. In 1938, there was an importation of 14 stallions
and 64 mares to the U.S. Then there was a lull until the 1980s when a flurry of activity occurred and several
stallions were again imported.
(continued on following page)
22
NO: 33
George C. Woolsey
Victor, MT
Before Montana achieved statehood, George Woolsey's wagon was rambling around the territory. The
Peter Shetter covered wagon from Judith Gap is over 120 years old, and is pulled by his team of Perch-
erons, Nip and Tuck. George rebuilt the wagon and has used it extensively. He is a retired rancher living
in a log cabin he built himself in the Sapphire Mountains. Horse activities have been and still are a big
part of his life. He has broken and trained all types of horses and mules and now travels around the
Bitterroot valley giving wagon and sleigh rides. He drives his team in parades and in wagon trains.
Joining him are Ginger, who works for Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Patrick, a
school teacher, Cliff, a retired farmer, and Marylyn, a horse trader.
NO: 34
Leslie M. and Ruth McGetrick
Butte, MT
Who takes care of the animals back on the farm when everyone else wants to join the Montana Centen-
nial Wagon Train? Leslie and Ruth McGetrick solved the problem by having enough children that at
least one would agree to stay home and take care of the animals and house. Their son, Tom, agreed to do
just that. Leslie just finished restoring their 1915 International Harvester wagon which is pulled by their
Percheron team. Leslie has also restored many old buggies and horse-drawn equipment. Retired Mon-
tana natives with 7 children and 13 grandchildren, some of whom will be joining them on the wagon
train, the McGetricks keep busy. Ruth's needlecraft, canning, remodeling, and other such home projects
keep her busy. They live on the continental divide near Butte. One of Ruth's neighbors has loaned her an
old-fashioned dress and bonnet to wear on the Fourth of July for the Helena parade and celebration.
(Suffolks, continued)
The basic conformation of the Suffolk has not changed since the beginning of the breed.
The Suffolk, bred for general use on the farm, exhibits greater uniformity than any other breed: for
conformation, quality and disposition, as well as color. Characteristically, the appearance of the Suffolk is a
pleasant, roundly modeled whole without flatness or grossness. It is famous for its strength, stamina, docility,
longevity, and soundness. No other breed has the Suffolk's singleness of color. The Stud Book mentions7 shades
of chestnut, ranging from dark liver or burnt chestnut to light golden sorrel. White marks are admissible-a star
in the forehead, patch, snip, strip, or even blaze, and white ankles mostly on the hind feet. Out of more than
12,000 matings of Suffolks that were tracked, all foals were chestnut. Those who work the Suffolk horse claim
they have "heart, a ready willingness to work and great endurance". They also note the qualities of a fast
walker, docile, and an easy keeper. They are about 16 hands high and weigh 1500 to 1600 pounds.
23
NO: 35
Dempsey and Jenny Swan
Butte, MT
Dempsey and Jenny Swan are outriders with Entry No. 34, the McGetricks.
NO: 36
Charles Kendall
Big Sky, MT
Charles Kendall is an outrider with the wagon train.
NO: 37
Jeff Hughes, Kirby Johnson, and Kevin Rocek
Westbrook, MN
Strong ties to early Montana and an intimate knowledge of wagon train sport lured Jeff Hughes from the
land of 10,000 lakes. Jeff's grandfather homesteaded at Poplar, Montana; his sister Geraldine Johnson
Hughes lived and raised four children at Helena and is buried there. Jeff's wagon train experience stems
from the Camp Courage wagon train, a group of volunteers from Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and
Wisconsin, that travel about 200 miles in 11 days taking pledges along the way. The money raised
enables handicapped children and adults to enjoy a camping experience where they obtain special aid
with their disability. In its 11-year history hundreds of children and adults have attended these three
week sessions. Jeff also uses his team to farm his seven acres on which he raises hogs, farrow to finish.
Jeff's Belgian team, Dan and Foxy, is pulling his George A. Clark and Sons wagon which has been
restored but retains the original finish and decals. It is from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Traveling with Jeff are Kevin Rocek and Kirby Johnson, also from Minnesota.
NO: 38
Bill, Alice, Ryan, and Mindy Taylor
Escalon, CA
Blue and Gold Macaws and Amazon Parrots seem unlikely companions for Belgian horses. But at Bill
and Alice Taylor's farm they coexist peacefully. Near Escalon, a small town of 3500, the Taylors live on
a secluded five acre farm where they stay busy with their garden, orchard and animals. However, the
Taylors and their son and daughter, Ryan and Mindy, left the exotic birds at home and headed north
seeking adventure. They brought their Belgians, a strong team which garnered a couple of first places in
pulls in California. Their wagon was carefully handcrafted by the Taylors.
24
NO: 39
Carl and Dianna May
Sagle, ID
The Sandpoint, Idaho, Draft
Horse International show has
been the catalyst that con-
verts many people to the
gentle giants - the draft horse
breeds. Carl and Dianna May
also fell under their spell at
this fall show. But a team
without a wagon doesn't
carry much. So back to the
show went the Mays to buy
an 80-year-old Massey-Harris
grain wagon. To outfit the
wagon for use, they installed
brakes, benches, steps and a
spring seat, and added a metal tongue and canvas cover. It is pulled by their team of half-Percherons.
They use the wagon for commercial wagon rides, parades and training colts. They also travel from their
300-acre ranch to construct hiking trails for the Forest Service in the northwest and California. Horse-
drawn vehicles are a second and related hobby. Making history as well as repeating it was the Mays
impetus to join the Centennial Wagon Train. They say, "It will be like a dream come true."
Larry Herst, a shirt tail relative, who says he loves anything horsey is joining the Mays as are Ruth and
Jeff Eick, the May's daughter and son-in-law.
NO: 40
Bert and Betty Howey
Boulder, MT
Bert and Betty Howey's Belgians, Robin
and Ribbon, are pulling a 1907 Webster
farm wagon in the wagon train. Parts of
it have been rebuilt and they have used it
many times for wagon trains and hay
rides. Bert and Betty are retired but keep
busy with odd jobs and horse activities,
which include going to races and rodeos,
and the scout train and Virginia City
wagon trains. Their daughters and
grandchildren are traveling with them on
the trip.
25
NO: 41
Vicki and Jim
Rieffenberger
Elliston, MT
Using horsepower to feed
cattle in minus 35-degree
weather and hay in 90-
plus degree weather keeps
Jim Rieffenberger and his
Percheron gelding, Cody,
in working condition. Jim
is also a blacksmith and
farrier. Vicki, an engineer
with the Department of
Natural Resources, says
she sometimes prefers her
garden and fiber arts to her job. Jim and Vicki live on five acres on the Little Blackfoot River in Elliston,
a small town west of Helena. Tana, Vicki's Quarter horse mare stays in shape helping Jim calve in the
spring and hitting the mountain trails with Vicki in the summer. Jim and Vicki are along to spell Bob
and Bonnie Morgan on the Morgan's wagon and to serve as outriders and helpers. They are looking
forward to seeing the old trails from the back of a horse or top of a wagon seat.
Where the buffalo roam
Travel Montana
26
NO: 42
Helen Larson and Joan Mohr
Dillon, MT
A wagon train without sourdough is like
a song without a tune. The Centennial
Wagon Train won't meet that sorry fate
for the smell of sourdough hot cakes will
be wafting from Helen Larson and Joan
Mohr's wagon in the mornings. And it's
guaranteed the cakes will be good. The
two of them have had a world of experi-
ence cooking for hungry hay hands in the
Big Hole area. Naturally, Helen and Joan
are driving a rebuilt chuckwagon.
Friends since the 1950s, Helen and Joan
met when the Larsons hired Joan and her husband to build fences on their ranch in the Big Hole. The two
plan to drive their chuckwagon on the Centennial Cattle Drive from Roundup to Billings in September.
NO: 43
Bob Stone
Santa Rosa, CA
NO: 44
Leroy and Sandy Fadness
Boulder, MT
The last dray wagon used in Butte adds its historic bulk to the Centennial Wagon Train. Leroy Fadness
rebuilt it and has used it in parades and 10 other wagon trains. Leroy and Sandy promise a story around the
campfire as to why their team can't pull this wagon when they are upside down. Leroy's wagon roots go
back a long way. When Leroy's father was an infant, his family emigrated from Canada to Montana in a
wagon. Horse events occupy the Fadness family year around: racing horses, 4-H activities, packing,
parades and other draft horses activities. Logging and ranching keep them solvent. Joining Leroy and
Sandy on the wagon train are daughters Roy Ann and Tonna, foster daughter Carmella Romero, and sister-
in-law Angie Fassett. Leroy claims that the reason he came on this wagon train is because Robert Clark
made him. Considering that Leroy has been on 10 other wagon trains, that might be classed as a tall tale.
NO: 45
Ken and Pat Torgerson
Lambert, MT
Love draws Ken and Pat Torgerson off their three-generation farm northwest of Lambert. They are riding
along with the wagon train because, in their words, "Pat loves to ride and Ken loves Pat". Ken farms, Pat
teaches school, and they use their horses, Kotaz and Govenor, to work their cattle.
27
NO: 46
Bob and Claire Casey
Chouteau, MT
NO: 47
Harold, Dorothy, Bob,
and Jim Sherette
Spokane, WA
A breed not often seen in the
West is pulling the Sherette's
wagon. Norwegian Fjords,
although smaller than other draft
horse breeds, can pull three times
their own weight. The Sherettes
use their Fjords extensively in
fairs and parades in the Spokane
area. In 1987, they traveled to
Minnesota with five Fjords to
join a centennial parade. For variety in their hitches the Sherettes keep numerous horse-drawn vehicles
on hand including an early 1900s original milk wagon, sleighs, a doctor's buggy and fifth wheel wagon.
Two grandsons, two granddaughters, and two of their friends are traveling along on the wagon train.
NO: 48
Char and Theresa Christoph
Greenacres, WA
Outriders with Sherettes are Char
Christoph and her daughter,
Theresa. Char says their whole
life revolves around horses. She
and her daughter enjoy trail rides,
cow penning, cutting, roping,
parades, showing and training -
anything as long as it uses
horses. They live near Spokane
and are counting on the wagon
train to meet other horse enthusi-
asts and see new country.
28
NO: 49
Steve Hamper and Julie Turnbull
Plains, MT
Thinking the wagon train would be just the thing for bored horses, Julie and Steve signed on. Their
team is pulling a steel-wheeled buckboard style wagon that came from Plains, Montana. They have
rebuilt it and use it for wagon rides. They both work in a group home for handicapped adults in Plains
and spend their spare time in horse-related activities such as draft horse shows and O-Mok-See events.
A diversified small farm raising chickens, hogs, rabbits, and a garden keep them busy.
NO: 50
William W.(Bill) Wall
Clancy, MT
The Bill Wall crew are riding since, as
can be seen from the picture, their
wagon didn't meet wagon train specifi-
cations. Bill claims to be 80 and an
expert cattleman, horseman and
bullshipper. Riding with Bill are his
daughter, Donna Wiseman, grandson,
Trevor, and two dudes, Dave and Scott
Carlson. When he is not fixing fences or
chasing cows, Bill trains horses and
takes part in O-Mok-See events. He says
he has to go on the wagon train this time
because he doesn't think he'll be around
in 100 years for the next one.
NO: 51
Dennis Lietzow
NO: 52
Jay Dean
Helena, MT
Jay Dean is riding Nizhoni, his paint Quarter horse; Nizhoni means "the pretty one". Jay who labels
himself an outlaw incognito, has lived all over the western states and enjoys playing music, cross coun-
try and trail riding, making crafts, herding cows, canoeing, and fishing. He is on the wagon train for the
experience for his horse and himself, and to hide from the rat race for awhile.
29
NO: 53
Gwen and Mildred McKittrick
Red Lodge, MT
It didn't take much arm twisting for Rollie Hebel to convince Gwen and Mildred McKittrick to drive
Rollie's wagon and team from Virginia City to Helena. Both have a lifelong interest in horses, and
Gwen frequently competes with Rollie's roan Belgians at parades and shows. Gwen was born in Hardin,
Montana, in 1919, to a ranching family who left Illinois in 1908 to settle in Montana. As a young boy,
Gwen followed the roundup wagons on the Crow Reservation. In the 1950s Gwen began raising Absa-
rokee Appaloosas. His favorite was Absarokee Sunset, a stallion which has been honored in national
breed magazines and shows. Gwen still trains saddle horses as he has for 68 years. He is currently a
director for Latigo Corporation planning the Great Centennial Cattle Drive leaving Roundup on Labor
Day weekend, 1989. Mildred's hobbies include collecting antiques, painting, ceramics, and sewing. She
cooks in hunting camps and has raised three boys. The McKittrick's have helped organize the Chief
Joseph ride for six years.
Mexican John baking pies
Montana Historical Society
30
NO: 54
Rollie Hebel and Erma Evans
McAllister, MT
The Centennial Wagon Train is a piece of cake for Rollie Hebel who took the Montana Bicentennial
Wagon from Bozeman to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1976, a 2800 mile trip. Rollie and Erma raise
and show registered roan Belgians and commercial Angus cattle in the Madison valley. Rollie's interest
in the roan Belgians was sparked by Zavan Green of Firth, Idaho, who had been raising them since the
early 1940s. Rollie and Erma show their Belgians at The Billings Metra Fair, Eastern Idaho State Fair in
Blackfoot, and at parades and other events throughout Montana. Rollie is operation foreman for Cypress
Minerals at Cameron and occasionally auctioneers at local sales.
Erma's father homesteaded in the Gallatin Valley in 1888 upon arriving from the state of Kansas. Erma,
a Townsend native, ranched in the Boulder Valley and McAllister areas most of her life. Her horse
activities span several decades. She was an RCA rodeo queen in 1947, and won the amateur 4-up driv-
ing competition in 1988 in Blackfoot. She also placed 3rd in a class of 17 for team competition.
Joining the Hebel-Evans entry will be: Robin Daumiller of Kalispell who trains and shows saddle
horses, Tracy Poole, former NILE queen from Billings and student at EMC, Margaret Erickson, a
schoolteacher from Ennis who was raised on a ranch in the Cameron area. She belongs to the Madison
Valley Sidesaddle Club.
31
32
7438
BEER
HEL
Hadges Min.
7125
Old Baldy
Mtn
7511
Any
Silver
York
Greenhorn Mtn
Saddle Mtn
11
GUIDE
7505
6814
Lake
Drummond
is
Valley
Helena
Hauser Lake
Brock
Birdseye
Canyon Ferry
Maapre
New
shoees.Cr
Greek
CANYON FERRY DAM
White Rocks Mtd
Blossburg Austin
or
Gr
Chicago
Avalanche
23
Broadwater
24
Map of the 1989
Tenmile
East Helena
White
HELEN
40901
Centennial Wagon Train Route
22
Louisville
(Station)
Hills
CARYON
Unionville
Jack
Mt
Montana City
Lon
9
one
6300
Douglas Mtn
626
2N
and Overnight Campsites
Little Butte
6301
Pear
5430
Greek
xville
hessman
Clanc
Mt Princeton
Reservoir
01
Rock
8150
7971
Gr
Beaver
Winston
Alhambra
Boulder
E
range
Pikes Peak
9335
1. Bannack - Sunday, June 11
Lava
Mtn
Glancy
8076
7523
dy Mth
MER
NORTHERN
8
Lava Mtn
6535
of
2. Harrington's Rattlesnake Ranch - Monday, June 12
NORTHS
Corbin
3. Dillon Rodeo Grounds - Tuesday, June 13
Jefferson City
Racetrack Peak
4. Christensen's Ranch - Wednesday, June 14
G
7
Bullock Hill
5. Anderson's Ruby Dell Ranch corrals - Thursday, June 15
Wickes
7913
R
Gr
rrr.
creek
6. Ruby Reservoir - Friday, June 16
mpson
7925
ake
7. Virginia City - Saturday, June 17
GREAT
Indian
acetrack
Crow Peak
Glant Hill*
9414
8. Virginia City - Sunday, June 18
Sugarioaf
6795
Grow
Mtn
Mtn
9. Ennis Rodeo Grounds - Monday, June 19
Elkhorn
Glendale
c
Butte
6
Basin
19,20m
5958
10. Earl Knighten's Ranch - Tuesday, June 20
an Mtn
Olson Mtn
11. Jackson Ranch at Sterling - Wednesday, June 21
Bould
18
Fk
2010
own
8827
12. UH Ranch at Pony - Thursday, June 22
CF
Radersbur
Lake
Lost
13. Chan Cooper Ranch - Friday, June 23
Mt Pisgah
R
BA&
14. Chan Cooper Ranch - Saturday, June 24
8066
Boulder
Boulder
Dry
5
Warm
Gulch
Springs
15. Sarah Faith Ranch - Sunday, June 25
Mtn
STANDARD
PARALLEL
ANACONDA
16. Tribble Ranch - Monday, June 26
152651
17. Heide's Fox Homestead - Tuesday, June 27
Boulder
Cabin
Lone Mtn
5024
Mt Haggin
or
18. McCauley's Ranch at Wickum Springs - Wednesday, June 28
77ng
17
10665
Whitetail
4
Mill
19. Jefferson County Fairgrounds - Thursday, June 29
Reservoir
Peak
Gregsc
20. Jefferson County Fairgrounds - Friday, June 30
Little
ER
DGE
21. Jefferson City - Saturday, July 1
River
Ratio Mtn
22. Montana City - Sunday, July 2
7254
Whitetan
23. Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds - Monday, July 3
MOUNTAIN
3
24. Fort Harrison - Tuesday, July 4
Iry Mtn
Burnt Mtn
16
Deep
8383
Buxton
Janney
Doherty Mtn
9/16
MERIDIAN
2
Gr
Three Forks
Dickie Peak
Pipestance
Mt Fleecer
LODGE
Jefferson
Jefferson
5
Gr
9436
Island
Willow Cree
Alder
Wise River
of
10
Divide
9
Mt Humbug
8265
6
5
4
3
River
Sappington
1
N
7
1E
LINE
11
2
1
W
Round Top
Dewey
Highland
Cr
Mtn
Mts
9345
Divide
Boulder
GI
Negro Mtn
10223
S
Mtn
River
8380
Willow
O
Waterloo
Antelope
Harrison
Willow
2
gail
Maiden Rock
Hells
GF Res
Sheep Mtn
Cr
Silver Star
Gr
9578
Greek
Canyon
Ganyon
PACIFIC
TOBACCO
South
Gr12
13,14
rapper
Came
2
Cr
GX
Willow
Pony
Wise
it Mtn
Melrose
PRINCIPAL
Red Mtn
5726
Maurice Mth
9810
3
Cherry
Gr
DEER
Rochester
NORTHERN
ROOT
Gr.
O
Storm Pk
9492
CT
Willow
Norris
3
C
Granite Peak
Twin Bridges
S
yman
10590)
511
Z
Rock
OF
McCartney Mtn
8364
of
Sugarloaf Mth
Big
A
8892
Glen
N
8165
River
Indian
MOUNTAIN'S
IO
Twin Adams Mtn
Holes
4
South Baldy Mtn
10109
iny Mtn
Torre Mtn
Oi
Sheridan
Red Knob
47
S
Willow
Elkhorn Springs
Gr
McAllister
8041
Ruby
Copper Mtn
.
Birch
7334
Ennis Lake
Tower Mtn-
9268
Creek
Beaverhead
Rijan
G/
Rock
5
Humbolt Mtn
5193
McHessor
M
A
D
Moore
S
N
Polaris
9213
Baldy Mtn
1ST
STANDARD
PARALLEL
Laurin
Granite
Ennis
Jeffers
Jack
10568
lole Pass
.9242
Cr
Rattlesnake
Spring
or
Alder
E
7,8 Virginia City
6
Pk
Grasshopper
Argenta
MER
Stone
&
Greek
Bear
Carler
MER
RUBY DAM
Varney
V
E
R
H
E
3
A
2
D
Ruby River
Reservoir
OF
Dillon
or
Cameron
Baldy Mtn
O
equitato
150961
6
9533
4
Bannac
Sage
GUIDE
Wigwam
Creek
Burns Mtn
Greek
6742
GUIDE
Cr
Madison
8
8478.
Range
Indian
E
(
Morgan
Henneberry
H
Bachelor Mtn
Ridge
7563
or 5
PASSAMARI
Ruby
GRAVELLY
C/
Gr
Gr
8477
CLARK CANYON
:RHEAD
Ruby
9
Grant
Gallagher Mtn
River
1010
33
Centennial Wagon Train Itinerary:
Second Week, from Virginia City to Willow Creek
Sunday, June 18, Layover, Virginia City Days
Sunday is set aside for a day of games and entertainment. These will include children's games, the Bozeman
Barbershop Quartet, and the Red Lodge Grizzly Peek-A-Boo can-can dancers at Vigilante Hall. The flavor
of the old days is recaptured in Virginia City's wooden boardwalks, historic buildings, and the mining and
outlaw legends that go with them.
Monday, June 19, Evening camp at the Ennis Rodeo Grounds
Tuesday, June 20, Evening camp at Earl Knighten's Ranch
Earl Knighten leases the ranch and runs 300 cow-calf pairs. The ranch is owned by James Robertson who
bought it from the original homesteaders. The ranch once was a horse ranch that shipped horses all over the
U.S.
Wednesday, June 21, Evening camp on the Jackson Ranch at Sterling
J. Peter and Helen Jackson cite several places of historic interest in the area of their ranch, including the
Sterling townsite and Stone Quartz Mills. During the peak of mining activity here, from 1865-67, the town
of Sterling rivaled any in the region, according to Jeff Safford, of the Montana State University History De-
partment. He says that surface mining in this region, known as the Hot Springs Mining District, produced
rich gold ore. However, for various reasons, the ore could not be economically processed. Many investors
who anticipated long term mining were disappointed, and money invested in quartz mills was lost. The town
of Sterling is now extinct, although the mines are still worked.
34
Historical Notes Along the Wagon Train Route:
Virginia City to Willow Creek
The wagon train follows an old freight road between Virginia City and Ennis. Also in the area
was a toll road operated by Slade, a member of Plummer's gang.
Ennis was named for William Ennis, who was born in County Down, Ireland, and arrived in
Montana in 1863. He lived in Bannack for a time, then relocated to the Madison River, where he built
a store, and eventually ran the post office. He was shot while standing in front of the Madison House
in Virginia City, by a neighbor who was angry because of a rumor that Mr. Ennis had maligned his
character. He died of his wounds on July 4th, 1898.
cAllister, located seven miles north of Ennis, was established in 1896. A Methodist church built
in 1887 is still used occasionally.
More than 500 people lived in the thriving mining town of Sterling during the 1860s. Four quartz
mills made of stones cemented with a mixture of lime and horsehair dominated the town; the remains
of one are still standing.
Cecil M. Reel in Trails and Trials, tells of the Sterling gold strike. "Someone had grubstaked two
miners to drive a tunnel and they had worked all winter unknowingly along the side of this rich vein.
Then one day while they were outside in the sunshine eating their lunch, a cave-in occurred, expos-
ing the vein It was four feet in width with six inches of gold in the center. The ore assayed at $6000
a ton after all specimens were picked out and at the old price of $19 an ounce. A sample of the ore
sent to the World's Fair in San Francisco in 1895 received first prize. It took four years to mine this
body of ore."
Norris, an old mining town established on Hot Spring Creek and at the end of a railroad line, has
been an important cattle shipping point. Norris Hot Springs was popular as a bathing spot for min-
ers, cowhands, and weary travelers.
35
Thursday, June 22, Evening camp at the UH Ranch at Pony
George Reich uses the UH Ranch for summer cattle pasture. The wagon train camp is near a lake created
with horse-drawn scrapers by the Watt family in 1907.
Friday, June 23, Evening camp at Chan Cooper Ranch near Harrison Lake
The big red barn, house, granary, and other buildings were built by Chan's grandfather, William Buttelman.
The lumber was hauled by horse and wagon from Willow Creek. When Harrison Lake was formed the
buildings were moved to the valley at the mouth of the Willow Creek Canyon. The Coopers say the cabin,
barn, and buildings located in a draw south of Harrison Lake were on land homesteaded by a Mr. and Mrs.
Rose. They made moonshine during prohibition and spent time in jail once or twice. Part of the road over
the hill to Willow Creek was used by stagecoaches moving between Fort Benton and Virginia City. Deer,
antelope, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and lots of birds at the south end of the lake are at home here.
Saturday, June 24, Layover, Harrison Lake
Pony has been described in several books as a ghost town but it has a thriving population of about
100 people. Pony was named after a character from mining's heyday, a fellow under five feet tall who
was crowded out of Virginia City mines. He continued to work from creek to creek, panning enough
to keep himself in groceries, until he found a substantial claim near present day Pony. Although he
paused to celebrate, he soon moved on, leaving his claim to others who honored him by choosing his
nickname as the town's name. George Moreland worked the claim and discovered the lode which
was the source of the placer supply. He dug down about 14 feet at the site of an outcrop in the middle
of a patch of wild strawberries, and discovered ore so thick with gold that the gold could be mashed
out with mortar and pestle. It wasn't long before a mill was moved from Sterling to stamp out the gold
from the ore in Pony. Investors from Butte, Helena, and even Boston speculated on the mines at Pony.
Through the 1890s mines around Pony turned out hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold ore.
Harrison took its name from the Harrison family which had a ranch in the area, noted for Morgan
horses, shorthorn cattle, and a dairy. The post office opened around 1870.
36
NO: 55
George and Dorothy Miller
Absarokee, MT
George and Dorothy Miller's team, Duke and Prince, is pulling their Conestoga, also known as a Prairie
Schooner. George bought the running gear and then built the box. George, a retired electric line contrac-
tor, spends his spare time driving his horses, hauling kids, attending parades, and joining wagon trains.
George is on the wagon train to be part of the Centennial celebration and meet all the people who are on
the train. Russ Atkins may join George with another wagon.
NO: 56
William Abney and Karnes Sundby
Helena, MT
NO: 57
Terry Embody and Fred Kohlmeier
Napa, CA
From one of the largest wine producing areas of our country comes an outfit with an international flavor.
The 1906 Studebaker Freight wagon in its original condition is from Napa, California, and is owned by
Terry Embody, a Missoula, Montana, native. It is hitched to a team of Percherons owned by Fred
Kohlmeier, a native of Achim, Germany.
Terry, raised in Conrad and Helena, has been a fireman in Napa, California, for 20 years and hopes to
move back to Montana upon retirement. He has kept the family brand (Bar Over 17) registered in Mon-
tana. Terry's wife, Evelyn is a Napa, California, native and works in the shipping department of a local
winery. She enjoys horses and the Montana outdoors. Fred emigrated from Germany to California as a
young boy. He worked in San Francisco as a mechanic and then opened a tow service in Napa; he is also
a reserve policeman. Fred uses his team in parades, plow days, and pulling the local fire department's
1904 Nott Steam Engine. Jeannette Kohlmeier, born in Glasford, Illinois, moved to San Francisco, met
and married Fred and settled in Napa. She works for the telephone company. Her hobbies are riding
horseback and raising her grandchildren.
Haflingers
Haflingers resemble small chunky Belgians. They originated in the Austrian Alps near the village of Hafling,
hence the name. During World War II, they were used as pack animals in the Alps and later were eaten when
food became scarce. The breed survived in spite of these difficulties and were first imported to the U.S. in 1958.
37
NO: 58
Forrest M. Davis
Ronan, MT
Another wagon train participant with loads of experience is Forrest Davis, president of the Montana
Draft Horse and Mule Association and member of the Western Montana Draft Horse and Mule Associa-
tion. He can be found on the Western Association's annual wagon train in the Flathead area on Memo-
rial Day weekend, come rain or shine. Forrest's team of Belgian full brothers is pulling his 1929 Stude-
baker wagon acquired in Washington and rebuilt by Forrest. He also farms with his horses, breaks and
trains draft horses, teaches others how to drive, and is active in draft horse shows in the area. He is on
the wagon train because he says, "It is my lifestyle". Joining Forrest are his daughter and son-in-law,
Candy and Pete Weimer, and their children, and Jim and Jean Nemeth from Plains, Montana.
The Nemeths compare their riding horses to hummingbirds because they eat their weight in food every
two days. Jim has just completed his MBA at the University of Montana and Jean teaches school. They
enjoy trail rides, pack trips, wagon trips and hunting, although one fall Jim says he spent more time
hunting lost horses in the Scapegoat Wilderness than he did hunting elk.
NO: 59
Sonja Berg
Belgrade, MT
Sonja Berg, with her two horses Telisha and Rusty, is an outrider on the train. Rusty is a "Montana
Traveler", a "new" breed becoming established in Montana. Sonja's pack saddle is an old U.S. Cavalry
style pack saddle that was used in the 1920s in Jackson Hole Wyoming. Her riding saddle is also cavalry
style with a 1913 date stamped on it. She says she has ridden nearly 5000 miles on this saddle. Sonja
raises a few colts, breaks and trains them, and packs and trail rides. The Centennial Wagon Train fulfills
her dream of riding with a wagon train.
Joining Sonja is Nick Shrauger from Bozeman, a recently retired professor from Montana State Univer-
sity. He has a small ranch and enjoys many horse activities. His great grandfather, George Staudaher,
arrived in Bannack on June 1, 1863, and continued to Alder Gulch. He later established the Pearl Spring
ranch north of Dillon. Nick's grandfather, Nicholas Staudaher, was a stock inspector in Beaverhead
County in the early 1900s and was in Bannack in 1901. It is especially meaningful to Nick that this
journey begins in Bannack.
NO: 60
Greg Johnson
West Yellowstone, MT
38
NO: 61
Wayne and Carol Tichenor
Whitehall, MT
Wayne Tichenor is the trail boss
for the Centennial Wagon Train.
Wayne, Carol, and their three
daughters, Carla, Valerie, and
Jana, have been working on the
planning of the Centennial run
since its conception several years
ago. They live in Whitehall and
have hung their hats there for the
past 15 years; all are native
Montanans. The Tichenors have
been wagon training since 1972
when they joined Jim Dennis on
the Malta wagon train. After gaining two years of experience there, they started a small run out of Big
Timber; then Wayne and Jim started a run in Virginia City with the help of Daryl Tichenor and Jim Ed-
wards. That first train was a big success and became an annual event. On the third year of the Virginia
City wagon train, plans were put into motion for the Centennial run.
The Tichenor wagon came from the Clifford Jensen ranch near Ronan. The wagon, a 1910 International
grain wagon, was restored by the Tichenor family; the metal bed when removed weighed 300 pounds.
The Tichenor team is a big set of Belgians with a back up set of young Belgians.
A special guest is their granddaughter, three-year-old Sherri Gillespie. Wayne says Sherri was impatient
to begin, continually asking if it was time to go on the wagon train yet.
Clydesdales
The Clydesdale horse is a heavy draft breed which originated in Scotland. About 1750, the farmers of Lanarkshire
began using Flemish stallions upon their native mares. One of these stallions, Blaze is generally credited with
being the foundation sire. He passed on to his sons and daughters his size, conformation, and temperament. Their
progeny inherited these same characteristics, still evident in the breed today.
By 1830, the farmers of Lanarkshire and adjacent counties had developed the system of hiring stallions to stand
for mares in the district. In Lanarkshire, only Clydes were used. A breeders society was organized in 1877,
followed by the stud book in 1878. These horses were imported to the U.S. in the early 1870s. The U.S. Clydesdale
Breeders Association was organized in 1879.
The Clydesdale is lighter than the Belgian, Percheron, or Shire and lacks the width and compactness of the other
draft breeds. No other breed of draft horse equals the Clydesdale in style and action. The breed is noted for a brisk
walk, with a good snappy stride and a short trot, and well flexed hocks carried close together. A moderate amount
of fine feather or long hair at the rear of the legs below the knees and hocks is characteristic. Bay and brown with
white marking are the most common colors, but black, grays, chestnuts, and roans are occasionally seen.
39
NO: 62
Mike and Dixie Myhre
Dillon, MT
Mike and Dixie Myhre's Belgian team is pulling their turn-of-the-century John Deere wagon. They
acquired it from an old rancher in Harrison and only had to paint it, and add a new tongue and canvas
top. They use the wagon in parades and sometimes to haul grain. Mike and Dixie use their horses on
the ranch mostly for feeding, drilling grain, and hauling manure. Their eight-year-old grandson is travel-
ing with them on the wagon train. They joined the wagon train to get away from the ranch for a few
days, enjoy their horses, and spend time with their horsey friends.
NO: 63
Ray Neely and Art Magnusson
Huson, MT
It seems many horsemen aren't
content with just one equine
activity and the Neely-Magnuson
duo fits that category. As mem-
bers of Back Country Horsemen,
Many Valley Saddle Club, and
Montana Longears Association,
they trail ride, O-Mok-See, rope,
show mules, and take part in
rodeos. Their mules have won
ribbons from first to grand
champion. Ray is a rancher from
the Frenchtown area and Art is a
retired veterinarian from French-
town. Their mules and Mammoth
mollies are pulling their John
Deere Farm Wagon on the
Centennial wagon train. Last
year in May they used it on the
Flathead wagon train.
40
NO: 64
Bob and Bonnie Morgan
East Helena, MT
A flatland wagon without brakes
in mountainous Montana could
cause its occupants trouble in a
hurry. So when Bonnie and Bob
Morgan moved to Montana from
Indiana in 1985, they added
brakes to their wagon. The
McCormick-Deering farm
wagon, pulled by Morgan's
Belgians, Jack and Jiggs, was
bought used by Bob's dad in 1920
for farming in Indiana and
Illinois. He used it extensively to shuck corn, SOW oats and grass seed, and for miscellaneous hauling
until after World War II when he modernized his operation with tractors and rubber tires. The wagon
then sat in the barn for the next 30 years, serving as a grain bin for seed wheat and oats. Bob's dad died
in 1981, and Bob got the wagon. Other than the brakes, bows, and a new paint job, the wagon is in its
original condition. Bob and Bonnie enjoy just about any horse activity from draft horse shows to trail
riding. They also like a variety of breeds. Their team is part of a herd of eight consisting of two Clydes-
dales, three Quarter horses, a Morgan, and the two Belgians. Bonnie says Jack and Jiggs' most notable
accomplishment to date has been consuming an entire bale of hay without stopping.
NO: 65
Jim West and William Ritchey
Rough And Ready, CA
A Belgian team is pulling Jim West's
and Bill Ritchey's century-old Baker
wagon acquired from Colorado. Jim
spends his time driving teams and
wagons, giving rides, and making mov-
ies. Bill Ritchey is an old wagon master
and a lifetime member of the Kit Carson
Mountain Men. Micheal Stires, a self-
proclaimed mountain man, is hitching a
ride as is Toby Jackson of Reno, Ne-
vada. They are on the wagon train
because they think it'll be the last big
one.
41
NO: 66
James Deck and Debra Doris
Whitehall, MT
NO: 67
John and Linda Best
Deer Lodge, MT
John and Linda Best's Belgians are pulling their farm wagon which was resurrected from an old wagon
on their farm and bits and pieces of another one. The team and wagon has been used on the Racetrack
wagon train for several years. John was born on the family farm in Deer Lodge and is still there. In
addition to farming the 80 acres, John is a millwright in a local sawmill, and Linda has a knitting and
yarn business. John and Linda call their ranch Rock-a-Plenty because, they say, they have more than
the community's share of rocks. They enjoy draft horse shows and 4-H horse activities. Traveling with
the Bests are their twins Lisa and Erica, and their friends Mary and Larry Persons and daughter Jessi.
NO: 68
Harold Smith
Whitehall, MT
NO: 69
Tommy F. and Beatrice Martin
Parma, ID
Coming from the Boise valley, a fairly flat valley of irrigated row crops, Tommy and Beatrice are look-
ing forward to the hills and dales of the Bannack-to-Helena trail. Tommy says he is 75 years young and
has worked horses all of his life, which today include sleigh rides, hay rides, horse pulling and play
days. The Martin's Appaloosas will be pulling their wagon. They learned of the wagon train at the
Sandpoint Draft Horse Show and decided they couldn't miss this opportunity.
42
NO: 70
Pete and Candy Weimer
Polson, MT
This team is big! Pete and Candy Weimer's Belgian team of half brother and sister weigh over a ton
apiece. As might be expected, the team is used in heavy weight pulls, as well as in shows and parades.
The Weber wagon belongs to Forrest Davis, another participant in the wagon train, who says that his
dad bought it new when Forrest was about 10 years old, making the wagon about 50 years old. Because
the wagon is always kept in a shed, it is in mint condition. They use the wagon every year on the annual
Flathead wagon train. Pete and Candy, their daughter Callie Jo, and son Chad live on a small farm.
They use their horses in field day activities, parades, and shows and for all their farming. They joined
the Montana Centennial Wagon Train because they wanted to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime event.
NO: 71
Ira A. and Wanda M. Zuroff
Richey, MT
The Zuroff's acquired a wagon from Roger Reinhart for their Percheron-Thoroughbred cross team to
pull. They rebuilt the wagon and designed the box and cover. This is their first wagon train. The Zuroffs
farm and ranch - when it rains. On their mostly dryland farm, they raise wheat, barley, and red Angus
cattle. They wanted to be part of the wagon train because their parents came to Montana in the early
1900s. After 80 years in Montana, they felt their family name should be a part of the Centennial Cele-
bration. Their children may join them on the wagon train.
NO: 72
Boone and Jerrian Jones
Butte, MT
Mules and horses teamed up to pull Boone and Jerrian Jones's wagon. Sissy and Sam are the leaders,
Shorty and Suzzie are wheelers. Boone said this winter Suzzie worked on attitude adjustments necessary
to pull the wagon. The wagon is a team effort also. To construct their wagon, Boone and Jerri gathered
parts from various places and talked Jerrian's parents into doing the major reconstruction. This is a
maiden voyage for both wagon and drivers. They acquired the canvas as the result of winning 2nd place
at the World Championship Pack Horse Race in Big Timber in 1988. The prize was a gift certificate
donated by the Reliable Tent and Awning Co. in Billings. Jerrian is a Medical Technologist at the Butte
hospital and Boone is a state livestock inspector. Their children are with them and they anticipate par-
ents will join them at various places along the trail.
43
NO: 73
Donald and Charlotte Jones
Belgrade, MT
An historic and colorful participant is the Montana State Bicentennial Wagon. As Montana's entry in
the 1975-76 Bicentennial Wagon Train River Route, the wagon was driven from Bozeman, Montana, to
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, by Rollie Hebel. The wagon, owned by the Montana State Historical
Society, is steel blue with '76 in forged steel lettering on the tool box. The Bicentennial wagon is a
prairie schooner made in 1974 by Carriages By Arkansas in Jonesboro, Arkansas. A team of Shires
owned by Don and Charlotte Jones is pulling the wagon from Bannack to Virginia City. They will join
the wagon train again at Boulder and continue to Helena. Don and Charlotte raise Charolais cattle and
small grains on their farm located on the west slope of the Bridger mountains with a commanding view
of the Gallatin valley and surrounding mountains. Charlotte also spins and weaves, and Don raises
German Angora rabbits.
NO: 74
Sue Taylor
Plentywood, MT
NO: 75
Dan and Ellen Dodds
Canyon Creek, MT
A pair of Shire foals tagging along behind their dams, Pepper and Rosie, should be attention-getters on
Dan and Ellen Dodds' outfit. A third mare, Talullah, might be along as a spare. Dan says their wagon is
a Dain grain wagon of unknown age and with unknown history. He and Bob Morgan brought it and a
manure spreader back from Mitchell, South Dakota. The spreader has gotten a lot of use, but the wagon
train will be the first or second outing for the wagon. Ellen is a Sanitarian with the Montana Department
of Livestock, and Dan is an Economist with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Ellen says they have a small flock of sheep they are trying not to lose money on, and in their spare time,
about 15 minutes a month, they are remodeling their 100-year-old farm house. Dan says they are on the
wagon train because Marlene Teague said they had to go.
44
NO: 76
Carrielee and Tom Parker
Condon, MT
From the heart of Montana's mule country comes Carrielee and Tom Parker. Tom is an outfitter in the
Swan Valley; and Carrielee raises half-assed Arabians (Arabian mules), Arabians (pure and partbred),
and Mammoth donkeys. She has won numerous halter and performance championships with her Mam-
moth Jack and won halter championships with her Jennets. But Carrielee doesn't just show mules, she
helps shoulder the work by promoting and running mule shows (Condon Mule Days, Missoula and
Kalispell Fairs and the Winter Expo). To keep herself busier she works part time as a teacher's aide and
relief cook for the Swan River Forest Camp. She is also head of the Montana Longears Association. The
Parker's small covered wagon was a gift from friends in Massachusetts. The wagon was purchased from
and rebuilt by Bitterroot Carriage Company of Victor, Montana.
NO: 77
Gene and Shirley Galovic
Billings, MT
The Galovic's Haflingers, Thunder and Prince, are pulling their chuckwagon. The wagon is from Absa-
rokee, Montana, and was rebuilt by Charlie Landried of Hardley-Able Tool Company. Gene and Shirley
are both Butte natives and now own a small farm in Billings and a larger one in Twin Bridges, where
they hope to live one day. They say that their friends and relatives aren't crazy enough to join them on
the wagon train but "what do they know about fun?"
NO: 78
Larry Boe
Creston, B.C.
Norwegian Fjord horses are a versatile breed and Larry Boe takes advantage of their abilities. Four of
his herd of 22 are pulling his wagon. Larry uses all of his Fjords in parades, shows, fairs and for hauling
hay, skidding firewood, giving sleigh rides, pleasure riding and driving. He and his two sons have also
chuckwagon raced at shows throughout western Canada. He has won ribbons with his horses in hitch
classes, halter classes and log skids. Larry's wagon was originally a light delivery wagon and has been
rebuilt by a retired wheelwright from Cranbrook, BC. Joining Larry are Lynn Sorenson of Creston, Ole
Havguard and Arlene MacDonald of Cranbook, and Ken Hansen of Stevensville, Montana. Larry says
to let people know they have Fjords for sale at all times.
45
NO: 79
Bob Miller
NO: 80
Kai and Jackie Christensen
Polson, MT
Kai and Jackie's Belgian team might be known as the pinup celebrities for they were featured on the
November 1988 page of the Mischka Draft Horse calendar. The team is pulling an "old" Powder River
wagon that Kai and Jackie have used on the Flathead wagon train. The Christensens also farm with their
horses. Kai said the wagon train is a family outing as most all camping and pack trips have been since
their children were two years old. They feel the wagon train is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of
them.
NO: 81
Dean and Linda Knutson
NO: 82
Diana K. Tibbets
Cody, WY
Kicking back and just enjoying the
wagon train to the fullest is the goal of
Diana Tibbets and her friends Ed and
Joyce Knapp, Speed Spiegelberg, all
from Cody, and Shirley and Pete Fornal-
ski from Washington. "We're going to
breathe the fresh mountain air, turn our
faces to the sun and watch the scenic
landscape of Montana pass by while
enjoying companionship of fellow wagon
trainers," Diana proclaims. Diana hails
from Cody where she works for the
Bureau of Reclamation as a budget
analyst. She also raises mules and has
used her mules in parades, fairs, and for
riding, driving, and packing. She inherited her muleskinner savvy from her grandfather who drove the
critters in Oregon. Diana's team of sorrel mules are pulling her covered wagon.
46
NO: 83
Gene and Jan Potter and Carly and Jabe
Wisdom, MT
Gene and Jan Potter, ranchers from Wisdom, brought their team of Belgians to pull their fifth wheel
wagon. They use the wagon in shows and parades, and also enjoy horse pulling. Bob and Arlene Pe-
tersen are driving the second wagon.
NO: 84
Lucky Pierrit
Bellevue, ID
Lucky Pierrit's team is pulling his 60-year-old wooden-wheeled International Harvester wagon. The box
was built for him in Meridian, Idaho. Lucky is a frequent participant in parades using this team and
wagon as a well as a light driving team which pulls a two-seated buckboard. Lucky ranches in the
Wood River Valley, about 40 miles south of Sun Valley, Idaho, which he says has nice summers and
cold winters. He and his wife Pat, sponsor a bowling team in Bellevue. He has always wanted to travel
with a wagon train but has never had the time until now.
NO: 85
Harry Uffalussy
NO: 86
Paul Burdett
Gold Creek, MT
Paul Burdett's team of Belgians is a mother-daughter team: Surprise and Sis. Paul owns Surprise and
Dr. Murphy, a veterinarian from Deer Lodge, owns Sis. Paul's wagon was purchased from Pat Miller of
Ronan who had rebuilt it into a covered wagon. Accompanying Paul on the wagon train is Dave
Bluford, Paul's tenant, neighbor and friend. According to Paul, Dave is coming along to "take care of
the old man". Paul's granddaughters and sons-in-law may join them along the way. Paul has never
been on a wagon train and decided that it was now or never.
47
NO: 87
Paul Greany
Drummond, MT
Centennial wagon train travelers are
busy people and Paul Greany is no
different. He and Billie Greany own
Greany Dry Goods in Drummond and
Deer Lodge. Paul also owns a ranch and
engages in chariot racing and team
roping. Paul's team is pulling his 60-
year-old wagon acquired from a local
ranch. He said the wagon has been well
maintained so didn't need to be rebuilt. He has used it on past wagon trains and for breaking horses.
Friends Darrell Bradshaw, Frank Bridgewater, and Buff Hultman are hitching a ride.
NO: 88
Bud Baum
East Helena, MT
Bud Baum's Percheron team, Barney and Charlie, is pulling his covered wagon. Bud purchased the
wagon from Pat Miller of Ronan. Bud is a cattle rancher in the foothills of the Winston-Clasoil commu-
nity and spends his spare time traveling. His granddaughters Kim and Kay, and brother-in-law, Earl, are
traveling with him on the wagon train.
Belgians
The Belgian breed originated in Belgium, from which country it derives its name, to meet the farming needs
of this low-lying country which required a horse of size and bulk. The Belgian is thought to be directly and
exclusively of old Flemish ancestry, indigenous to the country of its origin. Even today, the massiveness of the
Belgian breed more nearly resembles the Flemish horse than does any other breed. The Belgian Draft Horse
Society was founded in 1886. The Belgium government promoted the breeding of Belgians, and a government
commission had to approve all stallions standing for public service.
The first Belgians were imported to the U.S. in 1886. The American Association of Importers and Breeders of
Belgian Draft Horses was organized in 1887 which later became the Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of
America.
The Belgian is noted for its draftiness: it is the widest, deepest, most compact, most massive, and lowest set of
any draft breed. The Belgian is extremely quiet, docile, and patient. Their action is powerful, though less springy
and high than that of the Clydesdale and Percheron. Because of their great chest width, many Belgians exhibit
a rolling action or paddle with their front feet. Chestnut and roan are the most common colors, but browns,
grays, and blacks are occasionally seen. Many Belgians have flaxen manes and tails and white-blazed faces.
48
NO: 89
Bernal and Jackie Kahrs
Elkhorn Hot Springs, Polaris, MT
A trip "out west" when she was 14 began Jackie Kahr's love affair with the Rocky Mountain country.
After finishing school, her first stop was the South Fork Inn in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming
where she spent several summers. After becoming a professional singer and entertainer, Jackie moved
to Tacoma where she met Bernal. Bernal, a transplant from San Francisco to Tacoma at the age of 14,
was a scuba diving instructor. The lure of the big sky was still strong so they picked up and moved to
Montana. They have owned Elkhorn Hot Springs for nine years. Bernal's enthusiasm for Montana
garnered an appointment by the governor to the Tourism Advisory Council on which he serves until
1990. They are on the wagon train because they are proud to be living in Montana and wish to be a part
of the state's centennial. Their two black Percheron mares, Polly and Dolly, are pulling their 80-year-old
International Harvester grain wagon. The wagon is originally from Ohio. Traveling with them are sons,
Jeff, Fred and Chris, daughter, Karen, and granddaughter, Jessica.
Reflections on the Swan
Travel Montana
49
Centennial Wagon Train Itinerary:
Third Week, From Willow Creek to Helena
Sunday, June 25, Evening camp at the Sarah Faith Ranch
This ranch, owned by John Hansen and George Kahrl near Willow Creek, is on the Jefferson River, which
Lewis and Clark followed on their way west. Nearby is the confluence of the Missouri headwaters, town of
Three Forks, and the Lewis and Clark Caverns. Hansen and Kahrl believe small family-run operations still
have a place in American agriculture and are slowly rebuilding the ranch into an organic, self-sustaining
farm. They hope that by staying small and organic they can improve the natural environment of their ranch.
The draft horse fits into their philosophy. They plan to achieve their goal by mixing horse power and tractor
power.
Ducks, geese, herons, sandhill cranes, and other waterfowl should be in evidence along the river.
Monday, June 26, Evening camp at the Tribble Ranch
William Tribble homesteaded the beginning of this ranch and, proving up on the homestead in 1920, he
acquired more land during the depression and dry years when many abandoned their homesteads in this area.
He was a direct descendent of Granny Yates, an early pioneer, who as a 48-year-old widow, joined a wagon
train at St. Louis, Missouri, and journeyed to Virginia City. She is credited as the first person to bring
Plymouth Rock chickens to Montana. Granny eventually made six round trips from Missouri to Montana
to bring relatives out to Montana to start a new life.
The owners say an occasional elk can be seen on the ranch and coyotes are sure to produce great sound effects
in the evening. Watch for teepee rings that mark old Indian camps around the ranch.
Tuesday, June 27, Evening camp at the Heide's Fox homestead
The Heides have operated their cow-calf ranch for 45 years. Their son and his family are continuing the
operation. They calve out the cows in late winter, drive them on foot and by horse to leased ground in the
late spring, and bring them back to graze in the fall. Antelope are the most common wildlife in this area.
50
Historical Notes Along the Wagon Train Route:
Willow Creek to Helena
The wagon train follows part of the Yellowstone Trail as it passes through the Willow Creek area
on its third leg of the journey to Helena.
Willow Creek's recorded history dates back to 1864 when the first pioneers arrived. The Willow
Creek Valley, however, had been a natural thoroughfare for years before. The Yellowstone Trail, a
transcontinental route that paralleled the later route of the Northern Pacific Railroad through
Montana, was a main east-west road during the early part of the century which served many Montana
cities and Yellowstone Park. Parts of the old Yellowstone Trail are now followed by Highway 10.
Ruts from the original trail are still in evidence south of town. Northern Pacific Railroad came
through the town in 1887, followed by the Milwaukee Road in 1908. Perhaps the earliest historic
visitor was Capt. William Clark who rode through the Willow Creek valley on Thursday, July 25,
1805. Willow Creek is home of the Initial Point from which land surveys for Montana are marked.
The Point is located on a hill about four miles south and slightly west of Main Street in Willow Creek.
Prickly Pear Canyon, early 1870s
Montana Historical Society
51
Wednesday, June 28, Evening camp at the Mick and Marge McCauley Ranch at Wickum Springs
Originally known as the Wickum Ranch, this ranch is known for its two-story log house built for Patrick
Wickum in 1890 by Frank McGowen. Rock for the house foundation was hauled from "the devil's face,"
a well-known geographic formation nearby. The Wickums and McCauleys came to the Boulder valley in
late 1864, the Wickums on a wagon pulled by oxen.
Thursday, June 29, Evening camp at Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Boulder
Boulder historian Olive Hagadone says that the Boulder fairgrounds were purchased in 1907 by the state to
be used as a State School Ranch for the school's students, including the deaf, mute, and developmentally
disabled. The dairy barn was built in 1909 by the deaf students. With vegetable gardens and beef cattle, the
students were able to supply most of their own food. Use of the ranch as a state facility was discontinued in
1971. The state authorized Jefferson County to use these facilities for recreation, and the Boulder Rodeo
Association built the arena. The Boulder valley, settled originally in 1864, is primarily a ranching area. Some
of the descendants of the original ranchers still live in the valley.
Friday, June 30, Layover in Boulder
Dinner and a dance are planned by the townspeople for wagon train participants and visitors.
Saturday, July 1, Evening camp at Jefferson City
The Jefferson City Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a barbeque for the wagon train.
52
At one time Willow Creek was the second largest town in the Gallatin valley, but the population
has dwindled to 150 or so. The town has a few businesses, a church, and an elementary and high
school. The area surrounding the town is stock and grain farms, some still in the families of the early
settlers.
North of Willow Creek the wagon train passes through Milligan Canyon to the Boulder River val-
ley along a former freight route.
The wagon train travels along county roads up the Boulder River valley and crosses the road
leading to the mining ghost town, Elkhorn.
The Elkhorn area's first claims were discovered by Peter Wys in the late 1860s. In 1872, Helena
merchant Anton Holter formed the Elkhorn Mining Co. and purchased the claims. Holter built a five-
stamp wet crushing mill and laid out the town of Elkhorn. For 10 years, Elkhorn miners extracted as
much silver ore as the mill could handle. In 1883, after production had increased dramatically, Holter
reorganized the company, acquired new capital, and built a 10-stamp mill. In that year, the mines
produced almost $200,000 in silver bullion.
Six years later, a group of English capitalists bought the Elkhorn property, and the mine had its
best years from then until the collapse of the silver market in 1893. A government official estimated
that over $14 million in silver was removed from the mines before the silver bust. Soon after, the
English investors sold out, and the mines have never been worked to any degree.
Elkhorn is open for visitors but all the property is still privately owned.
Near the south edge of the town of Boulder, the geothermal waters of Boulder Hot Springs bubble
up from fissures in the granite. The old Boulder Hot Springs Hotel is one of the best examples of
Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture in Montana.
Boulder, named for the massive stones that lie strewn about the valley, began as a stage station
on the Fort Benton-Virginia City route in the early 1860s. It is now the county seat of Jefferson
county. The Centennial Wagon Train will once again use the town as a stage wayside, bedding down
at the Jefferson County fairgrounds.
As the wagon train heads north out of Boulder, it goes over the Amazon hill and down into
Wickes.
Jefferson City, 12 miles north of Boulder, also began as a stage station in 1864 on the Virginia
City-Fort Benton route.
53
Sunday, July 2, Evening camp near Montana City's Exchange Club
Montana City will host an Indian dancing exhibition, and an outdoor buffet at the Exchange Club. A Western
band will play. Breakfast on July 3rd will be prepared by Boy Scout Troop 229.
Monday, July 3, Evening camp in Helena at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds
The wagon train finale begins with an 11:00 AM departure from Montana City and arrival at the Capitol
Building at 1:00 PM. After a ceremony at the Capitol, the train will travel to the fairgrounds. The public is
invited to visit the train from 6:30 to 8:30 that evening. Square dancing and other musical entertainment will
be held. A local civic group will sell dinner to participants.
HELENA
JULY 3rd
HENDERSON
Fairgrounds
Capitol - 1:00 p.m.
Fairgrounds - 4:00 p.m.
PEOSTA
CUSTER
Open House - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
BENTON
PARK
SIXTH
Capitol 0
North
SANDERS
Fort
Harrison
JULY 4th
Leave Fairgrounds - 9:00 a.m.
Parade Begins - 11:00 a.m.
Arrive Ft. Harrison - 4:00p.m.
LESLIE
Fairgrounds
BENTON
LAST
CHANCE
CUSTER
PELICY
VILLARD
54
Towards Helena the area becomes mining territory once again. The town of Clancy was a silver
camp in the late 1800s. The Legal Tender mine nearby once had 47 miners on the payroll. Kain
Quarry, west of Clancy, provided granite for the State Capitol Building in Helena.
Montana City, the next stop on the wagon train route, was once a thriving gold camp and a con-
tender for state capital. It was located on the Benton Road on "a large, level, and beautiful piece of
ground & an abundance of water." Diggings were started on Big Prickly Pear Creek near Montana
City in the summer of 1862 and Montana City was settled that same year. With the location of the
town on a major north-south road, the population soon exceeded 4000 prospectors, business
adventurers, and other folk who saw opportunity in the new gold fields. Besides being a gold camp,
Montana City boasts a prehistoric chert mine. Chert is a natural stone resembling flint, and can be
easily worked into tools. It was much sought by prehistoric people for making tools and trading. The
chert site is one mile east of Montana City. The site soon may be set aside as a historic preservation
area.
Helena owes its beginnings to the Four Georgians who stopped in the gulch as a "last chance"
at gold mining after hearing of the failure of a possible gold strike in the Kootenai, Idaho, area. The
four camped in the gulch on the afternoon of July 14, 1864. The Georgians dug for gold and found
several flat nuggets. Satisfied gold was present, they called the place Last Chance Gulch. They laid
official plans for the camp; many of today's buildings sit atop those defined claims. By the following
summer, the camp was in full "goldstrike" swing. It was a wild and rough mining camp, rent was
$200.00 per month, wages were low, and shacks available for occupancy were hard to find.
Last Chance is thought to have produced $170,000 in gold the first year and $10-$35 million
before it played out. A display of gold can be seen at the Norwest Bank in Helena.
The story of Helena's designation as the territorial capital is one that involves many shady
dealings. Excerpts from Montana: A History of Two Centuries summarize the events.
In 1865 the Legislature moved the seat of government to the center of population, Virginia City.
However, Virginia City had a declining population by that time and Helena began to vie seriously
for the honor. The Legislature ordered an election on the issue in 1867, which Virginia City won. As
Helena continued to prosper, and Virginia City to decline, another election was held in 1869, this time
amidst widespread accusations of fraud. Incredibly, after the ballots had been taken to the territorial
secretary's office at Virginia City, an "accidental" fire destroyed them. Suspicions naturally
abounded.
55
Tuesday, July 4, Evening camp at Fort Harrison
After a breakfast prepared by a local civic group, the wagons will depart at 9:00 AM and begin the July 4
Centennial parade in Helena at 11:00 AM, and then return to Fort Harrison. A potluck supper will be provided
on this final evening with music provided by the Helena Energetic Seniors and Jake and Theresa Thomas.
Fourth of July, circa 1910
MSU Libraries / Montana Magazine
56
Helena, by now the hub of the territory, continued to press its case. The legislature ordered a third
election on the issue for August of 1874, and this time the voters would choose only 'FOR OR
AGAINST HELENA.' Again, widespread irregularities occurred. The Gallatin County vote was
thrown out, and the returns from Meagher County were certified as fraudulent. The whole matter
finally ended up in a great legal hassle. After the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider the case
on appeal, the Montana Supreme Court resolved the issue in Helena's favor.
The designation of Helena as state capital proceeded from the battling of the copper kings. W.A.
Clark and Marcus Daly squared off in one of the most colorful political donnybrooks ever to come
out of Montana. The Daly group, favoring Anaconda as capital, tried to overcome the "company
town" image. The Clark group, favoring Helena, was blamed for its "social airs, cultural pretensions,
and its Black and Chinese elements." The battle prompted "gala parades with imported bands, bar-
rels of free booze, and even free money on occasion." A well-informed observer guessed that Daly
spent over $2,500,000 and Clark at least $400,000 on this campaign. Since the state cast just over
52,000 votes in that one election, that rounded out to about $56.00 per vote.
When the territorial records were moved from Virginia City to Helena in April, 1875, they were
moved by the Diamond R Freight Line. It was organized in Virginia City in 1864; by 1868 it had
approximately 116 wagons, 700 oxen, and employed 70 men. The company continued to grow until
pushed out by the railroad. Freight lines ran south into Utah, west to Walla Walla, Washington, north
to Whoop-Up country in Alberta, and as far east as North Dakota. Diamond R freight caravans were
huge, each consisting of 25 five-ton wagons and trailers, each hauled by 7 to 10 yoke of oxen. The
Diamond R reputation for smooth and swift operation was deserved. It had the routes, the equipment,
and the services, with billing offices throughout the eastern U.S. - in New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and St. Paul. Goods from railheads in Corinne, Utah, for instance,
could be delivered in Helena, 480 miles away, in just eight days. Rates were what the traffic would
bear, ten cents per pound for 100 miles or less in 1876. Rates eventually did go down as railroads
pushed West. All items owned by this company were branded with the Diamond R in conspicuous
places: wagons, wheels, canvas, bows, harness, saddles, and animals.
Like the Four Georgians, the Centennial Wagon Train rolls to the end of its journey in Helena.
The final campsite will be at Fort Harrison approximately 5 miles west of downtown Helena.
Fort Harrison has had many lives. Although first established in 1892 as an army post, it saw little
active duty in that role. At the end of World War I, with over 200,000 wounded servicemen return-
ing from overseas, Fort Harrison was converted into U.S. Public Health Hospital No. 72 with a bed
capacity of 150. The hospital was assigned to the Veterans Bureau in 1922, and became a part of the
Veteran's Administration in 1930.
The hospital served for brief time as a tuberculosis hospital between 1923 and 1925 but reverted
to its original status as a general medical and surgical hospital in 1925. The 1935 earthquake so
severely damaged the facility that many of the buildings had to be torn down.
57
Fort Harrison was a training base in World War II. To accommodate World War II casualties,
Fort Harrison expanded to 450 beds. A new hospital building was completed in 1963 and the former
hospital was converted to office space. Fort Harrison has returned to its original 150 bed capacity.
"By 1889, when the State of Montana was organized, the Indian and his tepee, the canoe and the
mackinaw of the fur trader, the pan and the rocker of the gold prospector, the drive of the cattleman
were memories only. The frontier period in Montana had come to an end." [from The Montana
Frontier by Merrill Burlingame] And so the Centennial Wagon Train comes to an end, but memories
remain.
These notes barely touch on Montana's rich past of fact and fiction. If you would like to read more
about Montana history, visit your local library, or historical/genealogical society.
Fisk Expedition, 1866
Montana Historical Society
58
Alphabetical Listing of Wagon Train Entries
Entry Number
Page
42 Helen Larson/Joan Mohr
27
56 William Abney/Karnes Sundby
37
08 Jan Leishman/Will Donahue
5
88 Bud and Rose Baum
48
51 Dennis Lietzow
29
59 Sonja Berg/Nick Schrauger
38
23 Jim and Ruth Lotan
14
67 John and Linda Best
42
63 Art Magnusson/Ray Neely
40
78 Larry Boe
45
15 Helene Malaby
9
14 Bill Brand
9
69 Tommy and Beatrice Martin
42
21 Lester Broadie
12
39 Carl and Dianna May
25
86 Paul Burdett
47
34 Les and Ruth McGetrick
23
46 Bob and Claire Casey
28
53 Gwen and Mildred McKittrick
30
80 Kai and Jackie Christensen
46
11 Kathleen Meyer/Patrick McCarron
7
48 Char Christoph
28
79 Bob Miller
46
26 Robert and Leslie Clark
15
55 George and Dorothy Miller
37
19 Edwin Clementino
11
64 Bob and Bonnie Morgan
41
17 Don Coutts
10
62 Mike and Dixie Myhre
40
32 Jim Curtis
22
29 Roy and Pat Nonella
21
58 Forrest Davis/Nemeths
38
76 Carrielee and Tom Parker
45
52 Jay Dean
29
84 Lucky Pierret
47
66 James Deck/Debra Doris
42
83 Jan and Gene Potter
47
75 Dan and Ellen Dodds
44
27 Roger Reinhardt
20
28 Bob and Claudine Eby
20
25 Leon and Gertrude Reynaud
15
13 Wayne and Lola Eby
8
41 Jim and Vicki Rieffenberger
26
57 Terrance Embody/Fred Kohlmeier
37
03 Cotton Riley
2
44 Leroy and Sandy Fadness
27
10 Ken and Pearl Roy
6
09 Norman Frankland/Bonnie Evans
5
47 Harold and Dorothy Sherette
28
07 Gerald and Orlena Gabel
4
68 Harold Smith
42
77 Gene and Shirley Galovic
45
16 Russel Starlin
9
87 Paul Greany
48
43 Bob Stone
27
31 Robert and Sandy Green
21
35 Dempsey and Jenny Swan
24
12 Marlen Halverson
8
05 James Syme
4
49 Steve Hamper/Julie Turnbull
29
38 Bill and Alice Taylor
24
02 John and Karen Harlan
1
74 Sue Taylor
44
54 Rollie Hebel/Erma Evans
31
82 Diana Tibbets
46
04 Keith Horne/Marlene Teague
3
61 Wayne and Carol Tichenor
39
40 Bert and Betty Howey
25
45 Ken and Pat Torgerson
27
01 Don and Beverly Huffman
1
85 Harry Uffalussy
47
37 Jeff Hughes/Kirby Johnson/Kevin Rocek
24
18 Larry Vance/Isabelle Carlhain
10
22 Kevin Irish/Glen Bailey
13
06 Robert Walker
4
24 Charles and Mary Jensen
14
50 William Wall
29
60 Greg Johnson
38
70 Pete and Candy Weimer
43
72 Boone and Jerrian Jones
43
65 Jim West
41
73 Don and Charlotte Jones
44
30 Barbara Williams
21
89 Bernal and Jackie Kahrs
49
20 Lyle and Wilma Jane Wanderlich
12
36 Charles Kendall
24
33 George Woolsey
23
81 Dean and Linda Knutson
46
71 Ira Zuroff
43
59
MONTANA DRAFT HORSE
AND MULE ASSOCIATION
MDHMA OBJECTIVES:
MDHMA EVENTS:
1) To perpetuate the draft animals in Montana;
Teamster Days-
Parades
2) To protect and strive to upgrade their breeding;
Beer Can Cultivating
Wagon Trains
3) To protect and restore horse-drawn equipment;
Log Pulling
Seminars
4) To perpetuate the art of driving harness animals.
Obstacle Course
Spring Meeting
Traveling Trophy
Fall Meeting
Banyan Systems, Inc.
The Centennial Wagon Train manifests the objectives of the Montana Draft
Horse and Mule Association (MDHMA). But from the wagon train's concep-
tion in 1984 until its birth in 1989, oftimes our strategies and coordination
resembled the picture above - Not Knowing If We Were Pullin' For Or Agin'!
Persistence, four years of hard work, and a $12,000 bequest from the Montana Centennial
Commission, combined with many hours and dollars from those who believed in the project brought
the wagon train to reality.
The Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association was created in 1976 in Lewistown. A ten-member
Board of Directors, representing areas throughout Montana, oversees the non-profit organization's
activities.
1989 MDHMA Directors
President - Forrest Davis, Ronan; 1st Vice President - Bill MacIntosh, Avon; 2nd Vice President - Keith Horne,
Helena; Secretary-Treasurer - Marlene Teague, Helena; Director-at-Large - George Miller, Absarokee; NW
Director - Charles Jensen, St. Regis; SW Director - Jim Lotan, Stevensville; NE Director - Sue Taylor, Vida;
SE Director - Don Huffman, Billings; Ex-Officio -Roland Moore, Norris.
The annual membership ranges from 100 to 170 singles and families. A single membership costs $6.00; a
family membership costs $10.00. Members receive quarterly newsletters. For more information call or write:
Marlene Teague, 2710 E. Lincoln Rd., Helena, MT 59601, (406)458-9841.
We honor the pioneer spirit
Dedication, cooperation, perseverance and a sense of adventure some of the
main ingredients of the pioneer spirit that created Montana. Those attributes shine
again this Centennial year. We salute the adventurous participants in the Montana
Centennial Wagon Train-and all who join in marking our state's 100th year.
and celebrate Montana's heritage.
We're proud to have been a part of Montana's history for 91 of its 100 years. And
we're looking forward to serving our friends and neighbors long into the future.
Investments Insurance . Banking
NORWEST BANKS
NORWEST
HELENA
Member FDIC Equal Opportunity Lender © 1988 Norwest Bank Helena, N.A.
N
"
"
11
KI
13
"
authorized Xerox
Xerox Copiers
One of the
sales agent
EXC
ANGE
Memorywriters
Helena Area's
Bar
Chaffin Printing & Office Supplies
FINEST
&
Quality Printing - Copy Service Furniture - Equipment
Dining in Casual Steaks Elegance
upper
Dillon, MT 59725
Lunches Breakfasts
Sea Foods
Club
20 E Glendale
KEN CHAFFIN
LARRY CHAFFIN
406-683-6834
Weekend
Lounge Music
&
by "Rabbit"
OPEN EVERY DAY
HARLAN'S
Live Action Keno
John & Karen Harlan
Poker & Keno Machines
GAITS OF THE MOUNTAINS
P.O. Box 348
Party Facilities!
Clancy, Montana 59634
Montana
TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES
City Exit
4 Min. So.
406/933-8583
on I-15
449-8890
ZEE
ZEE MEDICAL SERVICE
2315 SOUTH AVENUE WEST
P.O. BOX 4265
R
MISSOULA, MT 59806
(406) 721-5820
"FIRST AID SERVICE AND SUPPLIES"
Suppliers of Industrial, Commercial, Home and Camping First Aid Supplies
Free First Aid Training - Free Service of First Aid Cabinets & Locations
Billings, Bozeman, Cody, Gillette, Great Falls, Helena, Huron, Kalispell, Missoula, Pierre, Rapid City, Sidney
CALL TOLL FREE (800) 525-2280 / In Montana (800) 332-2425
OVER 30 YEARS OF PRINTING KNOWHOW
A note of thanks
TRIPLE
LETTERHEADS
ENVELOPES
to the following contributors:
BUSINESS CARDS
TT
WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Avitel - Bozeman
PRINTING
Big Horne Belgians - Helena
Bo-Fjords - Creston, British Columbia
WAYNE & CAROL
139 PIEDMONT ROAD
TICHENOR
Churchill Equipment - Manhattan
WHITEHALL, MONTANA 59759
PH. (406) 287-5561
Robert and Leslie Clark - Whitehall
"IF WE CAN'T DO IT WE KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN!!"
DC's Carpentry - Whitehall
Leroy and Sandy Fadness - Boulder
Jack Hirschy - Wisdom
Howard Lumber - Dillon
RANCHES
HOMES
BUSINESSES
Dennis Jessen, Farm Bureau Insurance - Dillon
George and Dorothy Miller - Absarokee
MOUNTAIN
John Neath - Helena
The Parrot Confectionery - Helena
REALTY
Gene and Jan Potter - Wisdom
The Turning Point - Helena
Walker Saddle Shop - Glen
P.O. BOX 845
SHERIDAN MT 59749
WANDA M. KEYSER
Phone (406 842-5407
WHITEHALL STATE BANK
P.O. BOX 310 (406) 287-3251
WHITEHALL, MONTANA 59759
Serving the Whitehall
Serving
*Burgers
Area Since 1904
lunch & dinner
*Quiche
Beer & Wine
*Steaks
*Ribs
Downtown
PIONEER
Pedestrian Mall
443-9669
BUTTE
Helena, Mont.
CONCRETE & FUEL, INC
843 MARYLAND AVE.
19 S Main
PASMF700
Warm Springs
READY-MIXED
CONCRETE
SALOON
Basin
1%
FIRST QUALITY SERVICE
Philipsburg
for over 60 years
Anaconde
STRENGTH
LASTING SATISFACTION
Butte
Wise River
Whitehall
WE ALSO HANDLE..
CONCRETE BLOCKS
LIME ACID
Wisdom
Metrose
WASHED SAND &
Saloon & Grill
GRAVEL
723-5435
SACK CEMENT
DUROWALL
FLUE LINERS
TED J. FARROW
COAL
PRESIDENT - MANAGER
MASONRY SUPPLIES, STOVES, INSERTS, GLASS DOORS,
insty-prints®
FIREPLACE ACCESSORIES,
of Helena
"Everything your hearth desires"
"That's my printer."
Two Convenient Locations:
15 West Sixth Avenue
1301 11th Avenue
449-2847
SMITTY'S FIREPLACE SHOP, INC.
443-1499
Our FAX number is:
Our FAX number is:
(406) 449-7860
(406) 443-7963
4373 N. MONTANA AVE.
Our Specialty:
PHONE 406-442-2242
HELENA, MONTANA 59601
Getting your Printing DONE TODAY!
Traveling the Mission Valley by wagon
Montana Travel
THANKS
LaRock's
to the Montana Statehood Centennial
FURNITURE
Office Commission and staff:
2nd HAND STORE
COMMISSION
Lieutenant Governor Allen Kolstad, Chairman
ANTIQUES
"A Big Smile & a Little B.S."
Gordon McOmber, former Chairman
COLLECTIBLES
George Turman, former Chairman
Patricia DeVries, Polson
428 N. Last Chance Gulch
RIDING GEAR
Nancy Dumont, Wolf Point
FURNITURE
Helena, MT 59601
Rita Edwards, Glendive
443-3893
Marilyn Frazier, Great Falls
Frank Haswell, Helena
James Haughey, Billings
David Johns, Butte
Robert Kelly, Missoula
Nancy McCaslin, Bozeman
Tonia Stratford, Miles City
Coast to Coast
Debbie Vandeberg, Havre
TOTAL HARDWARE
OFFICE
Bill Yaeger, Executive Assistant
Vernon Opp (Owner)
Cebe Sobonya, Executive Secretary
Brian Anse Patrick, Field Operations
Box 796
and Grants and Sanction Manager
East Legion
Tom Daubert, former Field Operations
and Grants and Sanction Manager
Phone: 287-3430
Barbara Faas, Receptionist
WHITEHALL, MONTANA 59759
Kay Hardin Hansen, Editor '89er
Gloria Hermanson, Private Consultant
Sharon Martin, Commission Secretary
Visa, MasterCard and Discover Honored Here
Doug Giebel, Public Relations
Congratulations and good luck
to the Montana Centennial Wagon Train
from the Madisonian -
Montana's oldest newspaper
in Virginia City, Montana
Don't miss our four special
Centennial issues
Joan's
A&W
Restaurant
Whitehall
Western
"Original" A&W Root Beer
Dimension
Open 11:00 A.M. Daily
Lumber and Supply
Call in orders 287-3412
Good Food
Good Prices
Good Service
Your
Personal
BIG SKY MOTORS
Building
Ford
Materials
CHRYSLER
Dealer
YOUR PERSONAL SERVICE DEALER
PARTS-SERVICE-TOWING
DAILY RENTAL-SALES
406-723-8305
1325 Kaw Ave.
406-723-8447
Butte, MT 59703
Dusty Rhodes
683-2347
Dillon
GALUSHA, HIGGINS & GALUSHA
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
AUDITING & ACCOUNTING SERVICES
TAXATION - FEDERAL AND STATE
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES
Located on the fifth floor of the Arcade Building
With the Montana Centennial
111 North Last Chance Gulch
Wagon Train off and rolling with
442-5520
their new Ford from Capital Ford
Lincoln Mercury, let us get you off
and rolling too.
For the best deals on wheels,
and no lower prices come to
LAW OFFICES
Capital Ford Lincoln Mercury
today.
Keller, Reynolds, Drake,
CAPITAL FORD
Sternhagen and Johnson, P.C.
38 SOUTH LAST CHANCE GULCH
1315 PROSPECT AVE. . HELENA
HELENA, MONTANA 59601
TELEPHONE (406) 442-0230
Bob Paffhausen Construction
General Contractor
Butte, Montana 59701
arounds
the corner
IIIIIII
11 Redwood
Phone 406-494-8239
just
In Montana:
Billings
Radal
were
Bozeman
Butte
Glendive
Great Falls
Helena
********
Kalispell
Missoula
creen printing
Box 224
In Wyoming:
Harrison, MT 59735
406-685-3462
Cody
Ralph Fegel
Judy Fegel
Gillette
Sheridan
Scoular
Rosenberg's
WAREHOUSE
PARTNERS FOR THE LONG HAUL.
BUTTE'S ONE STOP FURNITURE & APPLIANCE STORE
Butte's Furniture Store Since 1934
JACK ROSENBERG
823 So. Montana
SCOULAR GRAIN COMPANY
Phone 782-4242
Butte, MT 59701
YOUR ALTERNATIVE GRAIN MARKET.
119044 German Gulch Road,
Silver Bow, Montana, 59750
CALL US BEFORE YOU SELL.
Montana WATS 1-800-325-4156
Out-State WATS 1-800-233-6857
GRAIN MERCHANTS:
Charlie Osborne - Bob Barnett
Dave Hanson - Manager
Hauling grain into Columbus
MSU Libraries/Montana Magazine
Intermountain Truss
Engineered
Roof and Floor
Trusses
All Trusses meet I.C.B.O. - F.H.A. - V.A. Specs
We deliver trusses anywhere in Montana
TP
TIMBER
Delivery to the plate line is available
PRODUCTS
INSPECTION
Call us for an estimate
Intermountain Truss Helena, Montana
1-800-327-0605
449-5553
Patrick McCarron
Horseshoer
Wagon #11
Draft
Trimming
Saddle
Traction
Mule
Protection
With the Montana Centennial
Race
Correction
Wagon Train off and rolling with
their new Ford from Bozeman Ford
Lincoln Mercury, let us get you off
and rolling too.
For the best deals on wheels,
THANK YOU
and no lower prices come to
Bozeman Ford Lincoln Mercury
today.
Paul Greany
BOZEMAN
Have you driven
a Ford lately?
for your contribution to the
FORN
587-1221
or
1-800-237-7823
Where Our Price Bring
Centennial Wagon Train.
LINCOLN MERCURY
You In,
But Our People Bring
You Back!
1800 WEST MAIN 587-1221
COROD AL.WINSTON ROD ANNIVERSARY CO.
HAPPY TRAILS-
HAPPY CENTENNIAL
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!
R.L. Winston Rod Co.
Drawer T
Twin Bridges, MT 59754
(406) 684-5674
Lumber
We've got all kinds
of lumber for your
remodeling projects!
You'll find a lot of pride in everything we sell.
UBC United Building Centers
BUTTE
2805 Kaw
Phone 406-494-7600
Mon. Fri. 7:30 6:00
VISA
Sat. 8:00 5:00
Famous Brand Western Wear
FRED BIRRER
406-723-5544
for all the Family
H Bar C Ranchwear
Panhandle Slim
Levis
Lee
Wrangler Jeans & Shirts
Stetson hats
THE INK SLINGER
Bailey Hats
Boots by
Justin
Dan Post
2301 Hancock
Nocona
Sanders
Butte, MT 59701
Abilene
Acme
Saddles and Riding
Equipment
Western-English-Race
Horse Health Products
Horse Shoeing Supplies
Complete Repair Service
MONTANA
Downtown Helena
Across from Norwest Bank
Centennial
1889.1989
Complete Western Outfitters
WATERLOO POTTERY
De Vore's
Stoneware - Porcelain
Centennial Wagon Train Mugs & Plates
Saddlery
LESLIE CLARK
311 Waterloo Road
4 W. Lawrence
442-2150
VISA
MesterCard.
AMERICAN
(406) 287-3078
Whitehall, MT 59759
EXPRESS
Calendar of Events for Gold West Country
JUNE
Butte
Lincoln
Beaverhead County Fair
Shakespeare in the Park
4th of July Rodeo and Parade
Ennis
Bannack
Butte Vigilante Rodeo
Annual Tug-of-War, Craft Bazaar, Flea
Rope and Stroke Golf and Roping
Montana Centennial Wagon Train
Butte Jazz Festival
Market
Tournament
Departure
4th of July Parade, Fireworks, Circus,
Ovando
Helena
Butte
Picnic
4th of July Barbeque
Western Rendezvous of Art
Family Fun Days Carnival
Deer Lodge
Philipsburg
Jackson
Reid Brothers Circus
4th of July Flagday Tournament
Flint Creek Valley Days and Centen-
All-Girl Rodeo
Dillon
Grant Kohrs Ranch Birthday
nial Celebration
Lincoln
Little Britches Rodeo
Old Car Days
Townsend
Annual Fiddler's Contest
Renfro Trap Shoot
Dillon
Car Show and Flea Market
Bob Pertie Tournament
Ennis
Dillon 4th of July Jaycee Fireworks
Townsend July Festival
Virginia City
Ennis Pioneer Days
Display
Virginia City
Virginia City Arts Festival
Kid's Fishing Derby
Demolition Derby
4th of July Fireworks Display
Ozzie Softball Tourney
Helena
Crazy Days
Road Agent Swing Square Dancing
Wisdom
Governor's Cup Centennial Marathon
Drummond
Volkswalk
Wisdom Gun Show
Montana Traditional Jazz Festival
Drummond Rodeo
Whitehall
Black Powder Shoot
Jackson
Ennis
Crazy Days
International Shoot
4th of July Rodeo
Frontier Days Parade and Celebration
Virginia City
SEPTEMBER
Fly-in and Cowboy Artists of America
Wisdom
Virginia City Days Celebration
Dillon
Rendezvous
4th of July BBQ, Street Dance, Fire-
Buffalo Runners' Shooting Matches
Ennis Gun Show
works, Horseshoe Tournament
Beaverhead County Fair
Brewery Follies Begin
Hole in Wall Gallery Art Show
Labor Day Parade, Concert, Jaycee
Rodeo
Ambulance Service Art Auction
AUGUST
JULY
Ennis
Grant
Anaconda
Hang Gliding Show
Labor Day Silver Dollar Swine Dine
Anaconda
Anaconda Garden Club Show
Helena
Lostcreek Raceway Races
Helena
Boulder
Adult Electrum XVIII Exhibition and
Crazy Days
Montana Centennial Wagon Train
Jefferson County Fair and Barn Dance
"Art in the Park" Copper Village Art
Arrival
Marketplace Celebration of the Arts
Butte
Lincoln
Center
Centennial Exhibit of the Arts
Butte Ethnic Festival and Celebration
Anaconda Saddle Club Horse Show
Last Chance Stampede and Fair
Labor Day Craft Sale and Rodeo
Augusta
Jackson
August Arts Festival
Annual Corvette Rally
Old Timers Day
Butte-Silver Bow County Fair
Turkey Shoot
Augusta Rodeo
Lima
America's Favorite Pre-teen Pageant
Virginia City
Avon
Deer Lodge
Fall Horseback Poker Run
Avon Flea Market
BBQ and Fun Day
Tri-County Fair
Whitehall
Bannack
Dillon
Tobacco Root Poker Run
Bannack Days
Seniors Golf Tournament
For more information, write to GOLD WEST COUNTRY, 1155 Main Street. C, Deer Lodge, Montana 59722
Produced in cooperation with Travel Montana, Montana Department of Commerce.
Powell County
COUNTRY WEST
Lewis & Clark County
Montana Territorial Prison
Bob Marshall Wilderness
Grant Kohrs Ranch
Charlie Russell Art Gallery
Towe Antique Ford Collection
Frontier Town
Yesterday's Playthings, Deer Lodge
Capital Building
Powell County Museum E Arts Foundation
Gates of the Mountains
Bob Marshall Wilderness Area
Marysville Ghost Town
Coopers Lake
Canyon Ferry, Holter and Hauser Lakes
Upsata Lake
LEWIS
Castles Sapphire Mine
Granite County
& CLARK
287
Original Governor's Mansion
Great Divide Ski Area
434
Granite Ghost Town
Montana Historical Society
Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine
POWELL
Georgetown Lake
200
Broadwater County
Garnet Ghost Town
200
Canyon Ferry Lake
Granite State Monument
Ferry Canaon
Broadwater County Museum
Pintler Scenic Route
Confederate and Hellgate Recreation Areas
Discovery Basin Ski Area
ncoln
279
Mount Baldy
Princeton Ghost Town
141
Deep Creek Canyon
ummond
15
Helena
Diamond City Ghost Town
Deer Lodge County
Garrison
Silos and White Earth Recreation Area
12
GRANITE
284
Missouri Headwaters State Park
Georgetown Lake
Deer Lodge
State Fish Hatchery
Philipsburg
12
287
Wralth Hill Ski Area
90
Jefferson County
Copper Village Museum E Arts Center
Georgetown
JEFFERSON
12
Elkhorn Ghost Town
wnsend
Hearst Free Library
Boulder
BROADWATER
Boulder Hot Springs
Historic Washoe Theatre
Radon Health Mines
Anaconda
Washoe Park
Pintler Scenic Route
no
287
Parrot Castle
DEER LODGE 274
S
Lewis E Clark Caverns
Butte
SILVER
Whitehall
Beaverhead County
10
90
Silver Bow County
Big Hole National Monument
Neversweat-Washoe Historic Tour Train
Elkhorn Hot Springs
Old No. 1 Trolley
Jackson Hot Springs
43
Butte National Historic District
Wisdom
Bannack State Park
Beaverhead Museum
MADISON
84
Fairmont Hot Springs
BEAVERHEAD
Berkeley Pit
Red Rock Refuge
Twin Bridges
World Museum of Mining
Lewis E Clark Memorial
278
287
Butte Arts Chateau
Jackson
Sheridan
Maverick Mountain Ski Area
Ennis
Copper King Mansion
Deep Creek Ski Area
4D
Virginia City
Beef Trail Ski Area
U.S. High Altitude Sports Center
Bannack
Dillon
Mineral Museum
15
Lady of the Rockies
287
Madison County
324
World Famous Madison River
Virginia City National Historic Area
Nevada City Ghost Town and Museum
Quake Lake Memorial Monument
Robbers Roost
for further information contact:
Potosi Hot Springs
GOLD WEST COUNTRY OF MONTANA, INC.
Ennis Lake
1155 Main St.
Deer Lodge, MT 59722
Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area
406-846-1943
# 1 Vacationland Southwest Montana!
Centernial
1889-1989
MONT NA V V L
AND D TH 5 R AIL R O C A D B S
ALE Until the railroads onened un the territory to the average citizen. the West zuas
T
RAILROADS AND A LAND CALLED MONTANA.
Montana. When railroad surveyor Isaac Stevens and his party explored it in 1853,
surveying a route for a railroad that would link the Great Lakes with the Pacific Northwest,
Montana was a rugged, unnåmed territory. Some Americans thought Montana would never be
successfully settled.
Settlement depended on a railroad, and the cost of a railroad was astronomical. It would be an
engineering feat unparalleled by anything up to that time in history; an expensive adventure of
unprecedented scope and cost that might never survive the harsh climate, nor the Indian attacks.
But visionaries saw a land bridge that could link trade from
Asia to Europe, and bring the newly settled Pacific Coast within
commercial reach of the lucrative Eastern markets.
On May 26, 1864, Congress created the Montana Territory.
In the 25 years that followed, two transcontinental railways, the
Northern Pacific and the Great Northern, opened Montana to the
world. The influx of settlers from all over the world was SO strong
that, in 1889, Montana became a state.
As much as the roaring winds and flowing glaciers that gave
shape to the land, the railroads carved out the society we know
today as Montana.
E
S
Great Northern Railway
SURVEYORS' CAMP, 1882. These surveying
engineers at Terry's Landing, Montana
Territory, traveled ahead of the railroad
construction crews and were often subject to
Indian raids. To protect them, the Army sent
military escorts. Called by one admiring
engineer the "priests of the new epoch," these
Railway
well-starched young men represented the
cream of the Eastern engineering colleges.
R
COVER:
THE GOLD SPIKE SPECIAL. On September
8, 1883, the last spike was driven at Gold
Creek, near Garrison, Montana, completing
N
MONTANA
the first northern transcontinental railway, the
Northern Pacific. This train was one of four
that carried hundreds of dignitaries across the
EARLY MAP OF THE MONTANA TERRITORY.
country.
A
CROSS A CONTINENT.
The obstacles in carving
railroads out of 2,000 miles of
wilderness were inconceivable. From
the Mississippi to the Pacific lay almost
every type of terrain. Grading was done
by hand, with horse-drawn tools, and
with dynamite when the going got
rough. All supplies had to be brought
from the East by rail. West of the
Mississippi, there were few sources
of supply.
Financing for the railroad depended
on massive sales of railway bonds, and on
large government land grants along the
proposed route. With the land, the
railroads hoped to lure settlers whose
produce would provide ready-made
goods for freight shipments east.
First across Montana was the
Northern Pacific, completed in 1883,
followed by the Great Northern ten
years later. Although the Northern
LAYING GREAT NORTHERN TRACK TO FORT ASSINIBOINE, 1887. The heavy steel rails
were brought by train from the East and then by horse-drawn wagon to the end of the
Pacific, led by Henry Villard, was the
track. Teams of men would hoist the rails-five men to a 500-pound rail-and, with drill-
first of the northern transcontinentals,
team precision, place them on the roadbed. When the going was good, two teams could
the Great Northern, powered by empire-
lay four rails per minute, from two to five miles per day. The crew pictured here had just
completed laying seven miles of track in one day between Havre and Fort Assiniboine, a
builder Jim Hill, was built largely with
record-breaking feat. Along the way, they were serenaded by the band of the 20th
private funding. This forced Hill to find
Infantry. Tough as the work was, railroad work was much sought after. Many men used it
as a way to work their way west and save money to buy inexpensive farmland.
a route with the least grade, and
to build one of the best-
engineered roads of the time.
Track-laying crews swung heavy mallets like the one below to drive spikes as they laid
track across Montana.
NIO
GENERAL CUSTER AND HIS SCOUTS. George Armstrong
Custer was assigned the duty of protecting the Northern
Pacific's surveying and construction crews from Indian attack.
In this picture taken in Montana in the early 1870s, he is
shown with his favorite scout, Bloody Knife, an Arikara
Indian who was later killed with Custer at Little Big Horn.
PREPARING FOR TRACK-LAYING CONTEST, LAST-SPIKE CEREMONY, NORTHERN
PACIFIC LINE, 1883 (top). Although the actual track had been completed weeks before, a
special track-laying contest was arranged for the official celebration, complete with viewing
stands and speeches. The "east" team is shown here getting ready for the contest. With them
is a horse that had pulled construction wagons over 750 miles of track.
KITCHEN WORKERS AND FRIENDS (bottom). Somewhere on the Great Northern line
approaching Great Falls, kitchen workers posed for this picture. Workers slept in three-tiered
dormitory cars like the one on the right and ate in dining cars where they were served buffalo
dinners in shifts. To speed service, tin plates were nailed to the table and washed off between
sittings.
Typical spike, 1864
A
the railroad moved west, the
alone, more than 2,000 U.S. railroad workers
promise of land, adventure and even
were killed. Switchmen, in particular, were
wealth drew families from all across the East
short-lived, since their jobs often required them
and Europe. While many came to farm, some
to run between moving cars and connect
came for the greatest adventure of the day: to
heavy couplings. Too often, accidents happened.
work on the railroad.
Brakemen earned $45 per month and had
It was tough, dangerous work. In 1888
the use of the caboose, which they turned into
delivering newborn babies.
accidents occurred. They took virtual
from throwing cardsharks off the train to
ships, and often went down with them when
and gold watches, faced their own dangers,
Engineers were the captains of their own
Conductors, with their bright brass buttons
brake wheels.
$4-a-day wages to have fittings nickel-plated.
jumped from one car roof to another turning
paint schemes, and often drawing from their
weather brought treacherous footing as they
ownership of their engines, choosing their own
a comfortable home on wheels. But winter
For Western towns, prosperity and future growth depended on being linked to America's growing network of rail.
THE FIRST NORTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGER TRAIN COMES TO TOWN, 1883. It was always a big day when the first train came to town.
EXPRESSED
NORTHERN
STILL
MARSH SELF-BINDER DRAWN BY OXEN, 1877. The
railroads were heavy promoters of the new mechanized
farming technology, including this revolutionary self-binder.
For they the
They set up experimental farms where prospective settlers
could see mechanized farming at work, and introduced new
Northern Pacific
FOR BUICKER of
strains of seed for the wide, dry plains. Farmers heading
west needed help like this. Labor was scarce and the acreages
larger than the farms they'd left behind. The success of the
railroads depended on the ability of these farms to produce
LANDS FOR
SALES PANTINE
thus and Wassengers,
crops for shipment east. R
AT THE
EVER OFFERED BY ANY RAILROAD company.
LOWEST PRICES
RANGING CHIEFLY FROM
Portland,
$2.60 to $6.00 per Acre
- FOR THE
Best Wheat Lands,
CARS. the rail.
a LTd is the
Best Farming Lands
AND THE
IN Best Crazing Lands
LEAVE FBC
R
AIN FOLLOWS THE PLOW.
The railroads were built
SO quickly that it was years before the
investment saw a return. To build up
settlement on railway lands in Montana,
land agents labored to attract settlers
from Russia, Scandinavia, Germany,
the Netherlands and Great Britain.
Governments obliged, sometimes
emptying jails and orphanages.
Agents were helped in their efforts
by a bizarre theory put forward by the
scientist Ferdinand Hayden, who claimed
that "rain follows the plow." According
to Hayden, intensive cultivation of the
Western plains would let the land absorb
more water, allowing more moisture to
evaporate and causing life-giving rain
to fall. By coincidence, the plains then
experienced several years of increasing
LIFE ON THE BANKS OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER, 1881. This was
one of many pictures that were widely circulated to show Easterners the
rainfall. But when devastating droughts
civility of the West. Emigrants paid $40 for the transcontinental trip and
hit in 1873 and 1874, many farmers were
rode on rows of wooden benches. Cheap land and proximity to the railroad
offered a chance at a prosperous life. The railroad found markets for
wiped out.
settlers' crops and products, and brought them the latest goods from the
Nonetheless, settlers came and
Eastern cities.
prospered, finding the good life in
Montana much to their liking.
CROW INDIAN COUNCIL AT LAST SPIKE, 1883. An image of civilization
like the photo above was important to prospective settlers, who thought of
the West in terms of terrifying Indian attacks on settlers. In fact, Indians
like these Crows (right) at the Northern Pacific last-spike ceremonies at
Gold Creek, near Garrison, made significant contributions to the
settlement of Montana.
^
SUPERIOR
1198
SOUND
MILES
847
MILES
NORTH COAST LIMITED OBSERVATION CAR, 1900. If building the railroad
was an exercise in roughing it, traveling on it was not, at least not for first-
class passengers. Pullman cars, built by George Pullman, offered sumptuous
accommodations, while Pullman chefs and waiters turned out 12-course meals
NORTHERN PACIFIC
equal to any served at fancy Eastern hotels. Rail travel was a new avenue of
pleasure, and private cars were the new recreational vehicles of the day. Some
RAILROAD
were even outfitted as extravagant hunting lodges, where the only impediments
EXCHANGE
to pleasure were dust and soot. But not all travelers fared SO well. One tired
INNUAL
1881
TICKET
passenger in a station canteen complimented the cook on the delicious chicken
stew he had just finished, only to be told he had been eating prairie dog. *
USEOF
ISSUEDBY
WHENCOUNTER
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS ON REVERSE SIDE
SIGNED
N.C.THRALL.
Pacific
@
Noo
7
!
No.D520
SEAL
000
1407
1800 29 29 30 31 BENTON PARIFIC to 9,8 R.R.
6 1803
the no
in
Cote
20
Lodza
1 THE Over to
NOT
25
BE
for or ADD
24
Subject
ed Class Posh Punch Bozeman
a 300 bert 4
WE HAVE THE
FINEST LAKES IN MINNESOTA,
T
ROAD TO STATEHOOD.
PRODUCTIVE VALLEYS AND
Efforts to populate the railroad
ROLLING PRAIRIES OF DAKOTA,
lands were SO successful, and population,
mining and commerce increased SO
Weird Scenery of the
rapidly, that within six years after the
PYRAMID PARK,
completion of the Northern Pacific
Railway, Montana became a state.
The Famous Yellowstone Valley
Ranching, farming, mining and industry
sustained the growing populace while
OF MONTANA,
parklands attracted tourists from all over
And are repully approaching the
the world.
NATIONAL PARK.
One hundred years later many things
have changed; but one thing remains the
same: Montana and the railroads still
depend on each other for their continued
growth and prosperity. Over the years,
the Northern Pacific Railway and Great
Northern Railway grew to become part of
the nation's largest network of rail,
Burlington Northern. BN transports
Montana's harvest to the far corners of
the globe, and brings the earth's bounties
back home.
Montana and the railroads. One
hundred years of growing together.
BURLINGTON
NORTHERN
RAILROAD
TOWER FALLS, ON THE TELLOWSTONE
TOURIST ADVERTISEMENT. Tourists thrilled to the "weird scenery"
of the West, and the wealthy took vacations on railway excursions.
Many were lured by the photographs of F. Jay Haynes, who operated
one of the first photography studios in the Dakota and Montana
territories in the rail car at right.
These photos from Haynes Foundation Collection, Montana Historical Society, in Helena.
The hundred-year history of Montana
and the railroads is the history of the
working men and women of America's
transportation unions. No statement of
history would be complete without a
mention of the following
AMERICAN TRAIN DISPATCHERS
ASSOCIATION
BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINEERS
BROTHERHOOD OF MAINTENANCE OF
WAY EMPLOYES
BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD SIGNALMEN
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
BOILERMAKERS, IRON SHIP BUILDERS
BLACKSMITHS, FORGERS & HELPERS
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
ELECTRICAL WORKERS
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
FIREMEN & OILERS
SHEET METAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
TRANSPORTATION-COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL UNION
UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION
BURLINGTON
NORTHERN
GCIU
#342M-40
RAILROAD
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
6
2ND STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1989 The Washington Post
September 8, 1989, Friday, Final Edition
SECTION: FIRST SECTION; PAGE A21; THE FEDERAL PAGE; TALKING POINTS
LENGTH: 105 words
HEADLINE: From the Mailbag
BYLINE: Maralee Schwartz, Bill McAllister, Ann Devroy
BODY:
Sen. Conrad Burns (R- Mont. ) issued a press release yesterday with this
rather long title: = Montana Senator Conrad Burns Says Enjoyed Meeting
the Queen in London but Looking Foward to Centennial Cattle Drive."
The press release announced Burns's arrival back home for the state
celebration after "attending the 125 nation Interparliamentary Union Conference
in London, England, as the vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Delegation and
personally meeting Queen Elizabeth II."
The senator added, "I would rather be along on the last great cattle drive
through this Big Sky country than back fighting traffic in Washington, D.C."
TYPE: NATIONAL NEWS
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMEN
NAMED-PERSONS: CONRAD BURNS
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
7
7TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1989 States News Service
August 29, 1989, Tuesday
LENGTH: 773 words
BYLINE: By Alice Greenway, States News Service
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
KEYWORD: Burns
BODY:
Montana's freshman Senator Conrad Burns has said he brings a dose of
good old-fashioned "horse sense" to the tangled politics of Washington.
But eight months after the former livestock auctioneer and farm radio
broadcaster won his surprise election victory, observers say they have yet to
see the self-styled "country boy" make his mark in the big city.
Burns says he has assembled an experienced and skilled staff and taken a lead
on issues close to Montana. But there are still doubts that the former
Yellowstone County commissioner has the necessary political experience and broad
vision to be effective.
"Burns appeals to a kind of populist, anti-elitist, anti-Eastern strain in
Montana voters," said Tom Payne, a political science professor at the
University of Montana. "They kind of like his relatively unpretentious,
straight shooting, Western style.
"But Montana also has a tradition of Senators who were nationally
regarded leaders, like Mike Mansfield and Lee Metcalf, and certainly no one
thinks Burns is in that category," he added.
Terry Murphy, president of the Montana Farmer's Union, agreed: "Burns is
well-known and well-liked personally, but his lack of experience and background
is somewhat dismaying to a lot of people."
Burns seems to revel in his hayseed style. When Montana's congressmen
gathered recently near Washington's Lincoln Memorial to plant a centennial tree,
Burns grumbled that he had neglected to wear his cowboy boots, but made up for
it by taking off his jacket and stamping his shoes in the soil.
Afterwards, while his colleagues chatted with park officials and journalists,
Burns ambled off to inspect the teeth of a nearby police horse. "She's lost the
cusp," Burns said poking his finger against the lip of the reluctant mare.
"Looks like it's time to float the teeth."
Interviewed in Washington, just before he left for the August recess, Burns
said his "country bumpkin" image can be traced to his rural roots.
"Keep in mind, I've carried the dinner bucket. For the first 54 years of my
life, I've been thinking of just making a living and feeding my family," he
said. "When I vote, I got to say, 'Okay, when I was in business or when I was
working how would this affect me? How does it affect the people who really
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
8
(c) 1989 States News Service, August 29, 1989
make this country go?' II
Burns added that the press and voters should look past his style to his
record. "It's like the score cards you have in golf. It doesn't say how
It says he took a three."
The score card so far: Burns used his position on the Energy and Natural
Resources Committee to fight more restrictive environmental control over mining
claims. He worked with Democratic Sen. Max Baucus to secure timber cutting in
the Yaak.
He also sought assistance for Montana cherry growers whose crops were wiped
out in a winter freeze, and he introduced legislation to ease the burden of
insurance coverage for small gas station owners.
These are fairly typical activities for a rookie senator, and observers
said it is still to early to judge how effective a lawmaker Burns will
ultimately be.
Baucus said Burns has impressed him. "I'm struck with his efforts to work
with me, to be cordial, to co-ordinate on Montana projects and to ask my
advice.'
"There's a learning process here," Baucus added. "One shouldn't expect him
to be the world's greatest expert on some arcane subject, and he isn't but he's
trying to become well versed."
One of the junior senator's more controversial crusades has been his
forceful advocacy of access for miners to Montana's wilderness. In the
process, he has alienated environmentalists by comparing them to Vietnam-era
draft dodgers.
"When you call people traitors to the country, it doesn't set the tone for
conversation," said John Gatchell, president of the Montana Wilderness
Society. "Right now I need a heck of a high-powered magnifying glass to tell
the difference between his position and industry's."
Gatchell and other environmentalists also fear Burns is moving toward the
right-wing fringe of the Republican Party. They point to his votes against
conservation and his links to the pro-development Wise Use Movement.
"Burns' campaign slogan was 'You Bet!' = said Jim Murry, executive secretary
of the AFL-CIO in Montana. "Shouldn't somebody ask the question, 'You bet
what?'"
On the other side of the fence, Burns won warm praise from Gary Langley, head
of the Montana Mining Association. "Conrad comes across as a good old boy,
but don't let that fool you," Langley said. "We've found him very accessible
and sympathetic to our needs, but he's not going to roll over and play dead."
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS
89. 09/11 15:25 P01 * DEPT CF INTERIOR
United States Department of the Interior
U.L.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
f
-
TRANSMISSION NOTICE
This message is electronically transmitted on a Burroughs
DEX 3600 automatic machine.
Transmission Number:
202-343-3561
Verify Number:
202-343-4203
TO:
Name
Peggy Dooley
Agency/Phone #
45% 7750
456- 456- 6218
Selma SieRRa (343-4203)
FROM:
Office of the Secretary
18th & C Streets, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20240
9
No. of pages to follow:
Date: 9/11/89
Time: 3:40 p.m. P.
Celebrating the United States Constitution
89. 09/11 15:25 P02 * DEPT : F INTERIOR
STATE or THE INVERIOR
United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
March
we
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
September 11, 1989
MEMORANDUM
To: Peggy Dooley, White House Staff
From: Selma Sierra, Assistant to the Secretary, Director
of External Affairs
Subject: Material for Montana
Attached per your request is a list of activities by some of
the bureaus at the Department. The list of activities is
specific to Montana. If you need additional information,
please let me know.
89. 09/11 15:25 P03 * DEPT ? F INTERIOR
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
MONTANA
O
FWS operates the Bozeman Fish Hatchery and Technology
Center which has an international reputation for its
blood and tissue fisheries work. The Center responds
to Federal and State agency requests for fishery
assistance related to fish nutrition, the needs of cool
and cold water fish, and short term (1-2 year) research
needs. The Center has been conducting a special
nutrition study of walleye fry. This is a cooperative
program with six States (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri,
Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) providing
Federal Aid funding to conduct the study. First year
results have been very positive with the development of
new rearing tank designs, new feed formulations, use of
a new feed manufacturing procedure, and improved
survival of fry. These new feeds should have broad
application for fishes such as striped bass, sturgeon,
and others. The study is in its first year of a
planned 3-year program. The number of States
supporting this program is expected to increase.
o
Under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and
Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, the FWS is involved in
cooperative efforts with the Bureau of Land Management,
Bureau of Reclamation, the State of Montana, Ducks
Unlimited and private land owners to improve habitat
for waterfowl, including water development projects
which will also benefit agriculture and livestock.
Montana has the highest potential in the Prairie
Pothole region for duck production and other non-game
species with naturally good nesting habitat. Efforts
are currently underway to develop cooperative
agreements designed to commit personnel and dollar
resources in support of cooperative projects.
o
The Grizzly bear is a threatened species that occurs in
six ecosystems in the lower 48 States. Recovery of the
grizzly in the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem in
Montana has progressed to where that population is at,
or near the recovery goals. FWS and other Federal and
State agencies have created an effective partnership to
develop a conservation strategy plan and agreements to
protect this population once it is delisted. In the
Cabinet/Yaak ecosystem in the western part of the
State, the grizzly population is so small that it will
be necessary to augment the population in the Cabinet
Mountains if the grizzly is to be recovered there. A
citizen's involvement group was formed in the local
community, and the Service plans to augment the
population with two young females in 1990.
89. 09/11 15:25 P04 DEPT : F INTERIOR
The Ennis National Fish Hatchery, Ennis, Montana, is
the largest producer of trout eggs in the United
States. The Hatchery has six strains of rainbow trout
which produce 25 million eggs annually. These eggs are
sent to 25 national fish Hatcheries across the country,
18 States, and numerous research programs. These eggs
are a major contribution to the national recreational
fishing program. The Service is continuing to look at
ways to improve hatchery operations, egg production,
genetics, and nutrition. Efforts are being made to
develop hybrids strains to improve the genetics, fish
growth, spawning time and catchability of trout.
o
FWS is working with the State of Montana, Corps of
Engineers and others, to develop ways to save from
extinction two ancient fish species, the pallid
sturgeon and paddlefish, of the Upper Missouri and
Yellowstone Rivers. The pallid sturgeon is currently
proposed for listing as an endangered species, and the
paddlefish has been petitioned for listing as a
threatened species. The Service has increased its
population censusing work on both species and has begun
to develop the fish culture techniques necessary to
propogate these fish in hatcheries to help assure their
survival.
89. 09/11 15:25 P05 DEPT : F INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
MONTANA
0
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW NATIONAL FIRE POLICY ASSURED QUICK
RESPONSE AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, THUS
PRECLUDING ANY SERIOUS BLAZES IN MONTANA NATIONAL PARKS AND
NATIONAL FORESTS IN 1989.
0
NPS HAS PROGRAMMED $4.3 MILLION IN FY 90 TO BEGIN REPAIR AND
REHABILITATION ON THE LAKE MCDONALD SEGMENT OF THE GOING-TO-
THE SUN ROAD IN GLACIER NP, WITH WORK ON ADDITIONAL ROAD
SEGMENTS TO FOLLOW AT THE RATE OF ABOUT $3 MILLION EACH YEAR
UNTIL COMPLETION OF THE TOTAL $50 MILLION PROGRAM.
0
FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN NAMED AS SUPERINTENDENT IN NATIONAL
PARK SYSTEM -- BARBARA BOOHER, CUSTER BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL
MONUMENT.
0
DEPARTMENT APPROVED NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS WITH NEIGHBORING NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES EAST OF
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK TO DEVELOP JOINT BLACKRET CULTURAL
CENTER AND WAYSIDE EXHIBITS; NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM IN GLACIER NP; NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL
INTERPRETATION IN THE PARK; AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL PACTS
WITH TRIBAL COUNCIL.
0 NPS JOINED STATE OF MONTANA IN SUPPORTING RECOMMENDATIONS BY
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION THAT PROPOSED CABIN CREEK COAL
MINE IN SOUTHEAST BRITISH COLUMBIA NOT BE CONSTRUCTED AT THIS
TIME. IMPACTS ON GLACIER NATIONAL PARK'S TOURISM VALUES
CITED AS A PRINCIPAL REASON.
0
NPS WORKING WITH U.S. FOREST SERVICE ON JOINT VISITOR CENTER
FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK/FLATHEAD NATIONAL FOREST TO BOOST
LOCAL TOURISM AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
0
THE SECRETARIES OF INTERIOR AND TRANSPORTATION SIGNED
AGREEMENT IN 1984 THAT WOULD REINFORCE 2000-FOOT MINIMUM
ALTITUDE FOR SCENIC HELICOPTER FLIGHTS OVER GLACIER NATIONAL
PARK.
0
NPS RECEIVING FULL COOPERATION FROM CANADIANS, U.S. FOREST
SERVICE, AND U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN WOLF RECOVERY
PROGRAM FOR NORTHWESTERN MONTANA/GLACIER NATIONAL PARK.
CURRENTLY THREE PACKS (20-25 WOLVES) OCCUPY THE INTERNATIONAL
BOUNDARY AREA ON THE WEST SIDE OF GLACIER. GENERAL PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR PROGRAM.
89. 09/11 15:25 P06 *DEPT : F INTERIOR
2
0 THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE COORDINATING COMMITTEE, INVOLVING THE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, WAS
CREATED TO ASSURE THAT FEDERAL LANDS IN THIS ECOSYSTEM BE
MANAGED IN AN INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED MANNER.
0 1500 ACRES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE GRANT-KOLHRS RANCH NATIONAL
HISTORIC SITE TO IMPROVE SCENIC VISTAS.
0 MAJOR RENOVATION OF LAKE MCDONALD LODGE AT GLACIER NATIONAL
PARK IS NEARLY BEEN COMPLETED.
0
FUNDING HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED TO CONSTRUCT HORSESHOE BEND
MARINA AT BIGHORN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA.
0 NPS HAS ISSUED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AT CUSTER BATTLEFIELD
RELATIVE TO PLANS TO BUILD A MEMORIAL TO AMERICAN INDIANS WHO
FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN. SITE ALREADY
HOLDS MONUMENT TO SLAIN U.S. 7TH CAVALRY TROOPS.
SPECIAL NOTES
0 VISITATION TO MONTANA NATIONAL PARK SITES INCREASED BY THREE
(3) PERCENT FROM JANUARY THROUGH JULY 1989 OVER SAME PERIOD
LAST YEAR. TOTAL VISITATION FOR 1989: 2,070,932, WHICH
INCLUDES 756,071 FOR MONTANA ENTRANCE TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL
PARK.
0
PROPOSED 1990 BUDGET (COLLECTIVE) FOR MONTANA NATIONAL PARKS,
WHICH INCLUDES THAT STATE'S SHARE FOR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL
PARK, IS $9,626,424; UP FROM $8,215,434 FOR 1989.
K
PREPARED BY GEORGE BERKLACY
NPS 343-6843
SEPTEMBER 11, 1989
89. 09/11 15:25 P07 DEPT : F INTERIOR
Message 620-317
Subj: Environmentally Positive stuff
Deliver to Joe Zillencar
EMS
September 11, 1989
To:
Director (130), MIB room 5600
From:
Montana Public Affairs Staff
Subject: Briefs on Environmentally Positive Actions
Sikes Act Habitat Enhancement Program
Montana Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service--Northern Region,
and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks have recently
implemented a 2-year trial program to improve fish and wildlife habitat
on BLM and USFS-administered lands. The program is authorized by the
Sikes Act, a federal law that allows states to enter into agreements with
federal land managing agencies to provide funds for habitat improvement
projects on public lands. The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has
provided $125,000, which will be matched by the federal agencies.
A five-member sportsmen's advisory committee representing hunters,
anglers, and trappers from points throughout Montana has been formed to
review project proposals and recommend use of funds to the agencies. So
far, the committee has recommended $50,000 to fund five fish and wildlife
habitat improvement projects on BLM-administered lands in Montana to be
constructed in FY90.
The three agencies are optimistic about future benefits from cooperative
projects on public lands in Montana. If the trial effort of this
statewide program proves successful, the agencies will discuss the
possibility of entering into a long-term agreement for habitat
improvement on federal lands.
Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV)
In 1988, the Beaver Creek Projects (Phillips County), including
approximately 304 sections of which about 56 percent are public, was
established as part of implementing the Montana portion of Prairie
Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV). The project is designed to create about
800 ponds or an additional 3,800 acres of wetlands. It is generally
acknowledged by participating groups and agencies that strong BLM
partnership in the Beaver Creek Project is necessary to ensure success.
Locally, the Bureau of Land Management Lewistown District has implemented
the Whitewater Lake (1970) and Prairie Potholes (1978) Habitat Management
Plans (HMPs), which set objectives for increasing waterfowl production of
BLM-administered lands within the Prairie Potholes Region. To date, the
BLM has invested $895,000 to enhance or increase waterfowl and fisheries
habitat in this area. Additionally, BLM has actively funded waterfowl
research projects within the Prairie Potholes area since 1971.
89. 09/11 15:25 P08 * DEPT ? F INTERIOR
Loss of breeding, migration, and wintering habitat has resulted in
alarming declines in some waterfowl species throughout the United States
and Canada. To reverse this trend, the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan (NAWMP) was prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and signed in 1985 by the Canadian Minister of Environment and
the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. This plans calls for the production
of 62 million ducks with a breeding population of 8.7 million mallards by
the year 2000. Currently, 34 important habitat areas are listed in the
NAWMP. Of those, nine "Joint Ventures" involving Canadian and U.S. lands
have been established as needing immediate attention. The Prairie
Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) is one of these and 18 the only venture that
contains the most important duck breeding habitat in North America.
About one third of the PPJV falls in the U.S. which provides habitat for
about 14 percent of the continent's dabbling and diving ducks.
Signed by Director Burford in 1989, "Waterfowl Habitat Management on
Public Lands-A Strategy for the Future," which tiers from the NAWMP,
shows consistency with President Bush's wetland policy and identifies
opportunities and actions required to accomplish national waterfowl goals
and objectives outlined in Fish and Wildlife 2000 (1988).
Challenge Cost Share Program
The U.S. Congress initiated the Challenge Grant Program in FY 1986. The
program is designed to encourage direct public involvement in managing
habitats on public lands. The program has been very successful, and it
has been increased each fiscal year with indications that this trend will
continue.
Recently, the name of the program was changed to Challenge Cost Share
(CCS), but the intent and function of the program has remained the same.
In Montana, CCS projects have ranged from wetland development with Ducks
Unlimited, Threatened and Endangered plant inventories with the Montana
Natural Heritage Program, riparian fence construction with the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation or the rancher, to the Sikes Act Habitat
Enhancement Program with the U.S. Forest Service and Montana Department
of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The BLM is optimistic about the future of this program since there are
numerous sportsmen and conservation groups, foundations, and agencies who
view the program as a way to meet common goals and extend available
funds.
Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statements
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service are conducting a
joint environmental impact statement (EIS) on an oil and gas drilling
proposal by Phillips Petroleum along the Beartooth Mountain front in
Montana. The drill site, originally scheduled to be drilled on the
environmentally-sensitive tundra of Line Creek Plateau, has been moved to
a much lower elevation in adjacent Ruby Creek valley. If approved as
proposed, this will result in the longest deviated hole ever drilled in
Montana but will preserve the untouched arctic-like conditions of the
Line Creek Plateau.
89. 09/11 15:25 P09 DEPT F INTERIOR
The Bureau of Land Management is in the process of completing an
environmental impact statement on the effects of oil and gas leasing and
subsequent drillings on federal lands in eastern Montana. An extensive
geologic study was carried out last year that resulted in a series of oil
and gas development potential maps for these lands. These maps have in
turn been used to predict where oil and gas wells will be drilled over
the 15 year life of the plan. Based on this reasonable foreseeable
development scenario, environmental impacts are being analyzed and
mitigating measures are being proposed where needed.
Endangered Species
Endangered species management in as interagency effort in Montana.
Montana BLM represents Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon on the
Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Montana grizzlies are located in the
Northern Continental Divide ecosystem. That population is currently in
the process of being removed from the threatened species list.
Bald eagles populations have increased dramatically and may be downlisted
from endangered to threatened after next year's breeding season. In 1980
there were 24 known nesting territories in Montana. This year, more than
80 have been documented -- an average increase of 14.8 percent annually.
Grazing and Riparian Management
Montana BLM is continuing efforts to improve riparian areas. Approximately 25
percent of our range improvement funds are used for riparian improvement. We
are actively involved with the Montana Riparian Association which includes
state and federal agencies as well as livestock, mining and timber interests.
In Montana we strive to manage both the riparian/wetlands areas and adjacent
uplands as a unit. The approach has proved successful--last year, the
American Fisheries Society conferred awards on our Dillon Resource Area Office
for management practices in effect on three separate grazing allotments.
These allotments demonstrate that most riparian areas can be improved while
livestock grazing continues. This generally requires changes in times and
duration of grazing, not reduction or elimination of livestock. In Montana,
BLM rangeland conditions are: 8 percent excellent, 59 percent good, 23
percent fair, 1 percent poor, with 9 percent unclassified (from Public Land
Statisics, 1988).
Cooperative Management Projects
We have been active in recent years along the Blackfoot River.
Cooperative actions with local landowners and environmental groups
have resulted in a 40-mile stretch of the river being opened up to
public access. A walk-in hunting area has been established which has
led to an improvement in access and government-landowmer
relationships. At Kleinschmidt Lake, near the Blackfoot River, a
cooperative project with Ducks Unlimited and others has led, through
construction of nesting platforms, to a reintroduction of Canada Geese
to habitat they had been absent from for some time.
89. 09/11 15:25 P10 DEPT : F INTERIOR
Cooperative efforts with several local sportsmen's groups and the
George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited led to a series of
environmentally positive accomplishments along the Big Hole River in
recent years. A fishing access area was acquired and developed, a
critical access was purchased, a boat launch and recreation site was
developed and a general upgrading of visitor's facilities along the
river was carried out, all in line with local preferences and in
accordance with the current guidelines of the Recreation 2000 program.
Transfer of Landfill Sites to Phillips County
On Friday August 25 Director Cy Jamison and Congressman Ron Marlenee conducted
a title transfer ceremony at the Phillips County Courthouse in Malta. A
patent and a deed for a total of 190 acres transferred the title to five solid
waste disposal sites to the county. The transfer culminates action on an
exchange in which the BLM received an equal value of land from the county.
The land received by BLM contains wildlife habitat, recreational and grazing
values and is felt to be more suitable for BLM to manage. The county will
have full jurisdiction and management authority over the solid waste disposal
sites, and BLM will no longer have the responsibility for overseeing this use,
insuring compliance with all State and Federal rules and regulations and
recovering ownership of the land if violations occur. It has been the policy
of BLM since 1983 to not authorize any new sites for solid waste disposal and
to transfer ownership to any existing sites through sale or exchange, not
through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act which carries continued
responsibility for BLM for compliance. BLM has neither the expertise nor the
funding to properly manage this type of land use.
Some question exists as to whether this transfer is advisable from the
standpoint of liability of BLM in the event of future problems with hazardous
substances being discovered in or near these sites. BLM's liability will be
reduced from any future contamination provided it could be shown that the
contamination occurred after the sites were transferred. However, it is
generally accepted that BLM may be liable if the substances were present prior
to transfer or if the time of deposit of the substances could not be
established. The decision to proceed was made based on the determination that
no serious problems are likely. The bottom line is this is an environmentally
positive action because it places the responsibility for the management of
this land use in the proper place with the county. Our understanding is that
the sites will be closed soon or converted to container sites because the
county has a deadline for installing monitoring facilities by 1991. They have
a strong incentive to keep the number of sites requiring these facilities to a
minimum.
MT910D for W0130 13:23 EDT 11-Sep-89 Message 620-317 [3]
(0985B)
THE
TIMETABLES
OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
Laurence Urdang, Editor
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY HENRY STEELE COMMAGER
MONTANA
A TOUCHSTONE BOOK
Published by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
NEW YORK
History and Politics
The Arts
America
Elsewhere
America
Elsewhere
Harrison's 233.
king of the Matabele tribe
4 Edward Bellamy,
ing that stirs such con-
4 Union Labor Party,
gives Cecil John Rhodes ex-
writer, publishes Look-
troversy that he is ex-
United Labor Party, Indus-
clusive mining rights in Mata-
ing Backward, 2000-
pelled from Les Vingt
trial Reform Party, Equal
beleland and Mashonaland in
1887.
("The Twenty"), a
Rights Party, and Prohibition
South Africa.
5 Donnelly's The
group of progressive
Party nominate candidates
10 Privy council is made an
Great Cryptogram at-
artists.
for the presidential election
advisory body to the Japa-
tempts to show that
9 Rimsky-Korsakov
this year.
nese Emperor.
Francis Bacon was the
composes Schehera-
5 New York State estab-
11 British privy council up-
author of Shake-
zade, one of the most
lishes electrocution for mur-
holds the exclusion of the
speare's plays.
popular symphonic
derers condemned to die.
Chinese from Australia.
suites ever written.
12 British establish a protec-
10 Cézanne's mature
torate over Brunei, northwest
style is shown by
Borneo.
the landscape,
13 Austrian and pro-Russian
"L'Estaque."
political factions fight for
power in Serbia.
others celebrating Centernial.
1889
1 Kansas, North Carolina,
8 Naval Defense Act pro-
1 The first Celluloid
9 Gerhart Haupt-
Tennessee, and Michigan pass
vides that the British fleet
film in the U.S., Fred
mann, Pol. Naturalist
the first antitrust laws. New
should be as strong as the
Ott's Sneeze, is made
writer, is an overnight
Jersey law authorizes the in-
French and Russian fleets
by William Kennedy
success with the per-
corporation of holding compa-
combined.
Laurie Dickson.
formance of his trag-
nies within the state, which
9 Boulanger wins election in
2 Twain publishes A
edy, Before Dawn.
becomes the home of many
Paris but fails to seize control
Connecticut Yankee in
10 "The Yellow
large corporations.
of the government at crucial
King Arthur's Court.
Christ" and "Bonjour
[1890:HIST/1]
moment. He flees to Belgium
3 John Brisben
Monsieur Gauguin!"
2 Oklahoma (Indian Terri-
to escape arrest for treason.
Walker founds Cosmo-
show Gauguin's synthé-
tory) is opened to white set-
10 Italy and Ethiopia con-
politan Magazine.
tisme, a primitive style
tlement.
clude treaty of friendship and
4 Angus Macdonald
of painting with bright
3 Dakota Territory is di-
cooperation.
poses for "The Spirit of
colors and dark, bold
vided into North and South
11 Turks put down uprising
Service," a painting
outlines.
Dakota. They are admitted to
in Crete, encouraged by
commemorating the
11 Richard Strauss,
the Union as the 39th and
Greece.
Telephone Company's
leading Ger. composer,
40th states, respectively.
12 Military leaders depose
efforts to keep the lines
completes Don Juan, a
4 Montana becomes 41st
Emperor Pedro II and pro-
up during the Blizzard
symphonic poem.
state.
claim Brazil a republic.
of 1888. [1888:SCI/4]
12 Van Gogh paints
5 Washington becomes 42nd
[1840:HIST/6]
5 Sousa composes
"Starry Night."
state.
13 British South Africa
"Washington Post
13 Tchaikovsky com-
6 First Pan-American Con-
Company, headed by Rhodes,
March."
poses Sleeping Beauty,
ference meets in Washington,
is granted a charter with
6 Loie Fuller, dancer,
a ballet.
D.C., with the U.S. and 17
rights and powers of govern-
originates the "serpen-
14 Tennyson pub-
Latin American nations (all
ment in territory north of the
tine dance" using col-
lishes a collection of
except the Dominican Repub-
Transvaal and west of Mo-
ored lights and lengths
poems that includes
lic) taking part. Inter-Ameri-
zambique.
of silk for effect.
"Crossing the Bar."
can organization, later called
14 Emperor grants a new
7 The Wall Street
the Pan-American Union, is
Japanese Constitution.
Journal is established.
established (1890) to offer
15 Crown Prince Rudolf is
8 William Holabird,
technical and informational
found dead in his hunting
Chicago School archi-
Ed thought it
service to all the nations.
lodge at Mayerling, near
tect, designs the Ta-
mid he good to
7 U.S., Britain, and Ger-
Vienna.
coma Building, the first
many conclude treaty provid-
skyscraper with an all
poke fun at
ing for the neutrality of Sa-
steel skeleton.
cynical"
moa and setting up a
tripartite protectorate.
"Eastern "pape
250
if cattle drive
tums out
l
Science & Technology
Miscellaneous
America
Elsewhere
America
Elsewhere
lines in service between
yeast which revolutionize
with the camera to the
Boston and New York.
the brewing industry.
factory. Prints and re-
This preserves the lines of
14 Heinrich R. Hertz,
loaded camera are then
communication between
Ger. physicist, proves that
returned to the owner.
these cities during the
heat and light are forms
3 Artificial straws for
great blizzard.
of electromagnetic radi-
drinking are patented by
5 Van Depoele patents
ation.
M.C. Stone.
carbon brushes for use in
4 Blizzard on the east
railway motors.
coast lasting 36 hours
6 America's first seismo-
paralyzes New York City;
graph is installed at the
400 people die; property
Lick Observatory in Cali-
damage is extensive;
fornia.
transportation is stopped;
7 Oliver Shallenberger
and the city is cut off
invents a successful elec-
from the rest of the
tric meter that measures
world. [1888:SCI/4]
alternating current.
8 Pullman Car Co.
builds an electric locomo-
tive for hauling freight.
9 Incubators are used
for premature infants.
1 As the first director of
6 Shibasabura Kitasato,
1 First classes begin at
1889
the Johns Hopkins Hospi-
Jap. physician, becomes
Barnard College for
tal and Clinic, Osler es-
the first to isolate the
Women, founded as part
tablishes clinical training
tetanus bacillus.
of Columbia University,
as part of the medical
7 Oskar Minkowsky,
New York City.
school curriculum. Osler
Lith. physiologist, deter-
2 A dam above Johns-
further stresses the im-
mines that insulin is se-
town, Pa., breaks when
portance of a humane and
creted by the pancreas.
the Conemaugh River is
personal approach to
swelled by heavy rains.
medical practice.
Four towns are destroyed;
2 Charles M. Hall, Ohio
the river covers Johns-
scientist, patents an in-
town with 30 ft. of water;
expensive process of pro-
about 2300 people die.
ducing aluminum by
3 First safety bicycles
electrolysis.
are produced in quantity.
3 Electric sewing
Bicycling becomes very
machines are marketed
popular.
by Singer.
4 Football coach Walter
4 Otis Brothers install
Camp selects the first all-
an electric elevator in
American football team.
New York City.
5 Last bare-knuckle box-
5 Hoagland Laboratory
ing championship fight
opens in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
takes place in Richburg,
to study bacteria.
Miss., between John L.
Sullivan and Jake Kilrain.
Sullivan wins in 75
rounds.
6 Nellie Bly, a reporter
Nellie Bly, U.S. newspaper
for the New York World,
reporter and world traveler.
starts on round-the-world
trip. She beats the time of
Jules Verne's fictional
journey Around the
World in Eighty Days
when she reaches home in
72 days, 6 hours, 11 min-
utes, and 14 seconds.
251
09/01/89
13:06
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
001
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
SEALTH THE STATE
STAN STEPHENS, GOVERNOR
1424 9TH AVENUE
SEAL
GREAT
STATE OF MONTANA
(408) 444-3494
HELENA, MONTANA 59620-0501
Voice Phone: (406) 444 3923 406-444-2654
FAX Phone:
(406) 444 2808
FAX TRANSMISSION
Date:
9/1/89
To:
Peggy Dooley
From:
Steve Shimek
Number of pages in transmission (including this page):
9
Voice phone of person sending FAX: 800-548-3390
Additional Remarks:
"AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
BRONC TO BREAKFAST
other poems
MIKE LOGAN
Bronc To Breakfast
003
Dobie rode a bronc to breakfast.
That cayuse was plumb green.
He fed ol' Dobe some biscuits
Still in the fire, 1 mean.
The camp cook wasn't none too pleased
When Dobe went in the fire.
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
That bronc spilled all the coffee;
Stomped the bacon in the mire.
Now, Dobe was some preoccupied
That biscuit dough was hot
And the lid from that dutch oven
In his galluses was caught.
Them galluses plumb held that lid,
Three coals was caught inside
13:07
And ever' passin' second
Burned 'em deeper in Dobe's hide.
I've been to lots o' brandin's
09/01/89
But this one took the cake,
No matter how he jumped or stomped
or Dobie shore did bake.
BRONC 70 BREAKFAST 15
004
Now, Dobe, he finally shed that lid,
His chest was smokin' some
When that bronc that he rode in on
For another pass did come.
That hoss was stompin' bedrolls
And kickin' ropes and hats
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
And, passin', he just plants a kick
In of Dobe's smokin' slats.
OF Dobe sits back down in them coals.
His day ain't startin' right.
When he comes up for the second time
He comes up on the fight.
He grabs an ol' black fryin' pan
ME
13:07
And whales that bronco's head.
That hoss went down SO sudden
We was certain he was dead.
09/01/89
Now, Dobie he just stood there
Black skillet in his hand
And waited 'til that bangtail
Shook hisself and tried to stand.
16 BROND 70 BREAKFAST
BRONC TO BREAKFAST 17
005
With bis vest and shirt still smokin'
When he rode back that mornin',
Dobie swung up on his back,
To change his shirt and vest,
Leaned forward with that fryin' pan
A circle red and three dots
And gave him one more whack.
Was branded on Dobe's chest:
That bronco's knees, was wobblin'
We called him Circle Three Dot
But Dobie had the cure
And he made that mark his brand.
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
He showed that bay just who was boss
A heap o' critters wore it,
And that was certain sure.
Fore he quit this big skied land.
It turns out, with a fryin' pan,
Dobe's ride became a legend
or Dobie was a champ.
In the hist'ry of the west.
A rhythm was developin'
And ol' Charlie Russell's paintin'
As they tore out of camp.
Prob'ly told the story best.
He'd thump that hoss a time or two
He rode a bronc to breakfast
Then spur him stem to stem
But long after of Dobe died
13:07
And then that cast iron skillet
They told of Circle Three Dot
Would get another turn.
And his famous mornin' ride.
That broomtail, he lines out to run.
09/01/89
He knew he'd lost the fight.
We raised a cheer for Dobie
As they flew out of sight.
Me
18 BROWC 10 BREAKFAST
BRONC 10 BREAKFAST 19
Beef All Comes
006
Unsaddle David's Sorrel
From Cellophanes
Unsaddle David's sorrel
If milk all comes from cartons
He'll ride no more these hills.
And pickles come from jars
He's gone to greener pastures
Then green beans sprout from labeled cans
Where ponies take no spills.
And chocolate comes from bars.
Unsaddle David's sorrel
If 'taters come from plastic bags
And lead him to the stall.
And cheese from slices neat
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
Hang up that old gray battered hat
Then eggs all come from styrofoams
His spurs and ropes and all.
And juice from bottles sweet.
Unsaddle David's sorrel
If shoes all come from boxes
And pitch him down some hay.
And flour, it grows in sacks
The world holds better memories
Then beef all comes from cellophanes
"Cause David rode this way.
And wool shirts come from racks.
Now if beef all comes from cellophanes,
And we all know that's true,
13:08
Then 1 wish somebody'd tell me,
What the hell do ranchers do?
09/01/89
20 UNSADDLE DAVID'S SORREL
EFEF ALL COMES FROM CELLOPHANES 21
Ode To LAX
007
(L.A. International Airport)
Noise,
Heat,
People noise,
People heat,
Assaults my ailing ears.
Embroils my throbbing head.
Bumped and jostled,
Burned and blistered,
L. A. International Airported,
L. A. Southern Californiaed,
Attacked by monotoned announcings,
Driven frantic by the steamings,
I think on other things.
1 think on other things.
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
I think on rams along the ridgeline.
I think on cutthroat in the Beartooth.
] think on bulls along the Yellowstone.
I think on glaciers in the sky.
Smog,
I think on mountains in the sunshine.
People smog,
I think on snowfall in the rimrocks.
Insults my suffering nose.
Belched and billowed,
L. A. high speed freewayed,
1 think on home.
Stung by countless sulfured smokescreens,
I think on other things.
13:08
I think on wildflowers at the COW camp.
I think on breezes down the Great Divide.
09/01/89
62 DCE
CDE 70 LAX 63
Ol' Cooky
008
Now, OF Cooky was some ugly
An' he surely weren't no rose.
If you lost him in a stampede
You could find him with your nose.
Cooky wasn't scared of water.
Shoot, he used it ever' day
Makin' coffee, beans and biscuits,
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
But wash in it? No way!!!
Now, I ain't faultin' Cooky.
He could sure 'nuff rustle grub.
ME
But he'd get just plain insulted
At the mention of a tub.
Cooky's apple pie was heaven.
It just seemed some angel's blend.
You really cain't blame Cooky.
Punchers purt' near fought for seconds,
He only had one shirt.
13:09
But they always ate upwind.
We never knowed which parts was cloth
An' which parts grease and dirt.
Cooky's wagon, it was spotless.
Plates and cups was shiny clean.
09/01/89
But you just mention bathin'
An' or Cooky'd get plumb mean.
74 IN COOLY
DISCOODY 75
009
I roped a skunk for Cooky once.
Just did it for a joke!!
When 1 drug him up to Cooky,
Well, I thought that skunk'd choke.
We lost OF Cooky that year.
At a crossin' on the Platte.
MONTANA OF COMMERCE
Chuckwagon tipped in midstream.
We only found his hat.
Ol' Cooky never learned to swim.
A fact, too late found out.
'Course, I always thought if watered right
Ol' Cooky'd prob'ly sprout.
He's likely makin' pine trees, now,
With needles long and green.
13:09
He lived his life in one old shirt,
But he met his Maker clean.
68/10/60
76 OUTCODE
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 ; 7:16PM ;
2022248594-
4566218;# 1
FAX
UNITED STATES SENATOR
MONTANA
CONRAD BURNS
FAX
TO: PEGGY DOOLEY
OFFICE: WHITE HOUSE
PHONE:
DATE: 9-11
TIME:
PAGE 1 OF 19 +7 7
SUBJECT: MONTANA
FROM:
BRYEE Dustman
United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510-2603 (202) 224-2644 FAX (202) 224-8594
SENT
BY:
XEROX
falls to scratch norse.
Telecopier
7017:
9-11-89
;
7:16PM
Bosel. A type of bridle used for
Doughbelly. A hand- or pau-seu
2022248594-
ble of great distance
4566218;# 2
Creaking horses.
calf,
Marks. Cuts made on ears or addi-
changing direction and
Brand. A. design burned on an
Dritt. The act of livestock march-
tional proof of ownership.
quickly.
Animal for identification.
ing in large numbers away from a
Mail-order cowboy. A tenderfoot
Pickup man. A nec
Broomtail. Wild mare.
particulr locality.
in customi-made cowboy regalia and
arena cowboy who rio
Bronce. brenc. Mexican word for
Eating gravel. Being thrown from
Ilmean," shortened to brone or
a bucking brone or wild steer.
"bronk," in cowboy parlance; a vl-
Four footing. Catching an animal
Hous, unbroken horse
by the feet with a rope in order to
Bronco peeler or buster. One
throw same for handling.
Who breaks or gentles or busts a
Fuzz-tail. A wild horse.
horse.
Gentling. Breaking a horse.
Brone-buster. A cowboy who
Glass-eye. A white-eyed horse.
"breaks" brones.
Grabbing the apple. When a
Buckeroo. A cowboy.
brone rider grabs the horn of a saddle
Bucking, buck-jumping. The gy-
to keep from being thrown.
HOLIBAY Plaz
rations of a brone in trying to unseat
Hackmmore. Same as bosal
his rider.
Haxer. Bulldogger's assistant.
OFFICIA
Bulldogger. A steer wrestler.
After bulldogger has leaped from
Bulldogging. Throwing an animal
pony to steer, the hazer, mounted,
by grasping its head and neck, or
picks up former's mount and also pro-
CALINKHC
horns. Originally it meant throwing
tects him from being gored when he
an animal by biting Its lip. Common
releases steer,
reference in rodeo lingo to steer
High roller. Horse that leaps high
wrestling.
when bucking.
Chinks. A type of leather pants
Hobbled stirrup. When tied down
Bunk
protectors; a cross between chaps
under a horse's belly.
and a blacksmith's apron.
Hondo or honde. Eyelet or ring
Chuck wagen. Food and equip-
through which rope passes to make a
ment wagon used on range.
lasso.
With Us.
Cinch. Strap or belt which holds a
Hull. A saddle.
gaddle in place.
Hurricane deck. The saddle seat
We're proud to be designated the
wi
Medical care available
Official Headquarters of the Great
Ch
Montana Centennial Cattle Drive.
as
That means Billings Plaza Holiday
to drive's participants
Inn is where you want to be
Al
during those exciting days in early
re
By TIM GRANSBERY
St. Vincent's flight colors."
September.¹ You'll be our special
W
of The Gazette Stall
St. Vincent Hospital has a medical
guest at one of the finest hotel
is
helicopter emergency flight team,
complexes in the Rocky Mountain
to
S YOU swing into the
Both hospitals will have their emer-
West.
W
A
saddle or settle into the
gency rooms alerted during the drive,
c
Conestoga cockpit on the
according to an extensive plan put
morning of Sept. 4, you
together with their cooperation.
Billings Plaza Holiday Inn is a full-
U
might glance around and
Ross said there will be a medical
service hotel with 317 comfortable
y
Spot cowgirls and cowboys wearing
team - an advanced critical life sup-
guest rooms - two restaurants . two
d
mauve and blue bandannas.
port nurse, an EMT and a doctor -
They are the good guys and gals.
lounges . indoor pool - hot tub
-
THE large, volunteer contingent of
for every 15 to 20 wagons. Each will
(forses, doctors and emergency medi-
be equipped with two-way radios. A
and a complete health club facility
cal technicians are going on the Big
base station at the top of the Divide
Drive of '89.
in the Bull Mountains will be set up so
And, while It, does not equal an
that radio communications will be
Army MASH unit sagebrush surg-
unhindered.
any is NOT planned - the emergency
Ross said four emergency medical
tãedical services available to partici-
teams with a packer will accompany
pants will be the best around during
the drovers moving the herd itself. A
Holiday Inn:
the Great Montana Centennial Cattle
medical wagon, staffed with RNs,
Drive.
radio and emergency equipment will
BILLINGS PLAZA
N/We want to let participants know
move with the riders and the wagon
that we are going to be out there,"
train,
said Jim Ross, an EMT from
Ross said the group hopes to have
off I-90, Exit 446
Roundup.
National Guard helicopters available
West Billings Interchange
"There will be emergency medical
for medivac. Four four-wheel drive
personnel on the drive. The bandan-
248-7701 or 800/637-3670
Suburbans manned by fire depart-
nils will serve as a badge of recog.
ment personnel will also be available
nition The mauve is from Deaconers
at certain points along the route, said
Medical Center, and the blue is from
Ross.
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:16PM ;
2022248594-
4566218;# 3
uring branding time.
devoid of range experience.
Maveriek. An unbranded animal
le, continuous, line
more than 1 year old. (The term is
only to the lead
said to be derived from a Taxas
jerk line string is
rancher named Samuel Maverick,
who refused to brand his cattle.)
2 horse.
Musteng. A type of small range
Harry and Eva Pearson of Worden participated in one of
at of the Spanish
horse.
Open brand. A brand not framed
the many pre-drive events, a centennial cattle auction.
chers who patrol
or boxed.
the brone after the 10-second whistle,
Richa. A rawhide rope; lasso;
tries of a large
Outriding. Inspecting parts of
grabs the animals and assists the
rope; lariat.
range distant from headquarters.
contestant off.
Rodeo. An exibition of riding, Γop-
Palamido, Palamine. A cream-
Plate. A spotted horse.
ing, etc.
ling to the saddle
colored horse with flaxen mane and
Pitching. Same as "bucking" or
Rodera. A roundup.
tail.
"buck-jumping."
Resudero. A wide, leather shield
addle horse capa-
Peg horse. Saddle horse proficient
Pothooks. Spurs.
sewn to pack of a stirrup leather.
@ and speed.
in stopping suddenly in his tracks,
Pulling leather. Holding onto
Rough string. Unbroken horses.
de on ears or addi-
changing direction and starting again
saddle with the hand while riding a
Roundup. To herd to a single point
ership.
quickly.
bucking animal, prohibited by rules
all animals within territory over
boy. A tenderfoot
Pickup mem. A necessary rodeo
of all contests and scorned by all real
which operation extends.
swboy regalia and
arena cowboy who rides alongside
cowboys.
ANTIQUES
and
COLLECTIBLES
Take home a piece of
Plaza
INN
Montana History at a
HOLIBAY
reasonable price.
OFFICIAL
OXFORD ANTIQUES
TBUNKHOUSE!!
2411 Montana Ave.
248-2094 or 656-5711
unk
-
REWARD
ith Us.
New
Lower
proud to be designated the
with sauna. Families are pampered!
Headauariers of the Great
Children occupving the same room
Insurance
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:17PM
2022248594-
456621
DERI 01 consuer over au puring
5.04PM
SENDURNSE INGSUFF-
00111 d
Wagon leader
sad to see end
By DENNED GAUS
Ol The Genette Stall
"
OST PARTICIPANTS
I wish the city
M
in the Great Montans
limits would
Centennial Cattle
have been
Drive smiled about 500-
ing the end of the trail
another 50
and city amenities on Saturday.
miles down the
But, some had bitterswest feelings
about trading horses for motorized
road.
vehicles Saturday in Billings.
-Dave Stephens
was too soon," said wagen
wages muster
master Dave Stephens, & dry-land
wheat farmer from Dutton. "I what
"
the city limits would have been AB-
other 00 milse down the road.
If someone decided to stage anoth-
or esttle and wagon drive next week,
"rd say as percent of the people felt
"Td do 18 - provided my wife would
that way - that we should head over
let me," said Kremer, whose wife is
the bill and head for Cody."
recovering from surgery.
Stephens' wagon was among about
The two Dutton men said Roundup
170 wagons that completed the drive
residents deserve credit for banding
at the PAYS stockyard; the other 30
together to give the drive a high-spir-
finished at Metra. All had partici-
Ited launch.
pated in a parade through Billings
The start last weekend was valu-
Heights Saturday morning, along
able in another way, Stephens said.
with 2,700 cattle and 8,400 riders.
"I think the good Lord gave us A
When the horses came to a halt, "It
little challenge on Sunday night when
was anti-climatic," Stephens said.
we got three-tenths of an Iach (of
"We're in here and the drive is over.
rain) in a couple hours," he said
"There's something at Metra (the
"That told us to pound our stakes
Lee Greenwood concert Saturday
desper and tie our ropes tighter.
night), but these people aren't party-
"It was enough to say, keep your
goods. That's for whoop-'er-upcers.
ast together," Stephens said.
These people keep to themselves," he
said.
Many cattle drive participants
was farm and ranch people "used to
Stephens and a member of his wag-
horess and outdoor ways. When the
on contingent, George Kremer,
hills got steep, they just lightened the
praised the six-day event, which
load," he said. Or, said Kremer, "we
brought people and riders 60 miles
talked to the horses a little louder."
from Roundup to Billings without
Stephens, 41, a veteran of & couple
major setbacks.
earlier wagon trips, called the drive
"It was smooth as milk," Stephene
"the greatest experience of my life-
said "It worked like clockwork."
time.'
Kremer, who operation a welding
He signed up early for the Latigo
and metal-repair shop in Dutton and
Corporganised event, getting a par-
leases out his cropland, and the drive
tigipant number of 86.
drew strength from Its ranks.
"I've been at # two years, rebuild.
"The teason It came off is people
ing the wagen and getting the horses
willing to pitch in and make It hap-
ready." he said.
pen. They had good cooperation."
"I'm & bellever," Stephens said.
Spect
By CLAIR JOHNSON
and BITA
or The Genetts Staff
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:19PM
2022248594->
4566218;# 5
IN GRANCREST
the organization of the drive were
brother Troy rode with parents
The Gueste Stall
the matrix of success.
Jock and Kathy,
Jenkins praised the courtesy
"One boy had to stay home If
NYONE who
among the participants.
he wanted to play football," said
lan't smiling on
"There were a lot of Doubting
Jock McDowell, who used to spend
this drive,
Thomases' said Jenkins. "Last
his Labor Day's winning the saddle-
came without
night people were coming up
brone competition at the Dillon
one."
wanting to sign on for the rest of
Rodeo.
Barb Anderson, of Helena, was
the drive."
Several members of the family
standing in the show line with her
Hs described Thursday's
were in the drive, he said. Both
family Friday morning under the
Family Night activities as
Troy and Jamie said "Nope" when
Budweiser tent, That's how ats
"Western Woodstock."
saked if the cattle drive would
summed up the Grast Montana
That night, an estimated 20,000
happen again. The children have to
Centennial Cattle Drive.
people drove north of town to rub
submit a report to their teachèrs as
Yellow rain alickers and
dusty shoulders with the 2,400
part of getting out of school.
dusters were dress of the day.
riders and 200 wagon contingents
Troy may spend future Labor
Gentle rain dripping from the tant
camped on the prairies beneath a
Days riding in Dillon. When asked if
edge competed with quiet
large butte. They attended &
he was going to ride brones like his
conversation over the morning
ovening of Western music and
dad, he said. "Yeh Hopefully."
paper and coffee.
humor.
"It was a most pictureaque
The Big Drive of '09 was four
Another 5,000 people were
ride yesterday," said Dusty
days gone, and the participants are
turned away. Traffic going to the
Dunbar, of West Yellowatone.
sure they took part in a once-in-a-
wagon circles tied up traffic for
"If 1 have any complaint, I
lifetime affair.
hours.
wish we could have seen more of
The Cattle Drive ended
"I don't own a pair of
the main herd," she said. "Maybe
Saturday with a parade of the trail
Birtrenstock"s," said Susan
get a shift riding with the herd for
herd down Main Street in Billings
Lachman, of Missoula. She was
three hours"
Heights.
refering to & brand of sandals
"And I want to see my cow,"
WIII it happen again?
popular with the laid-back crowd
she said with a laugh
"No. Never."
that probably doesn't own cowboy
Those participants who did not
Do you think there are those
beats either.
own cattle could rent a cow to put
who are sorry they didn't come?
Lachman and her cousin Lisa
in the herd. Dunbar would like to
"You better believe it,' said
Stelling from Leadore, Idaho, rode
know what It looked like.
Loren Jenkins, of Big Bandy.
in the drive.
The cohesiveness of the wagon
Anderson said, There are # lot
"I feel sorry for the people who
circles and the riders were on Nell
of people knocking their heads for
could not make 1t" said Stelling.
McCasiin's mind.
not being here."
"And I don't think they could make
"I love 16" he said. "The
Jonkins, riding as a
it happen again."
comradery, the neighbor helping
participant, attended the first
The registered nurse grow up
neighber, the old people telling
organizational meeting in Great
in Dear Lodge, she said,
history makes it all worth It."
Falls last year. "I thought # was a
The past couple of days had
Like the original longhorns,
good idea then, and in Roundup last
been dusty and dry on the trail.
Paul Martin of Billings, came up
Saturday it was just tramendous to
Lachman said that one member of
from Texas.
see."
her wagon circle wanted to know if
He bolled it down to three
"The people made this work,"
she "had A valve stom for my lips,
items: "Great time, great people
he said. "Everyone on this train,
they were to swellen," she gold.
and the greatest thing I've
they came here determined to
A good number of children
participated in my life.
show that it could be done."
were on the drive, Riding hornes,
"Everyone has worked like a
Jenkins schood the belief of
wagons and working in the herds.
team of horses getting in the
most that the people at all levels of
Jamie McDowell and her
collar."
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:20PM
2022248594->
4566218;# 6
Drive rooted in wonder
The Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive is a
and Bitterroots. Dig down in the loam and clay and
web of energy undulating across the prairie north of
allt of long-dead oceans to the tap roots of modern
Montana and you'll find men and horses and cattle.
GAZETTE
The Great Montana Centennial
Dig into the soils of Eu-
Cattle Drive The Big Drive of 89
rope and Asia and Aus-
OPINION
tralla and Africa, and
Billings.
you'll find the bones of
Like the black holes of
89
men and horses and cattle.
outer space, it sucks pas-
The drive is primal,
sersby into its maw, sends
driven by the beat of
& million volts through
horse's hooves and a coun-
their bodies and minds
try band and set to grins
and spits them out on the
wide as the Montana sky.
prairie again, dazed, dum-
The Great Montana
founded and with a ally
Centennial Cattle Drive is
grin on their faces.
an affirmation of life, of
This drive is larger
the stubbornness and crea-
than life. a figgawatt jolt
tivity and grit-your teeth-
on the empty of Has
and attitude that
tern Montana, big enough
prevails here.
to raise hair on the napes
It is drawn from a
of necks in the Soviet
common pool of the stuff
Union and France and
that makes Billings the
Norway and Canada and
Sept. 4-9, 1989
Magic City.
all points south.
We owe our thanks to
It is a celebration of
all the people who
what has been and what in and what will be.
dreamed this dream and then turned it into reality.
Dig past Montana's buffalo grass and wild rose
Despite the odds and adversity and opposition, they
gave us something to build memories on.
When times tough
who will be on hand to provide them W
parts and service. Only an idiot buys
mething that can't be serviced locally. A
only an Idiot buys from any company tl
demonstrates that it considers its repres
this company runs
tatives and customers expendable in t
times.
Case-IH is & combined company II
and owned by Tenneco - whoever that
The reputation of every big company
During the devastating 1950's drought wh
rests primarlly on the people who represent
Guest columnist
hit the whole country, I wonder If alti
It to the public. Fat cate in & board room
Case or International Harvester had
might make policy, but # is the man on the
licies such as those that rule their roost ni
local scene who attracts customers and who
1 don't think so. If they had, X doubt that 3
keeps them.
Beulah
would find a piece of Case or IH equipm
anywhere in the country today - some
Cliff Hanson of Hanson Implement in
Tufton
years later - if they hadn't stuck by th
Welf Point has spent A lot of years building
dealers and customers then Farmers de
up and maintaining the reputation of J.I.
forget who treats them like dirt.
Case-International Harvester in northeas-
J.I. Case, International Harvester
tern Moutana and western North Dakota.
once highly respected names. All it taker
His customers knew they could rely on our
whether it was in the middle of the night,
words?
a few short-sighted people in the power pt
tions in some fer-off city to curn them 11
Sunday. or whenever. He was proud of No
Will It be your state to be hit by pro-
the Edsel of agriculture. Case-IH seems
product and he Was proud of the service he
longed drought next? Your state to have its
have an over-abundance of short-sight
delivered.
implement dealers shut down, told "we don't.
idiots.
Well, in August, Cliff got his reward
need you"? After enough states have last
Our immediate problem is the clost
from this company he's served no faithfully
their small town deplarahips, how long will It
of our Case-IH dealer but how long 16
for BO many years. They took away bis des-
be before Case-IH factories begin to cut
going to be before the small-town dealers
lership because he ham't sold enough new
back or close, laying off workers, because
other machinery manufacturers get the 8
equipment. The fact that this entire region
demand for their products is way down?
from other board receme? How long are
eathe to att still and see our local access
Any pm X
fife called
me
4566218;#
COITT G3:# 6
carrazy
couses
and have been X business for 52 juggling for parking spaces.
Main Street.
Crowds pack Heights businesses around the clock
freshly linked rolls and desgliments into the
The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of
give display case.
THEY came to watch
Foreign Wars, Billings Heights Post 6779, aid
Contrast
We started frying at 10 CLIIL Friday and never
Milke Frank and liruthers Dave and Mark
cottee and donts for = cents each from
Caffle Drive or d'abaday andred
stopped trying until 10:30 LIL Saturday
Beaton, all of RElings, decided to rate come
under a traller meeting.
2022248594->
quick each for college by melling cattle direct
been
suid
Jamice
Bob Pribyl
Caffientive programs for $ nine were sell-
T-abirts they and bill designed and printed by
Elmer's
Pancake
Donth Hole owner
well.
at
Subtot's in
beyond
"
Frank mid Indness was good Saturday
Restruems were a demani, too. The line at
morning as the time of thema sold shirts from
the Cenek Convenience Store at Withs Lane
The
restaurant,
which
had
its
employees
be said between 18,000 and
and 28 will an do use of our
under a imp untrells in front of Four Sea-
and Main Street was four deop before the pe-
day overnight to best the expected heavy
% hours.
better days
- Shopping Center. They expected to sell
rade began. People also were lined up at the
traffle,
had
plauned
in
spening
at
Kneger
said.
stated frying at 10 am. Friday
Dont
Holls
200
two portable tollete set up in the parking Rt.
The
consistently
boy
"But
trying until 10:30 as
through the sight and be and his employees
Business at the Mark City Antomatic
Businesses that assually are closed will
at
people wanted in,
said
Pritigi,
who
keyt
his
were
out
when
Truck & Car Wash, calling Street "De Comple
later ha the morning, opened early to
said.
finally
showed
I
packed
mill,
about
II
1
the
clock
for
the
ky
help
dil
keeping
Cleaney Crew,'
picked
d
1
remained
mindate spectation.
the
pleady after throsive
Weady's Nate Street opened at
writing
the
come
onne
have
1
Saturday,
grand
doughmith
the
Dont
be
said,
to)
order
opened at 1:39
Bob
Pribyle profits
the
building
R
wanted
suid
erably.
THE
From
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:21PM
BY:Senator Conrad_Burns 9-11-89 3:36PM
$
were
touthmunity
patting
trays
really Bloging
been la the past
28 lb. box
M Lipoit
0011
$89
oolsiOL
ZO 2
SENT
SIAMDI
DISSUD
LOWER
MEIN
4566218;# 8
SUPER VALU PHOTO CENTER
28 lb. box
£ twitt
2022248594->
THE BILLINGS-GAZETTE
Great Falls Strike
38
4B
Drive of '89
Section
Tax appraisals
More region news.
B
1D
Sunday, Soptember 10, 1939
SENT BY: XEROX Telecopier 7017; 9-11-89 7:22PM
Now wasn't that something!'
NM
CHARGEST
But Still
Alexander Read north of Billege and called at the city's
two livesteck ametion yards.
At the junction of Alexpader Road and lighty 87,
The wagesters and riskers got in line stead of the land and
ench of the wagen circles, coded by color, and their risers,
"I know there were skepties," reid Stevel "But I know
passed smartly.
we could de It all the the Usen:
FECE AND the faces of Mentress paraded
west through town at a brink clip. That was 20 keep the
down Main Street Saladay morning as the herd
bard from backing up and willing around, creating potice-
Contraire was country mostly alicharie and desters.
"It went smooth, be mid. The salaquit, it W.B cool and
of cattle from the Great Mentana Centernial
tial problems
At the crest of the MI, the catile appeared, Ind by the
E had the liest real combeys in the world"
Cettle Dive ended the Simlle jurney from
"I feel proud" said Jay Street, the trail leass for the
two steem that were rending the point when the drive be
The drovers hoseght about 2,300 head through term. One
Roundap
drive,
- this week.
hundred fily were fracked, being unit for the perade for
Mg drive of F began Manday,
On Expirday worning, everyone was prond proud of
The - parted the gray afored on the easteris berizen
vanious reasons, Two - dul, one killed before the
themetives, their animals and their state.
to the on the cilimination of a project that began in the
drive and the other stick, Two calves were bone. Both are
The chiceled jaws of bandwarking men, expered is the
fall of 1997.
b the years with their mothers, Stowall will
elements, predenninated. The shople, limit elegant style of
It was mining when the catile drive crewd went to bed
Friday night, with heavy rain and whod Dasughout the
Speciators urepe generals with fair praise of the drue
Stovall was recompanied - the doe by his will and
system WORDENG and the smiles of seme very young
children graced the ranks of the largest gallering of
early
"Thank you, thanks for the slow." Friends and
consi and a Misson Tyler was injured FEE
in the state's history.
A bagle revelle called the riders and wagons to break-
acquidationes guisted each other along the male.
day and mind the concerning of the drive, spending &
of the 2,403 riders, 2,500 and 200 wagnes
limit at 4am A mist was still taking.
Throngh the efforts of Invoiceds of winnteers, working
facility is the hospital
There WES - dailying It was all business to get the
thousands of hours and speading large amounts of their
"The drive week smooth, and Iny Stevell.
passed through a throug of speciators that began at be
homes ready to go.
own money, the dream of State Lynde, Barry MeWillizons
and Two Wearipmer case about
One 1 secured # BY for just about every body
AUG-31-'89 13:48 ID:MONT GOVERNORS OFF
TEL NO:406 444 5529
#245 P01
State of Montana
Office of the Governor
Gelena, Montana 59620
406-444-3111
STAN STEPHENS
GOVERNOR
DATE:
8/31/89
TO:
Peggy Dooley
FROM:
marge Hennah
RE:
FAX TRANSMISSION
Number of pages in transmission (including this one)
2
Please call (406) 444-3111, if there are any problems.
Our FAX number is (406) 444-5529. Our FAX is an Omnifax G38
automatic.
HUG-31-'89 13:49 ID:MONT GOVERNORS OFF
TEL NO:406 444 5529
#245 P02
THE
EST
STATE
State of Montana
Office of the Governor
Gelena, Montana 59620
THE
405-444-3111
STAN STEPHENS
GOVERNOR
STAN STEPHENS
Official Biography
Stan Stephens, a Calgary, Alberta born businessman serving his first
term as Montana governor, has worked in all phases of broadcasting. His
38 year broadcast career has involved news and editorial writing along
with announcing for radio operations in Canada, Korea and the United
States. He has also served as chief executive officer for three cable TV
systems in Montana.
During his broadcast career, Stephens received many state and
national awards for excellence in news and editorial writing. Most notable
is his 1975 Edward R. Murrow award for journalistic excellence in editorials
uncovering a scandal in Montana's Workers' Compensation Program.
He represented his home community of Havre In the Montana Senate
for 16 years starting in 1969. He is the only Montana legislator elected by
his peers to every leadership position in the senate. He served as Senate
Republican Floor Whip in 1977, majority leader in 1979 and 1981, Senate
President in 1983 and minority leader in 1985.
He retired from the Montana Senate in 1986. That same year he was
recognized by the National Republican Legislators Association as one of the
country's ten most outstanding state lawmakers,
In January of 1987, Stephens announced as a candidate for Montana
Governor and was elected in November of 1988. His four year term as the
state's 19th chief executive includes presiding as the Centennial Governor
in 1989.
Stephens married Ann Hanson of Havre in 1954. They have two
daughters, Lannie Gillin of Great Falls and Carol Donaldson of Missoula.
Their five grandchildren include Stephen, Ann, Teri, Tammie and Richard.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Peggy
\
Could you
chaft a cover
Hispanic - Remarks?
memo for
Thanks. !
Dan
3800H 910HW OKT
MOTORIM8AW
EPA 70m Super
382-7957
ant Selma Suina
343-4203
ino programs in MT?
)
624-5871
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Lange M Montuna:
EPA list of
Conservatimist actions
by S tade?
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
2
19TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1987 The Times Mirror Company;
Los Angeles Times
June 17, 1987, Wednesday, Home Edition
SECTION: Part 1; Page 1; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 7152 words
HEADLINE: MAN'S DOMINANT RAW MATERIAL;
THE VANISHING FORESTS;
NEED FOR WOOD FORESTALLED CONSERVATION
SERIES: THE VANISHING FORESTS: SECOND IN A SERIES. Next: The consequences of
deforestation.
BYLINE: By A. KENT MacDOUGALL, Times Staff Writer
BODY:
When the Carthaginian explorer Hanno sailed down the Atlantic Coast of Africa
about 520 BC, he recorded seeing great fires inland for days on end, accompanied
at night by the terrifying sounds of drums, gongs and wind instruments.
"Although Hanno failed to comprehend their nature, these fires must have been
due to the annual 'burning of the bush' to beat back the forest and provide land
for agriculture and grazing," according to the late botanist Wendell H. Camp.
"Thus we have evidence that for at least 2 1/2 millennia ---- and how much longer
we shall never know --- great forest tracts in Africa have probably been
regularly despoiled by fires purposely set by man, much as they are today."
Fires and other destructive human activities contributed significantly to the
desertification of the Sahel Zone, the coast of which Hanno skirted, long before
the recent. droughts, population pressures and overgrazing usually cited as the
culprits.
So it goes around the world and through the ages. Just about everywhere
humans have lived they have been hard on forests. This is true of migratory
bands of primitive hunters and gatherers presumed to be in tune with nature, and
it is even truer of today's sophisticated, supposedly enlightened industrial
civilizations.
Cutting trees without much regard for their replacement has been the rule
throughout recorded history. Not until the late 18th Century in Europe and the
mid-20th Century in the United States did the practice of cultivating and
restocking forests take hold. And this progressive step has largely been offset
by the advent of modern machines able to mow down forests quickly and industrial
processes that poison them inadvertently.
If the world ever ran out of forests, it would be no small matter, given the
central role wood has occupied in human affairs. Without the warmth and shelter
provided by wood, humans could not have survived and flourished in northern
latitudes. Wood has been the dominant construction and industrial raw material
for nearly all of recorded history. The production of mineral wealth through
mining and metallurgy has depended on wood. And wooden ships dominated the seas
for several thousand years, permitting Europe to colonize much of the world.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
3
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Five causes of deforestation that have been pervasive around the world and
through the ages, and that continue today, are the use and abuse of forests to
farm, graze livestock, provide timber, supply firewood and wage war.
Farming
Long before they developed tools capable of clearing forests, primitive
people used fire to thin them out and beat them back in an effort to improve the
yield of food and fodder.
Historians say that people have set fires in forests from time immemorial to
clear away underbrush and make it easier to find nuts on the ground and dig for
edible roots and tubers. Fire also has been used to improve the harvest of
berries and to encourage willows and hazels to sprout and produce pliable shoots
for basket weaving.
Hunters have used fire to open up dense forests that conceal animal and human
enemies, thereby improving visibility and making hunting safer. They have set
fires both to drive game out of the woods into ambush and to create grassy
clearings to which game is attracted by succulent new forage and the salt
content of ashes.
Some ecologists maintain that centuries of burning by primitive people
created and maintained such great grasslands as the savannas of Africa, the
steppes of Eastern Europe and Russia, and the pampas of Argentina. Some think
American Plains Indians enlarged the Great Plains by firing forests to expand
the range of the buffalo. They point to the fact that northwestern Illinois and
southwestern Wisconsin were mostly prairie when first visited by white explorers
but reverted to forest when the Indians were driven out.
Avoiding Swinging an AX
Forest-dwelling American Indians used fire to clear plots for farming. First
they gouged a strip around the trunk of each tree, preventing the sap from
flowing and mortally wounding the tree. Then they planted corn under the
leafless tree, later cutting it down and burning it to make a better field.
White settlers followed the Indian practice, girdling trees to spare themselves
the backbreaking toil of swinging an ax day after day.
Although the Indians who farmed clearings in the dense forest that blanketed
the Eastern United States generally lay lightly on the land, forest farmers in
many other parts of the world were much more destructive. Take Hawaii, for
instance. The Polynesians who arrived about AD 700 slashed and burned large
swatches of lowland forest (especially between 1300 and 1700, when their numbers
burgeoned) to plant crops and provide fodder for their pigs and thatch for their
houses.
Contrary to the common assumption that the Polynesians' impact was minimal,
their forest clearing caused widespread soil erosion. And in combination with
hunting and the introduction of pigs, chickens, dogs and -- inadvertently --
rats, deforestation had a devastating effect on the ecology, wiping out a third
to a half of the known species of snails and birds by the time the Europeans
arrived in 1778.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
4
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Humans suffer with other species when fragile rain forest environments are
overtaxed. Some scholars trace the collapse of the Mayan civilization in Central
America about AD 900 to population pressures that caused overcropping, erosion
and a decline in the land's productivity.
Soils in the Tropics
Tropical moist forests are generally less productive when cleared for farms
and pastures than temperate forests. With most nutrients tied up in the
vegetation, tropical forest soils are generally unsuitable for continued crop
farming. But they will support crops for several years when enriched by the
ashes of trees that are felled and burned. If the plots are then allowed to lie
fallow and regain fertility for 20 years or so, they can again grow crops.
Shifting slash-and-burn cultivation is environmentally sustainable when there
are limited numbers of people and they have room to move from place to place,
leaving the wounded forest behind for time and nature to heal. But when
populations grow too dense and the land is overused, the forest loses its
recuperative capacity, often degenerating into scrub.
That's what is happening today in many Third World countries, as landless
peasants desperately attempt to farm forest soils permanently. Environmentalists
say farmers are the leading cause of tropical deforestation, more so than timber
loggers, cattle grazers or firewood gatherers. "Amounting to roughly one in 20
of all people on Earth, these farmers represent the most pervasive form of
environmental degradation overtaking the tropics,' according to Norman Myers,
author of "The Primary Source: Tropical Forests and Our Future."
To be fair, most of these forest farmers have little choice. In tropical
countries, wealthy people typically own and occupy most of the best land -- the
river valleys and the gentle slopes. This relegates peasants to small
subsistence plots and marginal areas. As single-crop plantations and cattle
ranches have expanded in recent decades to meet growing demand by the elite and
exports to rich countries, millions of tenant farmers have been squeezed out,
joining an army of landless seasonal laborers. Many head for the only "free"
land left --- the forest.
Taking the Easier Path
Just as the U.S. government encouraged white settlers to take over the
American frontier from the Indians, the current governments of Brazil, Indonesia
and some other developing countries seek to secure national sovereignty over
remote forests by colonizing them. They have found it easier to hand out land
occupied by forest tribes who can't stand up to modern weapons than to
redistribute already cultivated, generally more suitable, farmland owned by the
wealthy elite.
"Rain forests are often used by governments as safety valves to defuse
pressure for land reform," according to Catherine Caufield, author of "In the
Rainforest." "The true cause of agricultural settlement in rainforests is often
inequitable land distribution rather than simple overpopulation."
There's no question that tropical deforestation began long before
overpopulation became a factor. Indeed, the large areas of the Caribbean and
North, Central and South America that Europeans deforested in the 16th to 19th
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
5
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
centuries were 50 underpopulated that slaves were brought in from Africa to
provide essential labor.
New World forests disappeared in favor of cotton, sugar, coffee, rice and
banana plantations. In West Africa, it was cotton and peanuts. In northeastern
India, it was tea. And in Burma, the British transformed the forested Irrawaddy
Delta into the world's greatest rice-exporting area.
Shift in Cotton Production
Deforestation accelerated in the 19th Century along with the spread of
imperialism and the expanding world market. The U.S. Civil War, by cutting off
Southern cotton exports and increasing the price of cotton on the world market,
prompted much deforestation in western India.
"The rapid expansion of monocrop commodity production in the 19th and early
20th centuries in the world's colonies and dependencies was one of the primary
reasons for today's dangerous imbalance between the First World and Third
World," according to historians Richard P. Tucker and John F. Richards,
co-editors of "Global Deforestation and the 19th Century World Economy."
A case can be made, for instance, that Brazil's northeast is economically
depressed because much of it was deforested by the end of the 19th Century for
sugar and coffee. Similarly, one of the reasons Haiti is the most deforested
(and poorest) country in the Western Hemisphere is that its forests fell to
sugar, coffee and cotton.
Although no longer a colonial dependency, Hawaii has followed the typical
Third World development pattern, losing its forests to sugar, coffee and
pineapple fields, many of which have subsequently been abandoned with rising
labor costs and glutted world markets. Hawaiian ecologist Frederick R. Warshauer
fumes: "Hawaii is a colony of the United States. It's locked into an
import-export economy that is harmful to both the environment and the state's
economy.'
Export-Oriented Agriculture
Of course, the continental United States also practices export-oriented
agriculture, much of it also at the expense of forests, to produce wheat, corn,
rice, cotton, soybeans and other crops mainly for sale to other affluent
countries that can afford to buy them rather than to hungry countries that
can't.
More than 5 million acres of forest in the lower Mississippi River Valley
from southern Missouri to southern Louisiana have been cleared since 1950. The
major replacement has been soybeans, much in demand here and in Europe as a
livestock and poultry feed.
The federal government has facilitated the deforestation with drainage and
dredging projects to dry out the low-lying, seasonally flooded land, tax
deductions for land clearing and drainage expenses, low-interest loans that
encourage farmers to expand operations and subsidized crop insurance to reduce
the risk.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS R
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
6
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Environmentalists oppose the conversion of these so-called bottomland
hardwood forests as increasing marginal farmland at the expense of excellent
wetland and wildlife habitat. And even some government officials agree.
"In the long haul, it was not a good idea," says Stanley L. Krugman, director
of timber management research for the U.S. Forest Service. "Serious floods and
soil loss have resulted. A lot of soybean fields have reverted to flood plain,
while the soil has washed away into the Gulf (of Mexico).'
Wheat production also has been expanded at the expense of trees, again with
government encouragement. In the early 1970s, when the Soviet Union ran short of
grain and made its first large purchase of U.S. wheat, Agriculture Secretary
Earl Butz exhorted farmers to plant their land from "fence row to fence row" to
maximize production. Forgetting the hard lesson of the past, thousands made room
for more wheat and big new farm machinery by tearing out rows of trees, many of
them planted as windbreaks after the 1930s Dust Bowl. As a result, parched
topsoil once again was gone with the wind.
Grazing
Herders are hard on forests, too. They have a tradition of hacking down trees
to provide fodder for their hungry cattle, sheep and goats, and of starting
forest fires to replace trees and shrubs with tender young sprouts and grass.
Where they spare the woods but pasture livestock in it, their heavy-hooved
cattle trample small trees, expose tree roots to the extremes of heat and cold,
cave in stream banks and accelerate soil erosion. Sheep eat grass and other
plants down to the roots. And goats, preferring to browse on shrubs and trees,
pick them clean when given the chance.
"Goats made permanent the deforestation of thousands of square miles of
Mediterranean hillsides by eating every seedling tree that ventured to show its
head, until there were no more left," University of Denver historian J. Donald
Hughes says in "Ecology in Ancient Civilizations."
When Europeans colonized the New World, they took with them their destructive
propensity to allow herds to overgraze. AS a result, large areas became as
treeless as the Mediterranean hillsides they had left behind.
Today, pastoralists and their herds are on the defensive in many Third World
regions, as expanding plantation agriculture squeezes them onto smaller and less
favorable grazing ranges. Reflecting the ability of sheep and goats to get along
on less favorable forage than cattle, African herders have responded by
increasing their sheep and goat herds three times faster than the cattle
population since 1970. Given goats' propensity to devour tree shoots and
seedlings, this has helped increase the continent's deforestation rate.
Ranchers Move On
In tropical rain forests, pasturing cattle not only damages the forest but,
like farming, is usually unsustainable. AS environmentalist Myers points out,
"Formerly forested soils quickly become exhausted of nutrients, and pastures
feature poorer and poorer grass unless they receive ever greater amounts of
fertilizer." Toxic weeds invade. Soil erodes. And ranchers move on to another
patch of forest.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
7
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Such "shifting ranching" helps Third World countries earn foreign exchange
when the beef is exported. But in Central America, where cattle raising remains
the leading cause of deforestation, beef exports and revenues have fallen
sharply since 1979. The drop reflects revolutionary Nicaragua's shift from
raising cattle for export to growing food crops for domestic consumption; the
fighting there and in E1 Salvador, and declining beef consumption in the United
States.
The United States has its own huge cattle population, and it has been doing
its share of deforestation for their benefit. In the Southwest, the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land Management cleared several million acres of pinon
pine and juniper woodlands on federal land during the 1950s, '60s and '70s in an
attempt to increase grass and water for cattle grazing.
Dragging Anchor Chain
The usual method was for two bulldozers moving abreast to drag a ship's
anchor chain between them, uprooting trees in their path. But chaining
demolished countless Indian archeological sites, undermined the self-employment
of Indians who collected pinon pine nuts for sale and helped radicalize outraged
Paiutes and Soshones. Chaining also was ineffective in increasing water yield or
grazing forage in many areas. And because the chain passed over seedlings and
saplings, allowing them to spring back and survive, it didn't even get rid of
the woodlands permanently.
"In some places, clearing increased range productivity and the impact on
other things was low enough" to justify chaining, says R. Max Peterson, who
retired as chief of the Forest Service earlier this year. "In other areas,
removing juniper-pinon didn't make environmental or economic sense. In
hindsight, we had twice as much juniper-pinon clearance as we should have."
Chaining continues today, but on a vastly reduced scale. The Bureau of Land
Management in Utah, for one, says it is chaining much smaller blocks, following
natural contours more often, and leaving islands of unchained woodlands to
protect wildlife.
Timber
Humans have been logging forests to provide timber for thousands of years.
In ancient Greece, after deforestation made wood scarce, large stone and
brick buildings still needed wooden beams, rafters, doors and roof shingles.
Even the stone Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages were heavily dependent on
wood scaffolding, cranes and windlasses to raise the stones.
London and Paris were wooden cities until deforestation forced substitution
by stone, brick and tile. When London was rebuilt after the fire of 1666
consumed 12,000 houses, wood was 50 scarce it had to be imported from Norway and
the Baltic region.
The pines of Muskegon, Mich., built Chicago twice - before and after the
great fire of 1871. And forests as far south as Big Sur were logged to provide
lumber to rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
8
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Construction in timber-rich America was often wasteful. Log cabins used whole
logs, which saved sawing but wasted wood. Gingerbread Victorian houses with
elaborate, superfluous ornamentation used wood extravagantly, to the delight of
lumber merchants who distributed architectural plans promoting the style.
Less-wasteful modern designs reflect not only changing public tastes but the
declining abundance of lumber.
Wood-short societies have long looked to better-forested neighbors. Ancient
Egypt, Israel and Babylonia all exploited the forests of Lebanon and Syria.
The Egyptian Pharaohs imported shiploads of Lebanon's cedars to build their
palaces, temples and tombs. King Solomon exchanged wheat and olive oil for the
Lebanese cedars that went into the construction of his temple in Jerusalem.
Burden Goes to Canada
Nowadays, the United States gets a nearly third of its softwood lumber and
three-fifths of its newsprint, among other forest products, from Canada. The
lumber imports are controversial because they reduce U.S. industry profits and
employment. But they also help spare U.S. forests from further depletion.
The search for timber has spurred exploration, conquest and colonization.
When the cedar, pine and cypress that covered their home mountains in Lebanon
and Syria grew scarce, the Phoenicians set sail to exploit the forests of Cyprus
and Crete. After deforesting their own country, the Greeks colonized well-wooded
southern Italy and Sicily. And when the Romans, in turn, ran low on wood, they
depleted the forests of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
More recently, another island nation, Japan, plundered the forests of Taiwan,
Korea and Manchuria in turn. Since the end of World War II, which put a stop
to their taking timber by force, the Japanese have been buying what they need
from Southeast Asia, the United States and other suppliers.
The United States, with vast forests of its own, hasn't needed other nations'
forests to maintain strategic superiority. But it has never been averse to
making money from them. After taking over the Philippines in 1899, the United
States introduced modern logging, clear-cutting virgin forests and introducing
dipterocarp lumber, mistakenly called "Philippine mahogany," to the world
market.
Illegal Logging Rampant
Deforestation of the Philippines has accelerated since the end of World War
II. Presidential decrees have transformed forests used communally by tribal
groups for thousands of years into government property. Then logging companies
have mowed them down. Illegal logging is also rampant. As a result, forest cover
has dropped from 70% of the Philippines' land area in 1900 to about 40% today.
Exploiting public forests for private profit is nothing new, of course. It
has been going on at least since Greek and Roman times. In some cases,
governments have granted or sold timber rights to individuals. In others,
government officials have personally profited.
One all-but-forgotten case involves Hawaiian kings and the Yankee ship
captains who as early as 1790 saw an opportunity to profit from the islands'
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
9
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
extensive stands of sandalwood trees, whose fragrant oily heartwood was then in
great demand in China and India.
The captains tempted King Kamehameha and his successors to exploit the
sandalwood in exchange for such items as an $800 looking glass and $10,000 brass
cannon. The kings also wanted some of the white man's sailing ships and paid for
them with an equal or double amount of sandalwood.
By 1836, the sandalwood was exhausted. Slow-growing and unresponsive to
nursery propagation, sandalwood exists today only in scattered remnants, a
reminder of the shortsightedness of opportunistically mining forests for export
earnings with no thought to sustained yield.
Conscripting commoners to find, cut and haul timber wasn't limited to Hawaii.
The Chinese emperors of old used to burn the palaces of their predecessors, then
order fabulous replacements with proclamations mobilizing peasants into
deforestation crews.
Mechanization of timber harvesting makes logging less labor-intensive
nowadays. But it also increases its destructiveness. Consider the situation in
California. When the horses and oxen that used to skid logs from the woods to
small sawmills were replaced by steam locomotives, and later diesels,
clear-cutting of extensive areas was facilitated. And sparks from the
locomotives and the application of brakes set many fires.
Steam power freed sawmills from dependence on manual whipsawing or locations
near flowing water. In the San Francisco Bay area, steam power hastened the
clear-cutting of a redwood forest that covered 25 square miles of the Oakland
Hills.
"These mills were very efficient and very thorough," historian Sherwood D.
Burgess has recounted. "By 1860 only a sea of stumps marked the site of the East
Bay redwoods. In tune with the unsentimental economy of the day, not a single
original redwood was saved for posterity."
A Loss of Accuracy
When the gasoline-powered chain saw replaced the backbreaking two-man
crosscut saw, it increased production, but it also caused more waste in the
woods. "The chain saw traded volume for accuracy," says Dean Huber, program
manager for forest products utilization for the Forest Service in San Francisco.
"When it took two men all day to cut a single log, they made the cut carefully.
When one guy could make the same cut in 20 minutes, he cut less carefully and
made up for mistakes by cutting more trees."
The heavy, efficient machinery developed since World War II cuts down trees
and gets out logs even faster. But it also leaves landscapes looking like
targets of saturation bombing, as bulldozers gouge and loosen the soil, burying
slash and debris. Carelessly cut logging roads cause hillsides to wash away.
"Technology has overrun the forest's ability to withstand what man might want
to do with it," says Zane G. Smith Jr., the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest
regional forester. "We can do anything we want to, including wrecking the whole
business overnight."
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
10
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Firewood
Humans have gathered around wood fires since the earliest times to keep warm,
cook their meals, repel wild animals and insects, relieve the darkness and enjoy
one another's company.
Today, an estimated 60% of all the wood cut in the world is burned as fuel.
Firewood is in desperately short supply, and firewood gathering is a major cause
of deforestation in many Third World regions. The shortage is particularly acute
in areas that were lightly wooded to begin with, such as the semi-arid savannas
of Africa, and where regrowth is slow, as in the Himalayas of Asia and the Andes
of South America.
"Nearly 1.5 billion people in 63 countries, or about 60% of the people who
depend on fuel wood as their principal source of energy for cooking and heating,
are cutting wood faster than it can grow back, the World Resources Institute
and the International Institute for Environment and Development say in their
joint study, "World Resources 1986." The result is a firewood deficit that the
two policy research organizations expect will double by the year 2000.
Third World population pressures usually get the blame for the firewood
crisis. The contributory role of industry is less widely acknowledged. Yet many
countries, including Australia, India and Brazil, still depend on wood-derived
charcoal for their iron and steel industry. And many countries consume enormous
quantities of firewood to refine sugar, preserve fish and cure tea and tobacco.
Smokers Elsewhere Benefit
In east and central Africa, it typically takes two acres of trees to cure the
tobacco grown on one acre, says John Spears, senior forestry adviser to the
World Bank. "Most of the tobacco is exported" for the benefit of smokers
elsewhere, he says, while local residents suffer the consequences of the
desiccation, soil erosion and declining productivity that follow deforestation.
Firewood shortages are impeding the industrial development of many nations
that lack adequate alternate sources of energy. And the deforestation overtaking
these countries is a replay of what happened when many already developed
countries went through the industrialization process. Some of these countries
have recovered fairly well from past fuel wood crises, while others have never
been the same.
Mining and metallurgy have been major causes of deforestation for thousands
of years. In the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, iron, copper, tin and
lead miners not only used timbers in great numbers to brace underground tunnel
ceilings and walls, but they set wood fires underground to crack resistant
rocks.
Even more wood was consumed extracting metals from the rocks brought to the
surface. Humans discovered smelting by observing how forest fires melted mineral
outcrops naturally. They discovered charcoal when the black material left over
from previous fires burned with a higher, more-even heat than firewood, and with
much less smoke and flame. Putting the two discoveries together, early societies
were soon burning mountains of charcoal to smelt mountains of metallic ore.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
11
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
Boromir Jordan, professor of classics at UC Santa Barbara, and ecological
historian John Perlin trace the fall of the once-flourishing Mycenaean
civilization in about 1150 BC to the deforestation of Cyprus and Aegean islands
that had supplied the copper needed for this bronze-age civilization. "Lacking
adequate stores of bronze to make arrowheads, spearheads and sword blades, the
Mycenaean kingdoms fell to the blows dealt by their better armed foes," they
say.
Smelting required such enormous stretches of forest to supply the charcoal
needed for the smelting process that Europeans generally found it cheaper to
move the ore to the forest than vice versa. So the manufacture of iron, copper,
tin and lead was typically conducted by small establishments scattered through
the forest that moved when the local supply of wood gave out.
The invention of the reverberatory furnace in the 1680s made it possible to
switch from charcoal to coal to smelt nonferrous ores. But the production of
iron and steel remained dependent on charcoal as a heat and carbon source until
the introduction of coke distilled from coal in 1709 and the invention of the
puddling process in 1784. After that, England's iron industry moved from the
decimated oak forests of the south to the coal fields of the north.
On the Continent and in the United States, where the shortage of wood was
less acute, it wasn't until well into the 19th Century that smelting with coke
derived from coal became widespread. Charcoal was used to produce all U.S. pig
iron until 1832, and coal did not overtake wood until 1887. The last charcoal
blast furnace in this country shut down only in 1945.
In Nevada, the silver mining boom of the 1860s and 1870s consumed an
estimated 750,000 acres of pinon pine woodlands to supply the immense quantities
of wood needed for mine pit props, fuel wood and charcoal. According to
historian John Richards: "So voracious were the charcoal kilns
that the
kilns at Eureka alone consumed the produce of 50 acres of pinon per day. From
every mining center, a deforested zone radiated outward as much as 50 miles."
Fewer American forests have died to supply fuel wood since its use has been
eclipsed by other energy sources. But these alternatives have been hard on
forests, too.
Appalachian Landscapes
Underground coal mining, with its pit props, surface facilities, waste piles
and land subsidence, has had a major impact on once-forested hillsides in the
Appalachians. And strip mining has taken an even greater toll, leaving former
forests looking like desolate lunar landscapes, the topsoil eroded away and
runoff of toxic metals and sulfuric acid discouraging reforestation. Unreclaimed
coal-stripped land, most of it originally forested, occupies an area larger than
Rhode Island.
Insatiable demand for electricity leads coal- and oil-burning power plants to
spew out air pollutants that damage forests downwind. It also leads to forests
being inundated behind dams. When Canada built the Mica Dam on the Columbia
River in the early 1970s, it drowned enough trees to supply a pulp mill for 30
years because it didn't want to take the time to harvest the trees beforehand.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
12
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
And now firewood itself is making a comeback, both for home heating and to
generate electricity. What's different this time is that U.S. forests contain
only a fifth as much timber as before the first Industrial Revolution. And this
raises the question: Can they withstand a second?
Warfare
Military preparations and warfare have contributed significantly to
deforestation around the world. And the toll continues.
In the days of wooden sailing ships, many a forest disappeared into a naval
fleet, and many a fleet disappeared in battle. As the French historian Fernand
Braudel pointed out, "Every fleet, in no matter what country, required for its
construction the destruction of enormous expanses of forest."
Robert G. Albion, a Princeton historian whose 1926 study, "Forests and Sea
Power: The Timber Problem of the Royal Navy 1652-1862," remains the definitive
work on the subject, drew a parallel between the strategic importance of ship
timbers in centuries past and the 20th-Century oil situation: "Oak, like oil
today, was a natural product very abundant at the outset, but liable to ultimate
exhaustion
For want of an adequate domestic supply, nations sought
colonies and exerted diplomatic pressure in those days for ship timber as they
do now for oil."
Access to forests spelled the difference between political ascendancy and
decline. "Macedonia, an insignificant backwater country on the fringes of the
Greek world until the 5th century Bc, became the immensely rich and powerful
central power of the world when the Greeks exhausted their supplies of wood and
came to depend on Macedonia's forests," according to Jordan, the classics
professor, and Perlin, the ecological historian. "The Macedonians soon
translated their wealth into political and military power resulting in the
conquest by Alexander the Great of nearly the entire known world, from Egypt to
India."
Similarly, the center of Italian civilization shifted during the declining
years of the Roman Empire from deforested central and southern Italy to still
well-wooded northern Italy. Much later, during the Renaissance, northern Italy
exhausted its forests and allowed its hillsides to erode away, and ascendancy
moved northward once again.
Even the thick forests of central and northern Europe fell in their turn.
England and France, the principal northern European powers, engaged in 50 many
maritime wars and 50 depleted their own forest resources that both conducted a
worldwide search for ship timbers from the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries.
Their ships became international floating forests. The typical 74-gun English
man-of-war contained the wood from 2,300 oaks obtained from 44 acres of English
or Irish woodland. It had a mainmast of white pine from Maine, a topmast of fir
from the Ukraine, spruce spars from Norway and cabins of Caribbean mahogany or
Indian teak. Tar, pitch, resins, varnish and other naval stores from American
Southern pines sealed joints and retarded rot.
In those days before the use of creosote and other wood preservatives, marine
borers from without and fungous dry rot from within caused ships to decay
quickly and have an average life of only 15 years. Masts usually had to be
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
13
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
replaced after 12 years when their resin dried up and deprived them of strength
and resilience.
The English prized the white pines in New England's virgin forests for their
size (some were 200 feet tall with trunks nine feet across), straightness,
strength, resilience and durability. Representatives of the Royal Navy marked
the best of the white pines in the name of the king and prohibited the colonists
from felling trees the navy would someday need. This conflicted with the
colonists' desire to exploit the forests themselves and provided one of the
grievances that led to the American Revolution.
If shipbuilding and naval warfare have been hard on forests, land and air
warfare have been even more devastating. For one thing, firing forests has long
been a potent weapon of war. During the U.S. Civil War, for instance, fires set
willfully or accidentally in battles and by marching troops, as well as by
non-military vandals and arsonists, burned extensive areas of forest in the
South.
Some forests have been burned several times. One such is the pine forest in
the Landes region of southwestern France. In 407 AD, invading Vandals razed
villages, dispersed the population and set fire to the forest. This destroyed
the cover of a vast sandy area. With the trees gone, winds sweeping in from the
Atlantic Ocean piled the beach sands into dunes. The dunes rolled inland,
choking streams and creating malarial marshes.
The forest has been damaged several times since then, most recently in World
War II when incendiary bombs started fires that destroyed half a million acres.
Devastation From Agent Orange
The most devastating deforestation in warfare probably took place in Vietnam
during the 1960s and early 1970s. In an attempt to deny ground cover and crops
to their Vietnamese enemies and to break their spirit, American forces used
bulldozers, explosives, napalm and 19 million gallons of Agent Orange and other
herbicides to defoliate and destroy forests, rubber plantations, farm fields and
other areas of what had been a beautiful, verdant countryside.
The defoliation campaign constituted the "deliberate destruction of the
environment as a military tactic on a scale never before seen in the history of
warfare,' the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources concluded in a 1985 study.
According to that study, the forests have not recovered, and even trees that
survived must be harvested and sawn with extreme care because many are riddled
with shell fragments. Wildlife has not returned, the productivity of cropland
and fisheries remains depressed, one-third of the country 15 now considered
wasteland, and there has been a great increase in toxin-related disease and
cancer.
Less widespread, but still very real, destruction continues elsewhere. In El
Salvador, U.S.-supported government forces make a practice of cutting down fruit
trees and killing livestock in areas in which local peasants support
anti-government guerrillas. Meanwhile, bombing raids cause both deliberate and
inadvertent damage to forests.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
14
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
The situation in nearby Nicaragua is mixed. On the one hand, raids by
U.S.-backed rebels have prompted ranchers to flee border areas with their
cattle, allowing forests to regenerate. On the other hand, farmers displaced by
the fighting have turned to slash-and-burn agriculture on forested hillsides.
And contra-started forest fires and attacks on reforestation crews have forced
the Sandinista government to suspend reforestation efforts.
The Price of Progress
Industrialization has both relieved and intensified pressure on the world's
forests. In developed countries, industrialization has permitted the
substitution of metals and fossil fuels for wood in many applications. But in
developing countries, the rapid population increases and widening economic and
social inequalities long associated with early industrialization have multiplied
exploitation of forests for farmland and firewood.
No area of the world better illustrates the price of progress than the West
African Sahel, that semiarid sub-Saharan region that stretches eastward from the
Atlantic Ocean through Senegal and Mauritania into Mali.
Pre-industrial damage to forests in the Western Sahel was extensive. By
burning the bush to make tender, green forage available to wildlife and
livestock, primitive hunters and herders turned many forests into grasslands,
after which the grasslands degenerated into desert.
When they got guns from European traders in payment for slaves, Moorish
herders virtually eradicated the wild carnivores that had preyed on livestock
entering forests. This permitted herds to swell and chomp through the woods.
But the most destructive development has involved tapping the once-extensive
acacia forests in the Western Sahel for gum arabic. Long prized as a thickener
and stabilizer in the manufacture of printing inks, pharmaceuticals, adhesives
and other products, gum arabic is obtained by peeling pieces of bark from the
acacia tree and then collecting the gum that oozes from the wounds.
Acacia Forests Die Out
"The more stressed the tree, the greater the yield of gum" -- and the greater
the tree's susceptibility to drought and disease, the National Research Council
notes in a 1984 study.
Destructive tapping by the Dutch as early as 1448, and later by the French
and English, effectively destroyed inland acacia forests by the turn of the 20th
Century. Exploitation since then has finished off the acacia forest that used to
run the entire 400-mile length of Mauritania's now desert coast.
Scattered acacia trees have survived, mostly in and near farm fields where
their usefulness in fixing atmospheric nitrogen and fertilizing the soil has
long proved their worth. But in recent decades a switch from subsistence farming
for local consumption to mechanized farming for export doomed many of these
trees as well.
Peanut farming in Senegal typifies the trend. As recounted by the U.N. Food
and Agricultural Organization: "The land was originally worked by hand, left
fallow every few years, and benefited from the fertilizing action of stands of
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
15
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
acacia trees. But demands for more intensive production of ground nuts soon led
to mechanization and the removal of tree cover 50 that tractors and animal-drawn
equipment could work more easily."
With the trees gone, soil fertility fell. Artificial fertilizers took up the
slack -- for a time. But when fallowing was discontinued as well, "soil
fertility dropped so much that the amount of artificial fertilizer that had to
be applied began to make the crop uneconomic." The upshot was many treeless,
cropped-out farms left open to the desert winds and sands.
Mechanization's Mixed Effects
Modern agriculture has had mixed effects elsewhere. In the United States,
switching from horse-drawn to petroleum-powered farm machinery has permitted
many fields formerly needed to feed the horses to revert to forest. Greater crop
yields per acre have rendered other fields superfluous.
On the other hand, petroleum-powered machinery has facilitated the dredging
and clearing of seasonally flooded forests, most notably in the South. It has
enabled strip miners to peel away forest floors to get at coal and other
minerals. And it has opened up formerly inaccessible forests to loggers.
"A petrochemically intensive economy, great transportation network, and the
Caterpillar tractor have enabled us to deforest America so fast," says Tim McKay
of the North Coast Environmental Center in Arcata, Calif.
Worse may be in store. Devastating as deliberate deforestation has been in
this and other countries, the inadvertent poisoning of forests throughout the
industrialized world by airborne pollutants is potentially even more
destructive.
One pollutant is ozone, created when ultraviolet rays in sunlight react with
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide exhausted from autos, power plants and
factories. Another is acid rain, created when the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen
from smokestacks and motor vehicles react with atmospheric moisture and fall to
earth as acidic rain, snow, fog or dust.
Losses in California
Ozone has damaged trees in national forests and parks in Southern and Central
California, including 58% of the pine and oak trees in Yosemite National Park
and 87% of the pines in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. It has reduced
tree growth. It has weakened trees so that they are more susceptible to damage
from root rot, bark beetles, drought, windstorms, fire, frost and other
stresses. And it has killed trees indirectly, including 57% of all trees in the
most affected areas of the San Bernardino Mountains downwind from Los Angeles.
In the East, acid rain is causing die-back in spruce and fir forests in the
Appalachian Mountains from Maine to North Carolina. It is suspected of
contributing to a 20% to 30% decline over the last decade in the growth of pine
trees in the foothills and mountains of Southern Appalachia.
But the worst hit is heavily industrialized Central Europe. Signs of damage
there have emerged rapidly, with little warning. Five years ago, 8% of West
Germany's forests showed signs of damage. The figure had jumped to an alarming
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
16
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1987
52% by 1985. The situation in heavily polluted Czechoslovakia and Poland is
reportedly even worse. And in Switzerland, where 50% of forests are afflicted,
fears have been raised that a continuation of the present trend will destroy
tree cover that for centuries has provided natural barricades to mountain
avalanches.
And now comes an even greater peril -- radiation. Last year's nuclear power
plant disaster at Chernobyl in the Soviet Ukraine irradiated extensive pine
forests in the area, prompting Soviet officials to conclude that the most
heavily contaminated sections would have to be leveled and their trees buried.
This signals an all-time low in the fortune of forests. Long destroyed to
provide lumber, farmland and other benefits, forests now stand in danger of
being deliberately destroyed without yielding any benefits at all.
GRAPHIC: Chart, THE RAVAGES OF DEFORESTATION, PATRICIA MITCHELL / Los Angeles
Times ; Photo, Lumberjacks in 1900, working at a deliberate pace, take a break
from man-powered machine used to cut up huge fir log. Forest Service
Collection, National Agricultural Library; Photo, Indian cooks over wood fire in
Brazil; half of the world's people use wood for cooking, including millions of
city dwellers. Los Angeles Times
TYPE: Series
SUBJECT: DEFORESTATION; FORESTS; PRESCRIBED BURNINGS; FARMLAND; LUMBER;
SHIPBUILDING; ACID RAIN; WAR; AIR POLLUTION
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
17
1ST STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1989 Federal Information Systems Corporation;
Federal News Service
JUNE 14, 1989, WEDNESDAY
SECTION: FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
LENGTH: 1244 words
HEADLINE: CB
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
AT CEREMONY FOR WINNING DESIGN FOR KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL
THE ROSE GARDEN, THE WHITE HOUSE
KEYWORD: BUSH-06/14/89 KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
BODY:
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. And thank you all.
(Applause.) Thank you, General Davis and General Stilwell. Please be seated.
General Goodpaster, our Commandant General Gray, Secretary Lujan, members of the
Commission, winners, second place winners, third place winners, fellow veterans,
distinguished guests, leaders of the Congress. It is a pleasure to welcome you
to the White House. And I want to thank you for the privilege of sharing this
occasion.
Woodrow Wilson once said, "A patriotic American is never so proud of his flag as
when it comes to mean for others, as to himself, a symbol of liberty." Well,
fittingly, we meet here on Flag Day, and the day of the US Army's founding, and
as patriotic Americans to publicly unveil the winning design for a symbol of
liberty --- the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
And there are, of course, many such symbols in this great capital of ours,
memorials which rightly hail veterans from Bunker Hill to Gettysburg to the rice
paddies of Vietnam. And they are a part of our history and of our lure --
monuments to the dead and the living. But until recently, the Korean War was
not formally remembered, nor were the over 5.7 million American servicemen and
women who were directly and indirectly involved.
And today we say, no more, it's time to remember, for we are here to pay tribute
to America's uniformed sons and daughters who served during the Korean
conflict, and to recall and American victory that remains too little appreciated
and too seldom understood. We recall that when the war began the forces of
totalitarianism seemed ready to overrun all of Asia. But it never happened, for
Korea was the first allied effort in history to contain communism by combining
strength. Fighting side by side under the flag of the United Nations, the
freedom-loving countries of the United States and the Republic of Korea and
other allies strove to halt aggression, and we succeeded and built a stable
peace that has lasted for more than 35 years. And together we held the line.
And today we are still holding it. And let me salute those American troops who
guard the 38th Parallel. And I want to salute our allies, for they, too, have
sacrificed on freedom's behalf.
And what'll happen in much of Asia we can't be sure, but of this we are certain:
In retrospect, the policy of containment 50 exemplified by the Korean Conflict
created the conditions for the tide toward democracy now changing and uplifting
our globe.
The design we unveil today honors that democracy and the American men and women
who took up arms and bore our burden so that freedom could survive. And our
nearly five million Korean War veterans alive today, we honor them. Our
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS ® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
18
(c) 1989 Federal Information Systems Corporation, June 14, 1989
103,000 wounded in the conflict, we honor them -- our more than 8,000 missing or
unaccounted for, the 54,246 Americans who gave their lives, who gave, as Lincoln
said, "the last full measure of devotion."
This day marks another step toward the memorial that Korean veterans deserve
and will have, a process which began when President Reagan signed legislation
authorizing the creation of a Korean War Veterans Memorial in the District.
And last September, a site was approved for the Washington Mall. The memorial
will be built in Ash Woods, a grove of trees near the Lincoln Memorial, across
the reflecting pool from the Vietnam Memorial.
And its existence will be due to a number of friends. Among them are members of
both parties who helped pass this legislation and, of course, the sponsors of
this memorial. And in that context, I would like to thank the Battle Monuments
Commission, ably chaired by General Goodpaster, who was years ago right in this
building the staff secretary to President Eisenhower; and also the Korean War
Veterans Memorial Advisory Board.
And now let me thank the men and women who chose this design and to Chairman Ray
Davis my special thanks for chairing the committee. I want also to repeat, as
General Stilwell has noted, that ever dollar of this funding has been privately
financed and to commend, as he did, Max Jamieson (sp?), whose company donated a
million dollars and then Abbie -- dear Abby - Abigail Van Buren, whose readers
raised almost unbelievably 330,000 for the Veterans Memorial.
General Davis has observed how the design for your memorial was crafted by four
professional architects and designers on the faculty of Penn State, the
Department of Agriculture +++++ + you met them - Dr. Leon Oberholtzer (?) and John
and Veronica Lucas and to all of them, my congratulations. Somehow it seems
that you might even eclipse Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions as Penn State's
most noted team.
But let me add that I look forward to the days when the memorial itself is
unveiled, for it will stand as America's lasting tribute to those who fought so
valiantly in an unknown land as Liberty's "Horatio at the bridge." And as you
view it, think of such names as Ridgway and Van Fleet and MacArthur, shell-torn
Uplands, Pork Chop, Bloody, Arrowhead. Remember Panmunjom and yes, Inchon,
and the heroism of the soldiers who fought across the rugged snow-covered hills.
Think of men like James Garner, Neil Armstrong or the many members of the United
States Congress who served in Korea --- Warren Rudman, among them and John
Glenn and John's wingman, Ted Williams. "Ball game Teddy," they called him ---
the greatest hitter who ever lived or General Al Gray, sitting right here, who
volunteered twice to sit on the front line, first as an enlisted Marine and
later as a commissioned officer courageously leading an infantry platoon -
heroes who showed that ours would not be the land of the free if it were not
also the home of the brave. And yes, think of them, honor them, remember how
they served from Pusan to Pyongyang: Heroes like Rosemary McCarthy, a courageous
Army nurse, or our good friend -- my good friend, Pete McCloskey, who endured
superior forces to charge up and take his hill and whose troops so admired him
that they named a baseball field in his honor in Korea. Or Wally Lukens (?),
who braved enemy fire to replace another platoon leader and picked up a gravely
wounded infantryman and carried him to the rear. His efforts to save that life
were in vain, but his selfless devotion to his men, his grit and his guts lives
on in the souls of all Americans in uniform today.
To my right sits such an American -- stands such an American -- he's supposed to
be seated -- Ray Davis, who was a Lieutenant Colonel during the war, and
received the Congressional Medal of Honor. And 37 years ago in this very place,
President Truman, himself a veteran, presented the medal, and then he said,
"Colonel, I'd rather have this than be president. Ray Davis won his medal for
you and for me and our country and he's wearing it today and it makes us proud
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
19
(c) 1989 Federal Information Systems Corporation, June 14, 1989
and so will this design of the veterans' memorial.
It speaks of walking toward freedom and toward home in the cold that was
Korea. Mike McKevitt (sp?) was a fighter pilot in Korea, and he tells he he
couldn't sleep for three nights after first seeing this memorial. And now WE
all are about to see why. So could me move over and -- (applause.)
(Model of Korean War Veterans Memorial is displayed.)
(Applause.)
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
2
1ST STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1987 The Times Mirror Company;
Los Angeles Times
June 22, 1987, Monday, Home Edition
SECTION: Part 1; Page 1; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 7319 words
HEADLINE: ENDING WASTE AVOIDS HUGE COSTS;
FOREST RECLAMATION: LAST RESORT AFTER CONSERVATION
SERIES: THE VANISHING FORESTS: LAST IN A SERIES
BYLINE: By A. KENT MacDOUGALL, Times Staff Writer
DATELINE: COPPERHILL, Tenn.
BODY:
As the sun beats down and the wind whips by, three federal reforestation
experts proudly show off a 28-acre stand of loblolly pine trees hugging a
hillside near this town on the Georgia border.
The eight-foot trees seem unremarkable enough. After all, these are the
foothills of the thickly forested Southern Appalachian Mountains, where 100-foot
oaks and hickories abound. These 28 acres used to be thickly forested, too. But
that was before copper mining, smelter fumes and firewood cutting combined to
denude 50 square miles of once verdant landscape, allowing wind and rain to
carry away all the topsoil and several feet of subsoil as well, leaving deep
gullies, a rocky cover of slate fragments and no vegetation at all.
Getting even grass to grow in the sterile, stony earth is considered an
accomplishment. That 86% of the pine seedlings planted four years ago are still
alive and thriving demonstrates that with ingenuity (such as inserting a
marshmallow-sized pellet of fertilizer alongside each seedling), patience and
luck, severely abused deforestation sites can be recloaked, reclaimed and
returned to productivity.
"The lesson of the Tennessee Copper Basin is that even with extreme insult,
nature has an amazing capacity to regenerate itself, particularly with-man's
help," says Gary Type, a U.S. Soil Conservation Service Forester who helped plan.
the reforestation project.
Encouraging Example
Considered a classic of forest and soil destruction unusual even in the thick
annals of land abuse, the Tennessee Copper Basin provides an encouraging case
study of an attempt to remedy the ravages of deforestation that has relevance to
other ruined landscapes the world over. If the Copper Basin can be reclaimed, 50
too can many other severely degraded former forests both temperate and tropical.
Reclamation, of course, is a costly, time-consuming last resort that often is
only partially successful and sometimes has undesirable side effects. In land
usage, as elsewhere, an ounce of prevention renders a pound of cure unnecessary.
Ending destructive and wasteful habits not only spares forests, but spares
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
3
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
societies the massive investments needed to rehabilitate them.
Unfortunately, far from preventing forest destruction, the world is making
demands on forests for lumber, firewood, wood pulp, livestock forage and other
products that far exceed their carrying capacity. Temperate forests in
industrial countries are shriveling from the chemical stress of air pollution.
Tropical forests in developing countries are retreating before the chain saw,
the plow and the firewood gatherer.
Of all the countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, only China and South
Korea appear to be planting more trees than they are harvesting, according to
Worldwatch Institute, a Washington research organization that analyzes global
problems. What's more, Worldwatch estimates that worldwide reforestation
programs would have to be expanded fivefold --- in Africa, fifteenfold - to
prevent forest cover from shrinking further.
"Forest resources for the future should be a mosaic of single-use
plantations, multiple-use natural forests and intact undisturbed stands,"
Worldwatch senior researchers Lester R. Brown and Edward C. Wolf conclude.
Small Patches Also Needed
With trees natural to about half the Earth's land surface, experts say the
world would be wise to maintain trees not only in solid blocks in forests but
also in smaller patches in woodlots, windbreaks, shelterbelts, orchards, parks,
and wherever thin, erodible soils, steep slopes and other damage-prone
environments need the protection of tree cover.
The massive tree plantings required to protect environments and achieve
self-sufficiency in forest resources are far from the only steps needed,
however. Other measures include conserving wood, and thereby sparing forests, by
fully utilizing timber in the forest and logs at the sawmill, economizing on the
use of lumber in construction, recycling paper and reducing needless waste all
along the line.
Another remedy is to manage forests to maximize sustainable yields, minimize
losses to insects, disease and fire and avoid such shortsighted practices as
taking the biggest and best trees, while leaving smaller trees and less
desirable species to regenerate.
In the Third World, remedies include curbing rampant illegal logging and
poaching of fuel wood, helping rural communities establish local woodlots and
getting a grip on the economic and social problems that underlie much
deforestation. Economic and social reforms that would relieve pressure on
forests include redistributing land, increasing farm productivity, relieving
poverty, improving the quality of life in and around threatened forests and
reducing population growth.
Hope for New Land Ethic
Fully realizing such reforms would probably require a political revolution.
But that isn't the only revolution environmentalists say is needed. What they
have in mind is an equally profound ethical revolution that would instill in
people the world over a sense of environmental responsibility, a land ethic, an
appreciation that forests are a world heritage held in trust for future
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
4
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
generations and a realization that forest conservation serves societies'
long-run self-interest.
While it may be too much to expect billions of poverty-stricken Third World
residents to see beyond their immediate survival needs, the industrialized,
affluent First World has finally gotten around to cultivating, managing and
developing forests -- at least some forests - to provide for the future.
Although ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated plantations of trees, modern
forestry dates to Germany in the 1780s. Until then, European foresters were
mainly game wardens who patrolled hunting reserves for feudal landlords. Trees
were cut without much regard for their replacement, as they still are in the
tropics.
In the United States, there were no forestry schools and little forestry was
practiced on either public or private lands until 100 years ago. Forestry was
begun as a remedy for the devastation caused by reckless logging and the fires
that often followed.
Stanley L. Krugman, director of timber management research for the U.S.
Forest Service, says the federal government "didn't really practice forestry
until the 1930s and 1940s," when the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook
extensive reforestation projects. Ás for the commercial lumber industry, it
"didn't discover forestry, and practice tending forests and regrowing them,
until after World War II. Companies only harvested prior to that."
Something Left to Save
Thanks to the country's vast forests, rich soils, generally adequate rainfall
and impressive biological healing capacity, forestry's belated arrival hasn't
been ruinous.
"We've made most of the mistakes," Krugman says. "But the United States is
large enough and has such a variety of forests and relatively low population
pressures, that when we screwed up the East, the Great Lakes states and the
South, we had the West to move to. With exceptions, such as the Tennessee
Valley, we didn't denude cutover lands. We didn't eliminate the natural cover
and degrade the soil. We harvested our interest, but we didn't bankrupt our
principal."
With cut-and-run logging now the exception rather than the rule, a less
dramatic, but no less insidious, threat to forests has taken center stage. This
is the air pollution that is slowly sickening, stunting and even killing
forests, both here and in most other industrialized nations.
When it comes to air pollution, no area of the United States better
illustrates both the damage it can cause and the benefits of curbing it than the
Tennessee Copper Basin.
From 1850, when the first mine opened, until early in this century, the
basin's mine operators piled the ore they brought up from deep underground in
the open, then roasted it with firewood from trees cut from surrounding
hillsides. Roasting rid the ore of its main impurity, sulfur, but the great
clouds of sulfur dioxide that rolled off the heaps killed the remaining
vegetation and, combined with the loss of soil, prevented it from coming back.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
5
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
Smokestacks Extend Damage
Moving the smelting indoors to blast furnaces equipped with smokestacks
reduced the concentration of deadly sulfur fumes. But it spread the fumes over a
wider area, extending the damage and providing an early demonstration that the
solution to severe pollution is not dilution.
Later, the sulfur fumes were captured and converted to sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid is now the only remaining mine's chief product, demonstrating that
costly controls on emissions can repay the polluters who foot the bill.
Easing air pollution, however, did not stop the denuded basin's soil erosion
or provide a seed source to regrow the forest. Human help was needed. It arrived
in the 1930s, when experiments to stabilize and rebuild the soil and reforest
the hillsides began.
Since then, Tennessee Chemical Co., which operates the only remaining mine,
and four federal agencies - the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Soil
Conservation Service, the Forest Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority --
have planted 14 million trees, perhaps half of which have survived. The denuded
area has shrunk each year. But as the plantings have come closer to the heart of
the basin, the lack of vegetation and topsoil, along with torrential rains and
temperature extremes, have made reforestation increasingly difficult.
50% of Seedlings Lost
The 1986 drought that struck the entire Southeast has made survival
particularly difficult for newly planted trees. Despite the 86% survival rate of
the loblolly pines planted by the Soil Conservation Service in 1982, only about
50% of seedlings planted a year and a half ago on an adjoining plot remain
alive.
Reforestation is not only uncertain but expensive. The TVA estimates that
reforesting the 18 square miles of the Copper Basin that are still barren would
cost $6.4 million. And even then it would take at least 250 years to rebuild the
topsoil lost through erosion.
But not reforesting is costing even more. For one thing, soil washed from the
basin into the Ocoee River has settled in three TVA reservoirs, nearly silting
up one of them after only 43 years. The silt has clogged intakes, increased wear
to hydroelectric turbines, reduced electric power generation and killed off
nearly all fish and aquatic life in the river.
At the current rate of reforestation, another 40 years will pass before the
Copper Basin is fully recloaked. Stepped-up public and corporate spending not
only would shorten the process but pay dividends. Already, Tennessee Chemical is
selling timber from areas replanted in the 1930s, indicating that reforestation
can generate income as well as protect the environment and serve the public
interest.
Man-Made Forests
Man-made forests are spreading throughout the world as an alternative to
fast-shrinking natural forests.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
6
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
Called commercial forest plantations by some and tree farms by others,
man-made forests that are intensively cultivated to produce preferred species of
trees have the potential of relieving pressure on natural forests and woodlands.
But their drawbacks, including adverse effects on soil and wildlife and
increased vulnerability to insects, disease and fire, are prompting serious
questioning of their appropriateness as a remedy for deforestation and as a
supplier of wood.
Modern man-made forests date back 200 years to Germany. There, as throughout
much of Europe, unregulated selective cutting had taken the biggest and best
trees, leaving the poorer specimens to regenerate the forest. Many forests were
overgrazed by domestic livestock, while forests used for hunting by the nobility
were over-browsed by game. The resulting deterioration called for remedial
action.
Foresters proposed that the only way to rehabilitate the forests was by
clear-cutting and then making a fresh start by planting trees. Although proposed
only as a remedial measure, clear-cutting, planting and harvesting on relatively
short rotations became standard practice in Saxony and many other regions, and
has continued since.
The dominant motive was, and remains, profit. Barons and other forest owners
discovered they could make more money replacing natural but slow-growing oak and
beech trees with faster growing spruce and fir.
Relatively Recent Practice
In the United States, 19th-Century railroads established plantations
alongside newly laid tracks to provide replacement crossties and fuel for steam
locomotives. But man-made forests became widespread only after World War II.
Since 1950, timber companies and other private forest owners have converted more
than 35 million acres from natural growth to artificially generated stands of
commercially valuable trees, and the Forest Service has converted nearly 8
million acres in national forests.
Tree farming has also spread to Canada, the Soviet Union and China. Pine
plantations have been established in such temperate Southern Hemisphere
countries as Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa. Worldwide, man-made
forests make up roughly 3% of the world's forests, but produce a much higher, if
undetermined, share of construction lumber and pulpwood.
The chief advantage of man-made forests is increased productivity. Trees grow
faster than in natural forests. Species planted can be chosen for particular
uses - eucalyptus for firewood, pine for pulpwood, Douglas fir for construction
lumber, teak for furniture. Regularly spacing trees in rows reduces maintenance
and harvesting costs. And nearly every tree can be utilized, whereas
commercially useful trees are few and far between in many natural forests.
In the tropics, trees typically grow five to 10 times faster in plantations
than in natural forests. But tropical forest plantations are costly to
establish, and returns on investment not only are delayed but uncertain because
of timber price fluctuations and the ever-present possibility of
nationalization. As a consequence, less than 10% of the world's man-made forests
are in tropical regions.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
7
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
Poor Don't Always Benefit
Tree plantations in the Third World don't always benefit the local population
and sometimes actually widen the already huge gap between rich and poor. In
India, tribal people in the state of Bihar have protested the replacement of the
natural forest on which they depend for firewood and other essentials with teak
plantations. At last count, hundreds of arrests and at least two dozen deaths
had resulted from this eight-year-old conflict.
Tree farming has environmental drawbacks as well. For one thing, short
rotations reduce the recycling of nutrients from trees back to the soil. "Maybe
there are only so many rotations," says Krugman of the Forest Service. "Some
soils hold up, whereas others lose nutrients."
Nutrient loss tends to be greatest in plantations of pine, spruce, fir and
other conifers. Conifers, which bear their seeds in cones, generally make better
construction lumber and pulpwood than deciduous trees such as oak and cherry,
which produce their seeds in nuts and fruits. But whereas deciduous trees have
nutrient-rich broad leaves that fall to the forest floor each year and decompose
into rich humus, conifers' needle-like leaves have a lower nutrient content and
are shed only every five to seven years.
What's more, conifer needles are acidic. This causes problems in cool, humid
areas such as northern Europe. Water filtering down through the soil of conifer
plantations becomes acidic and dissolves iron and aluminum salts in the soil.
The salts are redeposited in a hard pan below the surface that impedes drainage
and causes waterlogging.
Not as Helpful to Watersheds
Conifer plantations also protect watersheds less adequately than the mixed
deciduous-conifer forests they replace. "Broadleaf species respire more water,
have larger root systems that draw moisture from a larger area and do a better
job of sopping up excess water, stabilizing slopes and reducing soil erosion,"
says Andrew A. Leven, director of watershed management in California for the
Forest Service.
Coniferous forests support less plant and animal life. According to
conservationist A. Starker Leopold, even-aged stands of Douglas fir in Northern
California offer so little food for wildlife that "a bluejay would have to pack
a lunch to get across" one.
Coniferous forests have still other disadvantages. They suffer more from air
pollution than deciduous forests because their needle-like leaves are exposed
year-round. They are more vulnerable to insect and disease attacks than mixed,
uneven-aged natural forests. And they are more susceptible to fire because
conifers contain more flammable chemical compounds, maintain their foliage
year-round and when even-aged, have crowns of uniform height that wind-whipped
fire can race across.
To be sure, conifers aren't the only fire-prone trees. Flammable deciduous
trees include the blue gum eucalyptus, a fast-growing, drought-resistant native
of Australia that was planted all over California early in this century.
Foresters thought blue gum plantations would make their owners rich, but the
species' tendency to warp, shrink and crack when cut into lumber made it
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
8
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
useful only for firewood and windbreaks.
Worse, blue gums proved fire hazards. Their oily leaves and peeling bark make
ideal tinder, most dramatically demonstrated on a dry, windy September day in
1923 in Berkeley. A grass fire that started on the crest of the Berkeley Hills
northeast of the University of California campus spread to a grove of blue gum
eucalyptus trees. Flaming pieces of bark were blown by the wind, like
firebrands, and set spot fires that destroyed 584 houses and other structures.
Third World Forests
In the Himalayan foothills of northern India, village women who spend long
hours gathering firewood for home cooking and heating had their lives disrupted
by unbridled commercial logging that wasted local firewood and caused soil
erosion and landslides.
One day when commercial loggers arrived to cut down still another stand, the
women adopted the Gandhian technique of nonviolent resistance by throwing their
arms around the trees marked for cutting. The loggers, nonplussed, withdrew.
Out of this demonstration, in 1973, grew the Chipko Andolan, or "Hug the
Trees," movement. Begun as a grass-roots revolt among a handful of village
women, it has since expanded to include environmentalists, students and
politicians. The movement has called public attention to rampant deforestation
and it has pressured the government to call a moratorium on commercial logging
in an area of 450 square miles, as well as to step up reforestation programs
benefitting local villagers rather than outside commercial interests.
Going beyond protest, the Chipko activists have planted trees and reforested
several thousand acres, establishing what American observers call one of India's
most successful reforestation programs. Although lumbering and firewood cutting
are still outstripping reforestation efforts in the Himalayan foothills, the
movement's success in halting and even reversing some of the devastation
demonstrates what poor, ill-educated peasants working together can accomplish.
Self-reliance is a necessity in most of the underdeveloped and developing
countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Government policies typically favor
the urban elite rather than the rural majority. Investments in forest
rehabilitation are few and far between and usually are for large-scale projects
run from the capital and of little benefit to villagers in the hinterland.
Community Forestry
Poor villagers planting and tending their own trees for their own benefit
constitutes forestry by the people, for the people. It's called community
forestry, and it provides many of the subsistence needs of rural dwellers:
firewood, building poles, roof thatch, livestock fodder, fruits and nuts.
Community forestry increases work opportunities and supplements farm income. Its
environmental benefits include controlling soil erosion, preventing floods and
landslides and increasing crop yields.
Multipurpose trees provide several benefits simultaneously. In China, trees
planted around houses and villages and along roads and waterways - the
so-called "four-around" plantings - reduce wind velocity and evaporation and
raise crop yields. They provide leaves that are fed to hogs, sheep and
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
9
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
rabbits. And they yield fruits, nuts and such marketable oils as tung and olive.
Community involvement and tree tenure rights are considered vital to the
success of community forestry projects. "People have to identify with the trees
they plant as their property, or the products of these trees have to be of
direct benefit to the people, for programs to be successful," says Ken Newcombe,
a World Bank senior energy specialist.
Where villagers have not participated in selecting, planting, weeding,
watering and protecting reforestation sites, as in many African countries,
seedlings have had a low survival rate and saplings have been destroyed by wood
poachers, cattle and goats.
China's massive reforestation campaigns have produced mixed results. On the
one hand, its windbreak and shelterbelt plantings are "legends, unmatched in
magnitude anywhere in the world," according to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization. FAO researchers report that shelterbelts have more
than doubled grain yields in some areas, reclaimed farmland covered by windblown
desert sands and converted wasteland into fruit gardens.
Posts Dismal Record
On the other hand, the government reported in 1981 that of 250 million acres
reforested since the 1949 revolution, only 67 million acres had successfully
yielded new trees. It attributed this dismal record to poor-quality seedlings,
planting inappropriate species, inadequate follow-up care, shoddy forestry
management and widespread illegal poaching.
The post-Mao government has moved to improve the survival rate by extending
the concept of private farming to forestry. As in farming, the state or
collective retains ownership of the land, but individual households contract to
plant and cultivate small woodlots under leases running up to 50 years. The
trees they grow can be passed on to their heirs.
However, price controls, taxes, surcharges and government regulations
restrict the free marketing of the output of woodlots, according to Lester Ross,
a Purdue University political scientist who has studied Chinese forestry
practices firsthand.
Although protection against poaching has improved in the last several years,
illegal cutting remains endemic. And if poaching is a problem in strongly
governed China, it is even more rampant in countries whose governments maintain
weak control over remote forests. In Africa, weak control allows peasants to
supplement their incomes by chopping trees in remnant forests into firewood or
reducing them to charcoal, and then selling them to syndicates that transport
them by camel, cart and truck into cities for sale.
The grossly unequal distribution of land, income and social services marking
most Third World countries must be ameliorated if deforestation is to be
arrested, development experts agree. According to the World Resources Institute,
a policy research organization based in Washington, "the real causes of
deforestation (are) poverty, skewed land distribution and low agricultural
productivity."
Landowners Affected
LEXIS NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
10
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
Discouraging colonization of forests that are unsuitable for intensive
farming, for instance, depends on finding land for surplus farmers on already
developed, productive land. And in most countries, that depends on giving them
land now owned by others.
"Strong political commitment by national governments to pursue policies of
land reform that would lead to more equitable land ownership would, in the short
term, do more to relieve pressure on forest lands than any other single policy
intervention or any conceivable level of investment in forest resources
development," World Bank senior forestry adviser John Spears and Edward S.
Ayensu, a former Smithsonian Institution botanist, have stated.
One idea awaiting a full tryout is to develop such tropical forest resources
as wild game, rubber and nuts as an alternative to clearing the forests for
timber, farming and cattle grazing. For instance, Brazilians who tap rubber
trees and gather nuts in the Amazon have proposed the creation of "extractive
reserves," protected areas of forest managed by those living in them.
Another approach is to preserve tropical forests in parks. Costa Rica, which
has more species for its size than any other land mass on Earth, has set aside
10% of its land area in national parks and biological reserves. They attract
researchers in tropical biology from around the world and provide a more stable
source of income than such quick-and-dirty rain forest activities as cattle
grazing.
International aid agencies and multinational development banks are also
showing more concern for forest preservation in the Third World. The World Bank,
for one, is scaling back funding for some hydroelectric, road-building and
colonization projects in tropical forests, as well as schemes to replace natural
forests with commercial tree plantations. "If the World Bank has been part of
the problem in the past, it can and will be a strong force in finding solutions
in the future," bank President Barber B. Conable Jr. said last month.
Conserving Wood
Coconut palms have long been valued for their beauty and their tasty fruit,
but they have been shunned as a source of lumber because their wood is too wet.
That's changing now, at least in Sri Lanka. Having depleted its own timber
resources, the tropical island nation has been forced to spend scarce foreign
exchange on lumber imports. But a new process that reduces the moisture content
of coconut wood permitted the domestic introduction of coconut lumber last year.
The government hopes coconut lumber will reduce costly imports by utilizing
trees that are uprooted when Sri Lanka's coconut plantations are replanted every
60 to 70 years.
As the advent of coconut lumber suggests, utilizing trees that now go to
waste has the potential of stretching timber resources and sparing forests in
both tropical and temperate regions. The main obstacle is that secondary species
have unfamiliar drying, gluing, veneering and other manufacturing
characteristics, and more research is required before they can make a
significant impact on the world lumber market.
In the United States, timbermen generally prefer to grow, harvest and mill
Douglas fir, spruce, pine and other needle-leaved, seed cone-bearing conifer
LEXIS® ® NEXIS LEXIS NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
11
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
trees. This is because conifers grow faster and generally have taller,
straighter trunks with fewer limbs and knots than broad-leaved deciduous trees
such as oak and cherry that produce their seeds in nuts or fruits.
The construction industry also prefers "softwood" lumber from conifer trees
because it is generally easier to saw and nail and provides more strength for
the same weight than "hardwood" lumber from deciduous trees.
New Materials Used
However, as softwood supplies shrink and prices rise, techniques are being
developed to produce construction lumber from such previously shunned hardwoods
as poplar and aspen. These and other less valuable hardwoods are also finding
increased use in the interior layers of plywood, in particle board, in
lower-grade furniture and in pulp and paper manufacture.
Wood needs are also being addressed by stepped-up efforts to reduce waste in
the woods and at the mill. Thinner, sharper saw blades cut more accurately and
leave less sawdust. Whereas sawdust, chips and shavings used to be burned in
cone-shaped "tepee" burners just to get rid of them, these residues now go into
boilers to generate electricity, to pulp mills to make paper and into particle
board, fiber board and other panel products.
Conserving wood in construction is also helping to conserve forests. Some
timber-short countries in Europe now use more particle board than either lumber
or plywood. U.S. home builders are saving lumber by reducing floor space,
lowering ceilings, using hollow-core doors and substituting tile or carpeting
for hardwood floors.
Recycling Expands
Many industrialized countries are conserving wood fiber by expanding the
recycling of paper and paperboard. Japan and the Netherlands both reuse nearly
half of their paper and paper board. In contrast, U.S. recycling has dropped to
about 21% from 36% at the end of World War II as the cost of collecting, sorting
and transporting waste paper has risen. Other drawbacks include contaminants
such as ink and glue, loss of strength during reprocessing and inconsistent
quality.
Waste in burning firewood is being reduced with newly designed stoves that
produce a slower-burning, longer-lasting fire that releases more of a log's
thermal energy. Unfortunately, many of the new stoves also produce smokier fires
that pour more pollutants into the air.
In wood-short West Africa, inexpensive metal stoves have been found to
achieve a 30% to 35% savings in fuel over traditional open-fire cooking.
Substituting aluminum cooking pots for traditional clay pots further reduces
fuel needs. But many Africans object to the taste that aluminum imparts to food,
and many prefer an open fire because it provides light, and its smoke keeps away
unwanted insects.
U.S. Forests
Most U.S. forest land producing or capable of producing timber in commercial
quantities is privately owned. And not by corporations producing lumber,
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS R
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
12
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
plywood, paper and other forest products. Farmers own about 24% of commercial
forest land, and individuals and companies outside the forest products industry
another 34%.
Thus, the tasks of remedying deforestation, protecting soil and water, and
assuring adequate timber supplies are largely in private hands. Unfortunately,
this means they are largely in inexpert, often indifferent hands.
According to Forest Service estimates, only 15% to 20% of the nation's 7.8
million non-industry owners of forest land are managing their holdings
reasonably well. Many forests in New England and Appalachia are not harvested at
all, while many others are logged indiscriminately.
What's needed, foresters and environmentalists say, is stepped-up technical
assistance and increased financial incentives to encourage private owners to
improve timber stands, replant cut-over forests and conserve soil and water,
along with more stringent controls on forest owners' rights to use and abuse
their land as they see fit.
"People still have a right to do with their land what they wish," says Al
Schacht, associate deputy chief of state and private forestry for the Forest
Service. "Most states don't prohibit indiscriminate logging."
Schacht estimates that 10 states, including California, have strong
forest-practices acts regulating logging; 15 states have weak acts, and 25
states have no regulations to speak of.
States Require Reforestation
Taking a cue from Switzerland and Sweden, which have made reforestation
compulsory since the turn of the century, some states now require landowners to
restock their cutover lands. Oregon not only requires successful
re-establishment of trees within three to 51X years, depending on area, but also
specifies that only Douglas fir and other fast-growing species suitable for
commercial lumber and pulpwood be planted.
"Until the last few years, there were virtually no state-funded programs to
help private landowners apply soil and water conservation practices or plant
trees," according to the conservationist American Forestry Assn. "Today, more
than half of the states have active soil conservation programs and over a
half-dozen support reforestation on private lands with substantial funding.
Those numbers will grow, we feel, as more states realize that sensible natural
resource programs are in their own self-interest."
Production-minded foresters emphasize the need to harvest neglected private
forests and to maximize sustainable yields of marketable timber. They estimate
that the timber yield from non-industry private forests could be doubled and
even tripled with proper management.
But most owners sell off their trees when they need the money and let nature
do the regenerating. "A lot of these people think that if they leave the land
alone, trees will grow back," says Forest Service economist Dwight Hair. "But
they won't get the kind of tree that has the highest market value. If they cut
pine, they have to do something to get pine back. Otherwise they'll get a mixed
pine-hardwood stand" of, say, sweet gum and maple, for which there is no
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
13
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
market in many areas.
Some Wait for Strip Mining
Many owners don't think of their forests as potential income producers,
valuing them instead as woods to walk, hunt and gather firewood in. Those who
have leased mineral rights to coal companies 582 no sense in improving forest
land that will be strip mined sooner or later. Many owners lack the capital to
invest in reforestation, while others think the long payoff period not worth the
risks.
The federal government has started to make it easier for farmers to invest in
reforestation. Its new "Conservation Reserve" program provides payments to
farmers to take marginal, erosion-prone cropland out of production and put it in
trees. The farmer pays half the tree-planting costs, the government the other
half, and the farmer agrees to keep the land in trees for at least 10 years.
Similar to the "Soil Bank" program of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the new
program is expected to cost the government less than the crop subsidies it now
pays on the land to be forested. What's more, experts say that much of the
cropland expected to revert to forest should never have been plowed in the first
place and would yield higher rates of return growing pines.
The 1985 farm law that authorized the Conservation Reserve program also
includes a "swampbuster" program to deny price-support loans, subsidized crop
insurance and other federal benefits to farmers who drain wetlands to grow
crops. The program won't bring back the 19 million acres of forested wetlands in
the lower Mississippi River Valley that already have been drained and cleared of
trees, but environmentalists and wildlife advocates hope it will slow down
conversion of the 5 million acres that remain there, as well as help preserve
seasonally flooded forests elsewhere.
Windbreaks Repay Investment
Soil conservationists would like to see the federal government help farmers
replace the windbreaks around their fields that many ripped out in the 1970s to
maximize crop production. Re-establishment of windbreaks would repay many
farmers' investment, inasmuch as studies show that half a dozen rows of trees
slow down the wind for a distance of 40 to 50 times the height of the trees,
protect crops from burial by windblown sand and fine soil, help retain moisture
in the soil and increase crop yields. Windbreaks also encourage birds and other
wildlife, and some provide fruits and nuts.
Many of the bald patches that pockmark the 156 forests in the national forest
system are the legacy of the prevailing practice of cutting every tree in a
given area, and then replanting the area with an even-aged stand of commercially
valuable trees.
Clear-Cutting Has Advantages
The main advantage of such clear-cutting is that it allows tree species that
make the best construction lumber, such as Douglas fir, but that don't grow well
in the shade of taller trees, to flourish without competition from other
species. Clear-cutting also reduces logging costs, minimizes the length of
logging roads, makes it easier to dispose of logging debris and removes
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
14
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
diseased trees that could escape harvest and spread infection.
The disadvantages are also considerable. Clear-cutting fosters soil erosion,
removes small trees that could form the basis of the next stand, encourages
brush, shrubs and "nuisance" tree species to invade and compete with the planted
preferred species, increases the hazard of destructive crown fires that race
across the forest canopy at uniform tree-top level and leaves clear-cut sections
of land looking like heavily shelled battlefields.
Under public pressure, Congress and the courts have restricted the Forest
Service's discretion in clear-cutting. The size of clear-cut sections has
dropped - to a maximum of 100 acres in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, 80
acres in southern pine forests, 60 acres in Pacific Northwest Douglas fir
country and 40 acres elsewhere.
In California, the average clear-cut section is 20 acres, and Zane G. Smith
Jr., regional forester with the Forest Service, says "the pattern in the future
will be cuts of from one-third to two or three acres," laid out in a mosaic
pattern so that each clear-cut section is bordered by uncut forest.
The Forest Service has also been getting more restrictive about how much wood
from national forests it will let lumber, plywood and pulp producers cut. The
service has been selling timber from about 80 million acres in the 191
million-acre system, and this is expected to drop to 60 million acres as
environmentally sensitive areas and those uneconomical to sell timber from are
withdrawn from timber sales.
About 600,000 to 700,000 acres are actually cut each year. Timber companies
would love to get their saws on still more trees, but as long as the Forest
Service carries out its legal obligations to cut no more than can be sustained
indefinitely and to replant harvested areas, deforestation should remain a
localized rather than a system-wide problem.
Environmental Ethics
Perverse as it may seem, many people who live in the ravaged Tennessee Copper
Basin aren't pleased that it is being reforested.
The local weekly newspaper reported recently that some residents regard the
moon-like landscape as "a beloved scar they have lived with all their lives and,
thus, have come to love."
Merchants fear tourists would stop driving out of their way to see the raw,
red hills if they reverted to green like most others. Jannie Edwards, who works
at the basin's mining museum, worries that "it wouldn't be a tourist attraction
anymore."
Call it local pride in the area's reputation as the Tennessee Badlands -- the
wgliest place in the South - ignorance, arrogance or avarice, the resulting
insensitivity to environmental concerns is all too familiar to students of
deforestation. It's reminiscent, for instance, of the attitude of the Spanish
who conquered Mexico four centuries ago and destroyed upland forests not only
for timber and to graze their cattle, but also because they craved a landscape
resembling their own treeless homeland of Castile.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS LEXIS NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
15
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
Lest ancient and costly errors continue to be repeated, ecologists see the
need for a worldwide ethical revolution that would replace the prevailing
attitude that humankind owns all environmental wealth and has the right to
dominate and exploit it at will with an awareness that humans are themselves
inseparable from, and an interdependent component of, that environment.
"The problem is that we set economic tasks and then go about accomplishing
them at any price. As a result, we're incurring a mounting debt to nature -- a
debt that will eventually have to be repaid, whether we like it or not. Man is a
part of nature, and in struggling against nature we're fighting ourselves."
The 'Psychological Connection'
That statement sounds as though it could have come from an Earth First!
zealot. But it was made instead by the Soviet writer S. P. Zalygin during a
roundtable discussion among Russian writers and scientists on the Soviet
economy, ecology and ethics. Zalygin went on:
"In ancient times, people sensed not just their attitude toward, say, a
forest or a herd of animals, but also the attitude of that forest or herd toward
them. Now all we know is what we need from nature. We've lost the psychological
connection that would let us know the natural world's attitude toward us. Maybe
we're not as smart as WE think we are when we laugh at the pagans who drew no
distinction between animate and inanimate objects."
American Indians regarded trees, like animals, "as having immortal spirits
and the power to help or hurt," J. Donald Hughes, an historian at the University
of Denver, says in "American Indian Ecology." "Accordingly, when the forest
Indians gathered bark, they stripped it off only one side of the tree, 50 that
the tree would not be girdled and killed."
In Europe, Druids and other pagans revered natural groves of trees as the
dwelling places of gods who brought sunshine and rain, and they maintained the
groves as sacred temples.
The pantheistic Ancient Greeks first protected groves of trees as sacred
sanctuaries, punishing poachers with ritual curses and a 50-drachma fine for a
free man and 50 lashes for a slave. But as wood shortages worsened, the groves
were cut down one by one to build fortifications, siege engines and sailing
ships.
A Lower Order of Creation
AS the need for timber came to override reverence for trees, forests - and
the natural world in general --- came to be relegated to a lower order of
creation. This was clearly expressed in the Book of Genesis' injunction to
humans to "have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Early Christian fanatics abhorred the worship and bloody sacrifices that took
place in sacred groves and chopped them down. They have been at it ever since.
And they're not the only ones. During China's 1966-76 Cultural Revolution,
communist fanatics took revenge on "decadent" Buddhist temples and monasteries
by destroying groves of trees around them.
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
16
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1987
It has been said that the best way to get people to care for the earth is for
them to look at, smell and taste it sensuously. If 50, raising city-bound
Americans' environmental consciousness depends partly on encouraging them to use
forests to rest, relax, enjoy beauty, get back to nature and regain physical and
spiritual strength.
To environmental responsibility and human self-interest, conservationists
could add generational justice as reason for preserving forests. As Larry D.
Harris, a professor of forest wildlife ecology at the University of Florida,
argued recently in opposing further clearing of forests in the lower Mississippi
River Valley, "Stewardship of land should be based on the principle that
resources are not given to us by our parents, but are loaned to us by our
children."
No one more clearly saw deforestation's role in robbing succeeding
generations than the late Walter C. Lowdermilk. In the 1920s and 1930s, this
American soil conservationist studied environmental devastation and economic
deterioration that deforestation had caused in China, the Near East and
elsewhere in the world. Seeing what had become of the Promised Land, Lowdermilk
concluded that if God had foreseen the consequences of misuse of the land, he
might have been inspired to give Moses another Commandment, the 11th:
"Thou shalt inherit the Holy Earth as a faithful steward, conserving its
resources and productivity from generation to generation. Thou shalt safeguard
thy fields from soil erosion, thy living waters from drying up, thy forests from
desolation, and protect thy hills from overgrazing by thy herds, that thy
descendants may have abundance forever. If any shall fail in this stewardship of
the land, thy fruitful fields shall become sterile stony ground and wasting
gullies, and thy descendants shall decrease and live in poverty or perish from
off the face of the earth."
GRAPHIC: Photo, Tennessee's Copper Basin, ravaged by mining in the 1850s, is
considered a classic of forest and soil destruction. Reclaimed areas,
foreground, started in the 1930s, offer hope that other ruined land can be
restored. ROBIN RUDD; Photo, Douglas fir stumps, above, poke from ground at
tree farm in western Washington after clear-cutting in 1940. By 1960, a vigorous
forest of second-growth trees, below, had swallowed up most of the old logging
camp. Lack of shade from older trees allowed fir seedlings to grow faster.
Weyerhaeuser Company
TYPE: Series
SUBJECT: FORESTS; DEFORESTATION; ECOLOGY; CONSERVATION; ENVIRONMENT; EROSION;
REFORESTATION
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
17
2ND STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1987 The Times Mirror Company;
Los Angeles Times
June 19, 1987, Friday, Home Edition
SECTION: Part 1; Page 1; Column 5; National Desk
LENGTH: 3826 words
HEADLINE: DAMAGE CAN BE IRREVERSIBLE;
DROUGHT, FLOODS, EROSION ADD TO IMPACT OF TREE LOSS
SERIES: THE VANISHING FORESTS: Third in a Series. Next: Reforesting -- the
benefits and problems.
BYLINE: By A. KENT MacDOUGALL, Times Staff Writer
DATELINE: MAUNA KEA, Hawaii
BODY:
When David Douglas, the Scottish botanist after whom the Douglas fir tree is
named, hiked up this 13,784-foot volcanic mountain in 1834, he noted that the
"highly picturesque and sublime" scene included a forest of mamane trees
stretching up to 9,300 feet.
Today, there is no mamane forest at 9,300 feet, or even at 6,300 feet. Here
and there, a lone tree stands out. But mostly this is a stark wasteland. The
forest is gone, and much of the rich volcanic soil with it. Nothing has taken
its place.
Mauna Kea's baldness is one of the temperate world's legacies here in the
tropics. For it was English and Yankee ship captains who, eager to provide fresh
meat for seafarers, loosed upon this island the cattle, sheep and goats largely
responsible for eating the forest to death.
The subsequent slowness of the mamane forest to regenerate, even after
removal of nearly all the herbivores, points up the fragility of island
ecosystems. "On a small island it doesn't take much to destroy an entire
ecological zone, and with it all the native plants and animals that have evolved
over millions of years," says James Juvik, professor of geography at the
University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Far from providing a model for tropical Third World countries of how economic
development can go hand in hand with environmental protection, the no-longer
paradisiacal Hawaii exemplifies the adverse impact of deforestation on soil,
water, plants and wildlife. For one thing, a third of the islands' native bird
species and subspecies have become extinct in the two centuries since the
Europeans arrived. And most of those remaining, including the palila, a small
bird that eats mamane seeds and is found only in Hawaii, are considered
officially endangered.
Island ecosystems pose special problems, of course. Their plant and animal
populations are smaller and more vulnerable to disruption. Having evolved
without natural predators, many species are easy marks for predators that are
introduced. Hawaii's native trees, for instance, evolved without thorns,
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
18
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
poisonous sap, bitter-tasting bark or other protective defenses against goat and
sheep attacks.
With plenty to eat and nothing to fear except occasional hunters, the few
cattle, sheep and goats set free by Capt. James Cook and his successors soon
turned into huge herds that roamed freely on this, the largest island in the
Hawaiian chain, as on others. While the cattle trampled undergrowth and cut
shallow tree roots with their sharp hooves, the sheep and especially the goats
gobbled leaves and twigs and chewed sprouts and seedlings down to the ground,
preventing regeneration. AS the forest thinned, the land dried out,
deteriorating in many areas to scrubby brushland.
As the creation of unproductive brushland indicates, deforestation usually
entails more than just losing trees. Other environmental damage that in turn
causes economic and social distress includes accelerated soil erosion, flooding
and siltation of waterways.
Soil Loses Porosity
Consider the impact of deforestation on water flow. Forest soils rich in
decomposed organic matter absorb and store more water than cultivated fields,
grass-covered pasture and, especially, bare mineral soil, which tends to become
hard and impermeable when exposed in the open. Tree roots increase the porosity
of the soil by pushing into and loosening up new areas. When the roots die they
add organic matter to the soil and leave channels through which water can
percolate downward to recharge underground aquifers and to emerge downhill as
springs.
Spongy forest soils help even out the flow of water, retarding runoff from
heavy spring rains and melting snow and increasing the seasonally low flow in
the summer. When a forest is cleared, streams often become roaring, destructive
torrents in the rainy season and parched channels in dry periods.
In the Mediterranean climate, soil moisture is barely sufficient to sustain
forests through the long, dry summer. When the forests are cut and subjected to
the added stress of grazing and burning, they have a habit of never coming back.
That happened in Ancient Greece, where eroded land too stony, hilly and dry to
go back to forest was given over to olives and grapes. The oil and wine was then
traded for timber and grain from the still-wooded Black Sea Coast.
California Forests
Low soil moisture, which experts say is a more critical determinant of
drought than low rainfall, has also prevented the regeneration of forests in
California. The Plumas National Forest north of Lake Tahoe, for one, has 56,000
fewer acres in timber than 40 years ago because of the failure of cut-over,
dried-out forests to regenerate.
"California has places at high elevations where we harvested timber, but
we're not getting it back, because of short growing seasons, drought, high soil
temperatures and the harsh climate," concedes Zane G. Smith Jr., Pacific
Southwest regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service.
Logging on shallow soils, on south-facing slopes that bake under the summer
sun and on north-facing slopes that don't warm up enough, has also turned
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
19
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
forests in California, Oregon and Washington into scrubby brush fields and tough
grasslands. So has clear-cut logging that has removed seed sources and exposed
large areas to the elements.
Even selective logging of just the biggest trees can result in an unintended
clear-cut. This often happens in the tropics, where removing the larger trees
exposes smaller trees they had shaded to fatal overheating.
In the British Isles, the cutting of trees in dry, windy areas with infertile
soils has resulted in open heaths covered with pretty but unproductive heather.
In sandy areas where each tree 15 an oasis anchoring the soil against the
clawing wind, removing the tree cover can cause sand to drift ominously. This
has happened north of Coos Bay, Ore., on the south shore of Lake Michigan, on
Cape Cod and in many other places.
Fires on Mt. Shasta
The hotter, drier, windier conditions that follow deforestation increase the
hazard of fire and convert minor fires into major conflagrations. In California,
several hundred thousand acres of timberland on the slopes of Mt. Shasta have
degenerated into brush fields because of repeated fires since
turn-of-the-century logging.
"The timber would have come back after the first fire, but subsequent fires
removed the seed source and the seedlings," explains Richard Harrell, a Forest
Service fire-management specialist.
Other forested areas that were repeatedly burned have gone back to forest but
grow only stunted trees and commercially inferior species. In Michigan, white
and Norway pines, hemlock and valuable hardwoods were almost entirely eliminated
after logging and repeated burning, giving the land over to scrubby stands of
jack pine, aspen and other less desirable species.
Removing trees in hot, arid regions permits the soil to wash or blow away. If
hooves compact the earth, the chances of seeds germinating are remote. Little
wonder, then, that as forests shrink, the world's deserts are spreading,
swallowing up arable land, displacing villages, ruining lives.
Deforestation is expanding deserts not only in continental interiors but also
along seacoasts where forests used to comb moisture from clouds and fog rolling
in from the ocean. In Mexico, the cutting of forests along the Gulf of Mexico
north of Veracruz to expand corn cultivation destroyed one of the corn farmers'
most important sources of water, increasing aridity and inadvertently ruining
more than 1,000 square miles of land. Similar disasters have taken place in
coastal Peru and Chile.
Wet Regions Get Wetter
While making already-dry regions drier, deforestation often makes wet regions
even wetter. For trees serve as both umbrellas and water pumps. Their canopies
intercept rainfall and evaporate much of it from leaves and twigs before it
reaches the ground. Meanwhile, their roots take up moisture from the soil and
pump it up to the leaves, which transpire it into the atmosphere.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
20
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
When trees that used to shed excess moisture are removed, already wet soils
tend to become waterlogged. In Britain, removing trees in areas of high rainfall
and poorly drained soils has led to waterlogged moors and peat bogs. In the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan, cutting trees in black spruce bogs has raised the
water table, preventing regeneration.
Waterlogging is less of a problem worldwide than the erosive runoff of water.
A certain amount of soil erosion and sedimentation is both natural and
desirable, of course. Rivers need a little silt to stabilize their bed and banks
and to replenish sandy beaches at their mouth. River valleys become more fertile
when sediment is deposited gently over the millennia.
As long as no more soil is washed away than is formed, erosion is generally
not a problem. But removing the vegetative cover greatly increases the erosion
rate, replacing the beneficial process of geologic erosion with the destructive
process called accelerated erosion.
Deforestation accelerates erosion because tree canopies and litter and humus
on the forest floor are no longer available to break the impact of downpours.
Raindrops that strike the bare soil dislodge fine-textured particles that clog
pores in the soil, preventing water from being absorbed.
Danger From Steep Slopes
Water that runs off quickly on steep slopes causes the most destruction.
Doubling the velocity of water increases its cutting power fourfold, its
carrying capacity 32-fold, and the size of debris it can carry 64-fold. This
helps explain how huge boulders can be carried down small streams once they turn
into torrents.
A single rainstorm can carry away a layer of fertile topsoil that took
centuries to build. Where runoff cuts channels in the earth, gullies are formed,
growing deeper, wider and longer with each heavy rain.
In the Southeast, a region of hills, erodible soils and heavy rainfall,
replacing the thick natural forest cover with cotton and tobacco fields cut
gullies 50 deep and steep that when the Civilian Conservation Corps reforested
in the 1930s, workers with seedlings had to be lowered into the gullies by rope.
For the world's deepest gullies, however, one must turn to China. The
comparatively small percentage of level land in China explains the early
extension of cultivation into mountainous areas. When the Chinese cleared the
higher plateau lands through which the Yellow River flows, they exposed the
fertile, fine-grained soil laid down by wind-blown dust. Predictably, summer
rainstorms washed away the soil, in the process carving a lifeless maze of
narrow, steep-sided gullies up to 650 feet deep.
The Yellow River has the dubious distinction of being the muddiest river in
the world. The huge load of sediment from deforested highlands that it has
carried for several thousand years has elevated the river bed in lower reaches.
This aggradation, now averaging three to four inches a year, has forced Chinese
peasants farming the fertile lowland plains to build levees to confine the river
within its banks. Using their bare hands and baskets, the farmers have raised
the levees a little higher each year, so that today the river runs 10 to 30 feet
above the surrounding countryside.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
21
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
River Changes Course
Even then, heavy rainfall has overwhelmed the river's capacity, causing an
average of one flood every other year between 206 BC and AD 1949. The river has
changed course eight times since AD 11.
Since the early 1950s, tree-cutting along the Yellow River's middle and upper
reaches has continued, and the siltation rate has increased more than 20%.
What's more, Chinese scientists warn that the Yangtze, which flooded in 1980,
1981 and 1982, is in danger of turning into a second Yellow River because of
deforestation and attempts to terrace hillsides for farming in the southwestern
highlands.
China is also having problems with reservoirs. It has had to abandon many
small reservoirs after just two or three years because of siltation from
deforested watersheds. Siltation has similarly reduced the water-holding and
power-generating capacity of both dams and reservoirs in many Third World
countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia and
Costa Rica.
Even the United States is not exempt. Deforestation, mining and other misuse
of hilly watersheds in the Tennessee Valley have silted up several Tennessee
Valley Authority reservoirs. One of these, on the Ocose River in Southeastern
Tennessee, has lost 90% of its storage capacity. Accumulated silt blocks the
intake of the tunnel that carries water from the reservoir to electrical
generators. This necessitates periodic sluicing of the silt -- but that only
transfers the problem downriver to another reservoir where the silt settles out
to form mud flats.
Silt Extends Coastlines
Silt from deforested highlands also has a long history of clogging harbors
and pushing coastlines out to sea. The northern Adriatic coast of Italy has been
silting up and extending seaward for at least 2,000 years. Ravenna, once the
chief Roman port on the Adriatic coast, lost its access to the sea long ago and
is now six miles inland. Adria, built on an island near the mouth of the Po
River, today is 12 miles inland, its streets 15 feet above the foundations of
houses that the Etruscans built 2,500 years ago.
"The silt loads of the rivers began to accelerate during the Renaissance
period, when the area had its most prosperous and glorious period in history,"
Vernon Gill Carter and Tom Dale report in "Topsoil and Civilization." "In other
words, this region followed the familiar pattern. Its high point in civilization
was achieved mainly by intensive use of the land and this, in turn, brought on
the serious erosion that eventually resulted in decline."
Today, the same process is at work in many Third World countries. Silt from
the Himalayan foothills has created navigational hazards at the port of Calcutta
on the Hooghly River. Many ships can no longer reach its docks, and each year
Calcutta loses more shipping to other Indian ports.
Silt has created entire new islands in the nearby Bay of Bengal. As soon as
the islands are formed, landless peasants settle them, growing rice and grazing
cattle. Several thousand of these people were drowned in May, 1985, when a
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
22
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
cyclone swept over silt-formed islands off Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Malaria-Carrying Mosquitoes
Silt from deforested uplands deposited in low-lying coastal plains often
creates marshes that can become breeding grounds for malaria-carrying
mosquitoes. And this, too, has been going on for thousands of years.
Malaria became widespread in Greece around 400 BC and in Italy about 200 BC.
The most notorious breeding ground was the Pontine Marshes at the mouth of the
Tiber River near Rome. The Romans periodically drained these swamps, but the
basic cause remained unsolved, and so did the prevalence of the disease.
Deforestation is also harmful to agriculture. For one thing, it alters the
local climate, increasing temperature extremes and windiness and reducing
rainfall and soil moisture. These effects were studied some years ago by the
Forest Service in the Tennessee Copper Basin, most of which was denuded by
smelter fumes and firewood harvesting by the turn of the 20th Century.
The Forest Service found that during the summer, soil temperatures in the
open reached 127 degrees, compared with an 82-degree maximum in the nearby
woods. Wind velocity was 13 times greater in the open. In the winter, soils in
the open froze earlier and more deeply. And year-round, more than three times as
much moisture evaporated from open spots as from the forest.
Fewer Rain Clouds Form
Despite greater evaporation from open spots, deforestation reduces rainfall.
The enormous quantity of water that trees pump up from underground and transpire
into the atmosphere rises as cool, moist air that often condenses into rain. In
contrast, warm, dry air rising from deforested areas has more capacity to hold
moisture, so it forms rain clouds less often.
With less rain falling on them, some heavily logged tropical rain forests are
drying out enough during recurrent drought years to fall victim to a rare
phenomenon: fire. Four years ago, a massive fire in the Ivory Coast in Africa
destroyed 1,700 square miles of rain forest.
Deforestation can alter regional as well as local climate. The removal of
rain forests on the Atlantic Coast of Africa is suspected of reducing the
moisture that moves inland to help generate rainfall in the drought-prone Sahel
Zone from Senegal to the Sudan. Deforestation in the Amazon Basin may be cutting
down rainfall in Venezuela and Colombia to the north and in south-central Brazil
to the south.
"Brazil's efforts to resettle the excess population from its northeast and
south and to expand beef production by converting the Amazon rain forest to
grassland may indirectly threaten food production in the country's agricultural
heartland," Lester R. Brown, president of Worldwatch Institute, notes in "State
of the World 1985."
The same kind of climatic deterioration that Brown sees reinforcing
environmental deterioration in Brazil and Africa helped dry out the entire
Mediterranean area long ago. Or so many experts believe.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS ® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
23
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
'Land of Milk and Honey'
"When Israel was the land of milk and honey, it was moister than today, and
probably cooler," says Eric Bourdo, retired dean of the School of Forestry at
Michigan Technological University.
The desiccation process triggered by deforestation can be seen even in remote
Soviet Central Asia. There, deforested mountain slopes heat up in summer,
melting nearby glaciers. One such glacier, the Zeravashan, has retreated 50
miles in the last century.
"There's no need explaining where this process can lead," a Tadzhik
agricultural official told Pravda. "At present, it's fairly slow, but it's time
we thought about stopping it. Otherwise, Central Asia may eventually lose its
rivers."
The Soviets are worried about their lakes as well as their rivers. Again,
their own timber harvesting practices are partly to blame. Soviet loggers
commonly float individual logs down rivers to sawmills, rather than lashing them
together in rafts. And they often fail to strip the bark off first. Many
individual logs sink and many lose their bark. The bark rots on the bottom,
poisoning the water, reducing its oxygen content and smothering fish-spawning
beds. Sunken logs in rivers flowing into Lake Baykal have contributed to a sharp
decline in the catch of the lake's most important commercial fish, the omul.
The United States has its share of logging-caused fisheries problems, too.
Salmon spawning grounds on the South Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho were
nearly wiped out in 1965 when heavy rains crumbled hillside logging roads into
the river. Now at minimum survival levels, the salmon population will take a
hundred years to recover, according to the Wilderness Society.
Logs Prevent Fish Migration
Silt has clogged spawning grounds in other Western rivers as well. Logs
felled into streams have blocked upstream salmon migration. And trees removed
from the banks of some streams have increased solar radiation and stream
temperatures enough to disrupt spawning and kill fish eggs.
In many tropical regions, deforestation not only has despoiled fish habitats
but deprived fish of food. Many species feed primarily on fruits and seeds that
fall from trees into streams and rivers. When tropical forests are cleared, tree
food declines, and fish populations with it.
Deforestation also damages offshore fisheries. Around the Caribbean,
deforestation washes silt into clear coastal waters, reducing the waters'
transparency and transmission of sunlight, and killing off grasses and coral
reefs on which much marine life depends. Along the coast of Chile, shellfish
beds have been smothered by sludge deposited following deforestation.
Deforestation's effects on wildlife are mixed. Deer and bear thrive on the
new growth that follows clear-cutting of forests. Large clearings also benefit
some small mammals, quail and other game birds, as well as birds of prey.
Birds Go the Way of Forests
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
24
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
But most animals lose out. Elk go hungry when tree canopies no longer reduce
snow accumulation over winter forage. Martens and fishers have declined along
with the tall dense forests in the Pacific Northwest on which they depend. So
have spotted owls. And in the South, ivory-billed woodpeckers have gone the way
of mature hardwoods.
Several species of U.S. songbirds have declined in numbers because of the
devastation of the forests in Central and South America to which they migrate
for the winter.
And here in Hawaii, which has more endangered species than any other state,
the palila and 28 other native birds on the federal list of endangered or
threatened species barely hang on in what's left of the native forest. With many
native plants extinct and others endangered, and non-native plants firmly in
their niches, restoring the original biotic community is considered impossible.
Even the oysters that gave Pearl Harbor its name are gone, long ago smothered
by silt from the harbor's deforested, eroded watershed. In both big and little
ways, Hawaii is still paying for the deforestation that began when the
Polynesians cleared lowland forests to plant crops and accelerated after the
Europeans arrived in 1778.
In land usage, as in life, there is no free lunch.
RAVAGES OF DEFORESTATION
1. Deforestation entails more than just the loss of trees. The effects extend
to soil, water, plant and animal life. the most visible immediate scars are on
the land: a sea of stumps left after logging, access roads built for equipment,
and tracks left by heavy machinery. But in fragile ecosystems, these are only
the begining.
2. Rain falling on denuded hillsides washes past the spindly remains of
inferior trees and creates channels. Spongy forest soils help even out the flow
of water; when a forest is cleared, streams often become roaring, destructive
torrents in the rainy season and parched channels in dry periods. With the
runoff flows precious topsoil.
3. Eventually, the treeless slopes can no longer absorb the rush of water,
and the hillside becomes undermined. Downstream, soil eroded from the hills and
river banks settles out to form mud flats that somother fish spawning beds. The
silt also builds up behind dams, blocking intake tunnels and reducing
power-generation capacity, and clogs harbors.
4. Over the years, the gullies widen and deepen. New trees, most of them
spindly and of commercially undesirable species, dot the landscape. The
microclimate also has been altered: Temperatures and wind increase, and rainfall
is reduced. The area has become desert-like, with barren soil that supports
mostly drought-tolerant bushes and coarse grasses.
GRAPHIC: Chart, RAVAGES OF DEFORESTATION, PATRICIA MITCHELL / Los Angeles Times
TYPE: Series
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
25
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1987
SUBJECT: DEFORESTATION; FORESTS; ENVIRONMENT; ECOLOGY; EROSION; FLOODS;
DROUGHTS; ENDANGERED SPECIES
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
26
4TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright (c) 1987 The Times Mirror Company;
Los Angeles Times
June 14, 1987, Sunday, Home Edition
SECTION: Part 1; Page 1; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 6356 words
HEADLINE: SOLEMN TRANSITION;
WORLDWIDE COSTS MOUNT AS TREES FALL
SERIES: THE VANISHING FORESTS: FIRST IN A SERIES: Next: Why man cuts down
forests.
BYLINE: By A. KENT MacDOUGALL, Times Staff Writer
BODY:
Humans owe a debt of thanks to forests. Forests clear the air, moderate the
climate, protect soil from erosion and keep water clean. Forests provide lumber,
fuel and food, as well as raw material for paper, plastics, medicines and a
thousand other products. Forests offer refuge to the landless, the rebellious
and the weary.
How have humans repaid forests? By chopping, sawing, slashing, burning,
blasting and bulldozing them. By poisoning them with herbicides, mine tailings
and acid rain; scarring them with logging roads, skid trails and sawmills;
drowning them behind dams; clearing them for farms and pastures, and paving them
over for highways and cities.
In the last 5,000 years, humans have reduced forests from roughly 50% of the
Earth's land surface to 20%. This ages-old devastation is accelerating.
According to United Nations estimates, Africa has lost 23% of its forests since
1950, Central America 38% and the Himalayan watershed 40%. Tropical rain forests
are going fast. Acid rain has damaged half of West Germany's trees, killing
many. U.S. forests continue to shrink in area and now contain only a fifth as
much timber as they did when the Pilgrims landed.
Deforestation has exacted an enormous toll through the ages in environmental
damage, economic deterioration and human misery. Soil erosion, flooding and
silting of rivers, reservoirs, canals and harbors are among the environmental
effects. Deforestation has created barren hillsides, creeping sand dunes,
desert-like heaths, water-logged moors, malarial swamps.
Decline and Fall of Empires
Deforestation has had a major impact on society. Historians contend
deforestation of Greece and Italy contributed significantly to the decline and
fall of the ancient Greek and Roman empires. Ascendancy gradually passed from
the deforested Mediterranean region to heavily forested Northern Europe. Much
later, a deforested England lost control of its timber-rich American colonies.
Wars have been fought for possession of forests, and many a forest has
deliberately been destroyed to punish an enemy. Conquerors and colonizers have
taken forested foreign lands after deforesting and ruining their own. Cities
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
27
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
have been abandoned and capitals relocated because of deforestation.
Deforestation has even influenced religion. Some scholars trace the Jewish
and Moslem prohibitions against eating park to deforestation of the Near East,
which deprived pigs of their natural forest habitat and made them too expensive
to feed and keep cool.
The deforestation currently taking place in the tropical Third World strikes
experts as all the more tragic because it repeats mistakes the temperate First
World already has made. Says Stanley E. Krugman, director of timber management
research for the U.S. Forest Service, "A lot of countries aren't learning from
our mistakes, just as we failed to learn from the Europeans."
Failure to learn from past mistakes and to correct the current situation has
economic, political and social ramifications that extend beyond the areas
undergoing deforestation. Far from being a narrow issue of concern only to
residents of deforested areas, nature lovers and lumber merchants, deforestation
in an increasingly interdependent world economy directly affects U.S. interests
in terms of trade, investment and political stability.
To be fair, people aren't responsible for all deforestation. Windstorms,
volcanic eruptions, lightning fires, drought and other natural disasters also
take their toll. So do deer, porcupines, beavers, gophers, rats and other wild
animals that feed on trees and sometimes kill them. Dwarf mistletoe and other
parasitic plants suck and smother trees to death. And beetles, budworms, gypsy
moths and other insects, along with rusts, rots, blights and other diseases,
consume more trees than humans harvest.
Making Matters Worse
Still, humans have a history of making matters worse by altering the balance
of nature and inadvertently causing deforestation. In the Pacific, the
introduction of non-native deer, goats and pigs onto islands where they had no
natural enemies swelled their populations and sent them rampaging through the
forests like locusts. In Arizona, a government policy of making the Kaibab
Plateau into a game preserve for deer by eliminating the coyotes, wolves and
bobcats that had preyed on them increased their numbers beyond anything the
region could support. As a result, the forest thinned and the deer starved.
Even more havoc followed the importation of the gypsy moth from France in
1869. Introduced into Massachusetts as part of a misguided silkworm-breeding
experiment, the pest soon escaped from the laboratory to nearby woods. Since
then it has spread across the country, leaving caterpillar-defoliated woods in
its wake.
As the gypsy moth epidemic suggests, most environmental problems have no
respect for political boundaries. The United States, for instance, generates air
pollution from power plants, smelters and motor vehicles that falls in Canada as
acid rain, sickening forests and killing trees. Germany imports acid rain from
Great Britain and France - and exports its own to Poland and Czechoslovakia.
The effects of deforestation are also international. Soil washed from the
deforested foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal silts up rivers and
farm fields upon which hundreds of millions of people in the lowlands of India
and Bangladesh depend for survival. Over the years, the silt has created new
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
28
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
islands in the Bay of Bengal and caused devastating floods that have reduced
harvests and taken thousands of lives.
Many Dams in Trouble
Many Third World dams built with aid from industrialized countries are losing
effectiveness as silt from deforested watersheds clogs the reservoirs behind
them, reducing the dams' capacity to generate electricity, control floods and
provide irrigation water. Siltation in the watershed of the Panama Canal has
raised concerns over the canal's continued capacity to handle shipping.
Industrial countries have spent billions of dollars to feed victims of
deforestation and revegetate denuded landscapes in the Third World. In Haiti,
once lush but now the most deforested nation in the Western Hemisphere,
one-tenth of the population depends on public and private aid from the United
States. In the West African Sahel, more than $160 million has been spent since
1972 on plantations to supply firewood and on other forestry projects, most of
which have failed. And in Ethiopia, according to World Bank senior energy
specialist Ken Newcombe, "if we gave the country $500 million to reforest, it
wouldn't do the trick."
Economic and social disruptions caused by deforestation often lead to unrest
and bloodshed. According to a 1982 report prepared for the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the "fundamental causes" of the civil war in El
Salvador "are as much environmental as political, stemming from problems of
resource distribution in an overcrowded land." The report concluded that "almost
complete deforestation, massive soil erosion and loss of fertility," combined
with high rural unemployment and unequal land distribution, had prompted many
peasants to abandon farming to join the guerrillas.
Victims Become Refugees
Millions of victims of deforestation have become environmental refugees.
Half-starved Africans flee barren lands for neighboring countries that can
hardly support their own citizens. Desperate Haitians escape their denuded
homeland to other Caribbean islands, the United States and Canada.
"One of the reasons we have Haitian refugees in Florida is that there is
nothing but drought and ruin in deforested Haiti," says Catherine Caufield,
author of "In the Rainforest."
The destruction of tropical forests is reducing the biological storehouse
upon which the entire world depends for an astonishing array of products.
Although covering just 7% of the world's land surface, the green forest belt
around the Earth's equatorial waist contains about half of all known species of
plants and animals, with many millions waiting to be discovered. Diminishing
this immense reservoir of genetic diversity reduces opportunities to improve the
characteristics of such tropical crops as bananas, cocoa and coffee by
increasing their yields and resistance to drought, disease and insects. It also
reduces opportunities to discover and develop new foods, drugs and other
products.
Flow of Products Jeopardized
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
29
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
Deforestation in both tropical and temperate regions jeopardizes the
continued flow of forest products upon which First World economies depend even
in this age of metals, plastics and fossil fuels. Most industrial countries are
net importers of forest products. Despite its still vast forests, the United
States imported $5.6 billion more in wood products in 1986 than it exported.
Europe demonstrates the link between deforestation and economic deterioration
as well as any region. Consider Sicily. Once a well-wooded, fertile island and a
flower of ancient Greek culture and prosperity, Sicily was 50 deforested by a
succession of conquerors, including the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and
Spanish, that it became almost desert-like by the 13th Century and has never
found its way back from the poorhouse.
Or take Ireland. Long since stripped of its forests by the English, Ireland
is today the least-forested nation in Europe and also one of the poorest, its
finances drained by the necessity of importing forest products and its job
opportunities reduced by the lack of forest resources.
Overall, Europe has a greater area in forest now than at the turn of the
century. But this minor comeback is threatened by acid rain.
The relative stabilization of forest cover in Europe and most other temperate
regions is the exception. Worldwide, forests have been halved since 1850. This
is only a rough estimate, of course, as precise measurement is impossible and
experts disagree on the extent of tree cover necessary to distinguish a forest
from open woodlands with scattered trees.
'Global 2000 Report'
The U.S. government's "Global 2000 Report," published in 1980, estimated that
forest cover declined from more than 25% of the world's ice-free land surface in
1956 to 20% in 1978. It projected a further decline to about 17% by the year
2000 and 14% around the year 2020, and lamented that the downward trend marks a
"transition from a period of global forest wealth to a period of forest
poverty."
Even those gloomy statistics underestimate the decline. Much remaining forest
is in the far north of Canada, Scandinavia and the Soviet Union, where trees are
small, slow-growing and too distant from markets to be economically accessible.
While the area of these sparse northern forests has remained stable, the
sharpest decline has taken place in dense tropical forests with larger trees.
The Soviet Union leads the world in forest resources, with more than a third
of its land surface in forest. But despite centralized ownership and planning,
its forest management has been neither consistent nor always enlightened. While
lightly utilizing forests in the far north and Siberia, the Soviets have been
overcutting accessible areas near rivers, roads and rail lines, as well as in
large portions of European Russia.
What's more, according to one Russian forestry official, A. S. Isayev, the
Soviet Union is reforesting only one-third of the area on which it harvests
timber, and "the gap between timber consumption and reforestation is still
growing." As a consequence, he says, "Our timber resources will not last more
than 50 years unless we step up our reforestation efforts."
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
30
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
Canada Digs 'Long-Term Hole'
Canada is also cutting merchantable timber faster in accessible areas than it
is being replaced and expects shortages of high-quality accessible timber within
20 to 30 years. "Canada is digging itself into a long-term hole to take
advantage of a short-term market opportunity" in exporting to the United States,
says R. Neil Sampson, executive vice president of the conservationist American
Forestry Assn.
The situation in the United States is similarly solemn. Forests covered 50%
of the United States when European colonists began arriving in the early 1600s,
but they cover less than 33% today. Forests made a slight comeback after World
War II as cropland and pastureland were idled and reverted to forest. But since
1962, forests, most notably in the South, have been shrinking again with
conversion to fields and pastures, reservoirs, power lines, pipelines, highways,
airports and urban sprawl. And the U.S. Forest Service expects the decline to
continue.
What's more, the quality of what remains is inferior to the virgin stands of
old, thanks to the historic practice of cutting the best and the largest trees
and the preferred species. Across much of the country, heavy logging and
repeated burning have permitted commercially less desirable hardwood species to
encroach on more valuable softwood stands, leaving mostly small-sized,
low-quality trees for which there is little or no commercial demand.
Repeating mistakes made by Europeans and North Americans in the past, Asians,
Africans and Latin Americans are destroying their forests at an accelerated
rate. Peasants clear land to grow food, ranchers move in to graze cattle,
loggers mow down trees for export, and firewood gatherers grab what's left.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, some 42,000
square miles of tropical forest, an area nearly the size of Louisiana, are
disappearing each year.
"Instead of having a band of greenery around the equator, the Earth may
eventually feature a bald ring," warns Norman Myers, author of "The Primary
Source: Tropical Forests and Our Future." "These ecosystems, the most ancient on
Earth, have been in existence for at least 50 million years, and they are being
eliminated within a period of half a century or so, or one-millionth part of
their history."
What most alarms environmentalists like Myers is that ecological recovery in
the tropics will prove much more difficult than it has been in Western Europe
and the Eastern United States where fairly flat land, gentle rainfall, good
soils and natural regeneration have minimized damage from deforestation.
Where the land is hilly, the climate arid or rainfall torrential, soils
shallow, and economic pressures prevent good husbandry, as they do in most of
the Third World, removal of the original vegetation can set self-reinforcing
processes in motion that lead to irreversible damage.
"Tropical forests are harder to manage than temperate forests," says the U.S.
Forest Service's Krugman. "Soils are more fragile, less nutrient-rich, and when
the nutrient flow is interrupted, they don't recover easily. We don't know how
to manage the tropics, and the social, economic and population pressures prevent
what we do know from being practiced."
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
31
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
The rapid depletion of tropical forests can be traced in large measure to
affluent life styles in temperate countries. The industrialized world's hunger
for tropical hardwood furniture, wall paneling and other products has tempted
many Third World governments eager for foreign exchange to overexploit their
forests to the brink of exhaustion.
Japan Husbands Its Forests
Japan, which imports more wood than any other country, abets the
overexploitation of Southeast Asian forests even as it husbands its own forests,
keeping two-thirds of its mountainous land surface forested to protect
watersheds and conserve its own timber against the day when overseas stocks run
out.
As they have been for centuries, many tropical forests are being cleared to
make way for plantations of bananas, pineapples, peanuts, coffee, cotton and
other crops destined mainly for export to affluent industrialized countries.
Other forests are converted to pasture to produce beef for overseas markets.
Still others die to supply firewood to cure tobacco and tea, again mostly for
export.
International aid agencies and multinational development banks are part of
the problem as well as the solution. While sponsoring tree planting with one
hand, they have opened up the Third World to further deforestation by funding
large-scale agricultural, road-building and hydroelectric projects.
World Bank Finances Road
For instance, World Bank loans since 1982 to help Brazil build a 1, 100-mile
road into the Amazon frontier have opened a forested area the size of West
Germany to rice growing and other development. The road has encouraged half a
million land-hungry laborers displaced by farm mechanization elsewhere in Brazil
to stream into the forest, invade areas set aside for indigenous Indian tribes
and try to scratch a living from fragile soils unsuitable for either farming or
grazing.
If Brazil and other Third World nations keep acting as though their natural
resources are inexhaustible, they are only following the lead of the United
States. When Europeans first explored what is now the United States, the dense
forest that blanketed the eastern third of the country was 50 redolent that they
could smell it at sea long before the coast came within sight.
Coming from a continent that already had been largely deforested, early
settlers were astonished at the huge trees and primeval wilderness. So thick was
the cover that it was said, probably without exaggeration, that a squirrel could
travel in treetops all the way from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River
without ever touching the ground. And the virgin forest extended even beyond
that, to the central Great Plains.
To the first white settlers, the forest was an obstacle to be cleared before
agriculture could begin. And even after hacking out farms, the colonists saw the
woods as a dangerous sanctuary for wild beasts and a base from which Indians
could launch raids. So they kept enlarging the clearings and pushing back the
dark, sinister forest. To them, the only good tree, like the only good Indian,
was a dead one.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
32
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
Along with faith in the inexhaustibility of forest resources, this heritage
of hostility became ingrained in the frontier spirit, hastening the
indiscriminate, wanton destruction of forests long after they had ceased to be
barriers to settlement of the country.
Forests Seen as Obstacles
So, too, today do tropical countries view their forests as obstacles to the
agriculture needed to feed growing populations and as an underused asset needed
to generate foreign exchange. Too busy surviving today to worry about tomorrow,
they mine the forests rather than treat them as a renewable resource.
Just as today's environmentalists raise alarms at tropical deforestation, so
a few lonely voices spoke out against the rape of U.S. virgin forests. Benjamin
Franklin in 1749 urgently advocated an end to the reckless slaughter of the
woods. Later, Henry David Thoreau lamented that if loggers were tall enough they
would surely attempt to lay waste the sky. Unfortunately, Americans were too
busy felling trees to pay heed.
Though the idea of conservation struck most Americans as ludicrous, the
decline in the quality of U.S. forests began in Colonial times with the culling
of New England forests for white pine masts and white oak timbers for the
English navy. Stripping forests of the most valuable timbers left crooked,
stunted trees and inferior species to regenerate. The legacy today is that
choice walnut is so scarce that a single log sold recently for $25,000.
Today's lumber merchants could make fortunes selling the magnificent trees
yesterday's loggers wasted. Felling an entire stand of trees and then taking
only the choice butt logs was common. So was peeling the bark from ancient oaks
and hemlocks and then leaving them to rot, while the bark was leached to obtain
tannic acid to tan hides. And when lumberjacks weren't cutting off giant
sequoias as much as 20 feet above the ground, letting the great tops crash to
the forest floor and often splinter into uselessness, they were blasting them
down with dynamite, wasting half the timber and setting fire to what was left.
Fire Used Indiscriminately
Both settlers and loggers used fire indiscriminately. Farmers eager to clear
land as quickly and cheaply as possible often cut trees and then burned them
where they lay. Loggers used fire to clear out underbrush before logging and to
destroy debris afterward.
During drought and hot weather, fires often got out of control and raced
across the land. The most deadly fire, in Wisconsin in 1871, burned 2,000 square
miles and took 1, 152 lives. In 1910, several small fires whipped by high winds
formed a river of flame that burned a sixth of north Idaho's forests, killing 87
people and sending up a pall of smoke that darkened the sky as far away as St.
Louis.
Fires often destroyed more timber than the amount cut. Worse, by wiping out
young trees left on the cutover site, they delayed and sometimes prevented
future timber crops. Still worse, fires damaged sandy and other fragile soils,
creating desolate barrens where only stunted trees could grow. In the repeatedly
blackened New Jersey Pine Barrens, where trees once towered over people, damaged
soils now support only four-foot pygmy pines.
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
33
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
The shortsighted abuse Americans heaped on their land and its natural
resources continues today both here and abroad. Farmers who cleared forests in
the lower Mississippi River Valley to grow soybeans and other crops in recent
decades sold barely a third of the timber, bulldozing most of the rest into
windrows and burning it.
Harvested Timber Wasted
Waste is even more appalling in the Third World. In Costa Rica, which has the
highest annual percentage loss of forest in Central America, more than half of
the timber harvested is burned or allowed to rot in place, according to
biologist Rodrigo Gamez. And in Borneo, where the Indonesian government permits
logging of huge tracts, logging debris left after harvesting fueled a 1983 fire
that raced through the drought-parched rain forest for four months, burning an
area larger than Massachusetts and Connecticut combined and destroying an
estimated $6 billion in future harvestable timber.
Cut-and-run logging makes for boom-and-bust economies. After removing the
biggest and best trees in the East, the U.S. lumber industry shifted production
first to the Great Lakes states, then to the South, and finally to the West.
Now, with the depletion of the last reservoir of old-growth timber in the West,
the center is shifting again, this time to Canada and back to the South.
The cutting of superior, commercially valuable forests without thought to
their regeneration leaves low-value forests, unemployed workers and ghost towns.
Michigan is trying to diversify its economy to take up the slack left by the
dispersion of its mainstay industry, motor vehicle manufacturing. But one of its
options, revitalizing the once-booming lumber industry, is dimmed by the fact
that the jack pine and other shrubby trees in its cut-over forests are suitable
only for pulping. Says assistant state forester Gerald A. Rose, "The biggest
problem in forest management in Michigan is finding markets for low-quality
trees."
Clearing Unsuitable Land
Another mistake still being repeated is trying to grow food crops on land
suitable only for growing trees. Just as American pioneers laboriously cleared
many forests only to discover that their soils were too stony, sandy or soggy to
sustain continued cultivation, 50 today many Third World farmers trying to wrest
a living from the nutrient-poor, acidic soils typical of the tropics commonly
give up and move on after several years.
One of the worst mistakes of all is removing the protective covering of trees
in dry areas that lack the regenerative power of forests in better watered
regions. The world is littered with the wreckage of civilizations that tried to
farm and graze dry forest land, only to see the land dry out even more and the
soil blow and wash away.
In India, where the northwest Rajasthan Desert now occupies more than a fifth
of the nation's land area, the Harappan civilization had a thriving culture
about 2000-1700 BC. But deforestation and overgrazing caused strong winds to
blow away the soil. The consequent suspended dust caused the moist atmosphere to
cool and sink, instead of warming and rising and forming precipitation. Rainfall
declined and the civilization vanished.
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
34
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
In the Near East and around the Mediterranean, vast expanses of arid
landscape are less fertile and support fewer people today than they did
thousands of years ago. North Africa, which had a forest belt between the coast
and the interior desert in Roman times and exported timber, grain and olive oil,
degenerated into today's arid adjunct to the Sahara once the ax took the trees
and goats devoured the sprouts of their would-be replacements.
Spaniards' Destructive Habits
The Europeans who conquered the New World took their environmentally
destructive habits with them. Coming from a dry land ruined by deforestation and
overgrazing, the Spaniards duplicated the devastation in Mexico and Peru.
According to William H. Prescott's classic "History of the Conquest of Mexico,"
replicating the treeless plains of their own Castile esthetically pleased the
homesick conquistadors, while owners of giant haciendas cut down trees to
prevent "lazy Indians on the plantation from wasting their time by loitering in
their shade.'
In California, timber cutting and fires set by modern-day sheepmen to "green
up" the range have converted vast stretches of forests in the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada and elsewhere to juniper, chaparral and sagebrush. Is even worse
still to come?
"If you want to see what California will look like in a thousand years, all
you have to do is look at Greece and the southern, more arid portions of Spain
and Italy," says John B. Dewitt, a forester who heads the Save-the-Redwoods
League in San Francisco. "When you start messing around with arid conditions and
shallow soils, you can go from forest to brush to grass to bare rock."
Unfortunately, one needn't wait to see such ecological collapse. Erosion and
desiccation are well under way in many parts of the Third World, particularly in
sub-Saharan Africa where desertification is setting the stage for what former
World Bank President Robert S. McNamara has called "a human tragedy of vast
proportions."
Often Hard to Perceive
Because deforestation proceeds tree by tree, communities and countries often
do not perceive a deforestation crisis until it is too late to take effective
remedial action. Other societies see the dangers but ignore the risk.
Wealthy, sophisticated, land-rich nations such as the United States would
seem to have less excuse to commit ecocide than do poor, mountainous countries
such as China. China, which has suffered longer and more deeply from
deforestation and soil erosion than any other major country, has so densely
populated its fertile river valleys for so long that peasants have had little
choice but to put their immediate survival ahead of the public good or even
their own progeny's well-being.
The Communist government has tried to change all that. Experts say China has
planted more trees since the 1950s than any other country. But it also has
continued to convert forests to wheat fields, in accordance with Mao Tse-tung's
"grain first" policy. During his ill-conceived Great Leap Forward of the late
1950s, forests were cut to provide charcoal for primitive "backyard" iron
furnaces. And during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, many private
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
35
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
orchards and small woodlots were destroyed as "capitalist tails."
Since privatization of the economy began in the late 1970s, the construction
boom in peasant housing has prompted poachers to sneak out at night and saw down
trees and even telephone poles. Government statistics show that forest cover
actually slipped from 12.7% of China's land surface in 1975 to 12% in 1981.
That's an improvement on the 9% forest cover the Communists inherited in 1949,
but it's a long way from the official goal of 20% by the year 2000, which
American experts consider unattainable, and 33% eventually.
Lumber Shortages in China
Unfortunately, China doesn't have centuries - not if it wants to continue to
modernize. With only a tenth of the world average in forest resources per
capita, the country already is experiencing shortages of railway crossties,
transmission poles, mine pit props and construction lumber that are hampering
industrialization.
At least China has extensive deposits of coal to keep its iron and steel
industry going. But underdeveloped countries that have little or no coal to
provide the heat and carbon necessary to smelt ores and refine metals, and that
also are losing the forests that could provide a substitute in charcoal derived
from wood, stand a dim chance of joining the industrial revolution anytime soon.
Like China, most developing countries are net importers of forest products,
particularly paper, the production of which requires both wood and manufacturing
plants. Paper products use a quarter of the world's commercial wood harvest, and
this proportion is expected to increase in the decades ahead.
While shortages of paper slow the spread of technical information upon which
modernization depends, shortages of firewood are deepening hunger and even
threatening survival. Half of the world's people still use wood to cook their
meals. When firewood grows scarce, they turn to burning twigs and leaves, straw
and other crop residues, and dried animal dung. This diversion of organic matter
and nutrients that should go to fertilize fields reduces crop yields,
accelerating pressure to clear still more forests.
Time-Consuming Fuel Searches
As forests recede from villages in the Third World, women and children spend
an inordinate amount of time --- often two days --- gathering a week's supply of
firewood for their family. Scavenging for wood has created desert-like
conditions in semi-arid regions of Africa, India and Latin America. And the
rising cost of wood and its derivative charcoal forces millions of city dwellers
to spend as much to cook their food as to buy it.
Generally, the poorer the country, the greater its reliance on wood as an
energy source. Yet industrial countries have dramatically increased their
firewood use since the early 1970s when petroleum supplies dwindled and prices
soared. Half the timber cut in the Soviet Union is burned as firewood and an
estimated 25% in the United States.
One in four American households now burns wood for at least part of its
heating needs. And electric utilities in well-wooded New England and the Pacific
Northwest are following lumber, pulp and paper mills in generating electricity
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
36
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
from wood.
The forests of the future are expected to become increasingly important to
help fill the gap left by the depletion of the coal, oil and natural gas formed
from the giant ferns, mosses and other plants in the forests of the past. Wood's
versatility as an energy source was demonstrated in World War II when many
gasoline-short countries used gas derived from wood to run motor vehicles,
including London buses, Danish farm tractors and German tanks. Currently, wood
gas is powering electrical generators in several African countries, as well as
coastal ships in the Philippines.
More Uses Found for Wood
Even the most technologically advanced countries stand to lose if
deforestation continues to spread. For far from becoming obsolescent as
technology advances, wood is finding more uses than ever. Nowadays one can dress
entirely in textiles that originate in the forest. Even plastics have increased
demand for wood, as wood cellulose is a necessary ingredient in many plastics,
not to mention cellophane, rayon, many pharmaceuticals and artificial vanilla
flavoring.
The average American uses twice as much wood as all metals combined. Wood
constitutes more than 25% of all U.S. industrial raw materials, and the ratio
has been rising since the mid-1970s as higher fossil-fuel prices have made
energy-intensive substitutes such as steel, aluminum, cement and glass less
competitive.
With 5% of the world's population, the United States now consumes more than
25% of all lumber, plywood and other solid-wood products in the entire world, as
well as 33% of the paper and paperboard. Newspapers, magazines and books account
for much of the paper use, but packaging even more.
With U.S. demand for wood rising faster than supplies, U.S. Forest Service
economist Dwight Hair foresees "a future of intensifying competition for
available wood and rising real prices for stumpage and most wood products." As
prices rise, so will the cost of affordable housing.
Pressure on forests is also expected to intensify as wood is increasingly
substituted for steel, aluminum, concrete, brick, glass, plastics and other
materials.
Water Supplies at Stake
The forests of the future will also be needed to supply unpolluted water.
Nearly two-thirds of all running water in the United States falls first on
forests, which tend to accupy higher elevations and receive more precipitation.
As underground water supplies dry up or become polluted, forested watersheds are
expected to become an increasingly vital source of pure water for drinking and
irrigation.
"Water is the No. 1 resource issue in California," says Zane G. Smith Jr.,
Pacific Southwest regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service. "Once you
contaminate water, it doesn't clean itself readily." With contamination of water
supplies by pesticides and other pollutants in the Central Valley "likely to
surface in other places," he says, "we need to keep forests as pure as
LEXIS® NEXIS® LEXIS® NEXIS ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
37
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
possible."
However enlightened California's forestry practices may prove, the propensity
around the world is still to value forests more for the timber they yield than
for their often far more important benefits in protecting the soil, moderating
the climate and providing pure water, habitat for wildlife and opportunities for
relaxation and recreation. Worse, instead of being valued, forests in many
countries continue to be resented as competition for space needed for crops and
flocks.
Clearly, the world has not yet come to grips with deforestation. Many
governments act as though there were still virgin forests on the frontier to
move on to, when in fact the world is fast running out of virgin forests. Many
nations continue to mine forests for as long as the riches last, rather than
maintain them as renewable resources. Most seem content to take the profit --
and let future generations take care of themselves.
Day of Reckoning Approaches
Putting short-run economic expediency over investment in long-term,
sustained-yield production is understandable, given the 20- to 100-year gap
between tree planting and payoff. But with forests in 76 tropical countries
being cleared 10 times faster than they are being replanted, according to a U.N.
estimate, and forest renewal lagging behind exploitation even in advanced
societies such as the United States, the day of reckoning cannot be long
delayed.
In most of the Third World, the economic and social problems that underlie
much deforestation remain unaddressed. As Erik Eckholm points out in "Down to
Earth: Environment and Human Needs," "Usually, uncontrolled deforestation is a
symptom of a society's inability to get a grip on other fundamental development
problems: agricultural stagnation, grossly unequal land tenure, rising
unemployment, rapid population growth and the incapacity to regulate private
enterprise to protect the public interest."
Developing nations have only a third as many forest resources per capita as
industrialized nations, and this disparity is widening as both population growth
and deforestation rates in the Third World outpace the industrialized world's.
Unless this trend is reversed, deforestation could contribute to widening the
economic gap between the rich industrialized world and poor developing nations.
Another unsettling possibility is climatic change. As forests are cleared and
wood is burned or left to rot, the carbon dioxide released into the Earth's
atmosphere adds to the heat-trapping greenhouse effect. Many scientists expect a
continued build-up of carbon dioxide and other trace gases to warm the world,
melting glaciers and some of the polar ice caps and causing oceans to rise and
coastal cities and plains to be flooded. Global warming, in turn, would change
the pattern of rainfall, benefiting some regions and harming others.
Sooner or later, then, the debt that humans owe for 5,000 years of
deforestation must be repaid. Trying to overpower nature succeeds, in the end,
only in impoverishing the planet.
1. Brazil
3,656
2. Columbia
2,025
3. Indonesia
1,482
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® NEXIS
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
38
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
4. Mexico
1,470
5. Nigeria
741
6. Ivory Coast
716
7. Peru
667
8. Malaysia
630
9. Thailand
622
10. Paraguay
469
11. Zaire
450
12. Madagascar
370
13. India
363
14. Venezuela
309
15. Nicaragua
299
16. Burma
259
17. Laos
247
18. Philippines
225
19. Guatemala
222
20. Honduras
222
21. Bolivia
215
22. Nepal
207
23. Cameroon
198
24. Costa Rica
161
25. Viet Nam
161
26. Sri Lanka
143
27. Liberia
114
28. Angola
109
29. Zambia
99
30. Guinea
89
31. Panama
89
32. Ecuador
84
33. Kampuchea
62
34.
54
35.
54
36. New Guinea
54
37.
38. Guinea-Bissau
40. Mozambique
46.
Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Kenya Tanzania Uganda Belize Sierra Brunei Central Papua Pakistan Congo
47
42
39.
37
24
41.
24
42.
24
43.
22
44. Bangladesh
20
45.
20
17
47. Leone
15
48.
12
49. African Republic
12
50. El Salvador
12
COUNTRY
PERCENT
Ivory Coast
5.9
Paraguay
4.6
Nigeria
4.0
Costa Rica
3.9
Nepal
3.9
Haiti
3.1
El Salvador
2.9
LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
Services of Mead Data Central
PAGE
39
(c) 1987 Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1987
Gambia
2.8
Benin
2.6
Guinea-Bissau
2.6
Nicaragua
2.7
Honduras
2.4
Thailand
2.4
Ecuador
2.3
Liberia
2.2
GRAPHIC: Photo, part of the 1, 100-mile Trans-Amazon highway, above, threads
through jungle, opening a forested area the size of Germany to development.
Associated Press; Photo, Dr. James Juvik of the University of Hawaii, below,
stands amid former mamane tree forest at the 7,000-foot level of Mauna Kea that
was destroyed by animals imported by Yankee sea captains. ANACLETO RAPPING /
Los Angeles Times ANNUAL LOSS OF TROPICAL FORESTS( Top fifty countries, in
thousands of acres, 1981-1985 ) Source: World Resources Institute and
International Institute for Environment and DevelopmentHARDEST HIT COUNTRIES By
yearly rate of deforestation In percent ; Chart, DEFORESTATION WORLDWIDE Forest
cover will decline to an estimated 17% of the world's ice-free land surface by
the turn of the century, compared with 25% three decades ago. Much of the
remaining forests will be in northern latitudes, where trees are small and
slow-growing. In the United States, forests covered 50% of the land area when
colonists arrived; now they cover less than 33%. Deforestation is a crisis of
worldwide proportions, but the loss of forests in the tropical Third World is
all the more tragic because it repeats mistakes made over the centuries by
industrialized nations. The destruction of these forests -- which cover just 7%
of the world's land surface but contain about half of its known plant and animal
species -- is reducing the biological storehouse upon which we depend for an
astonishing array of products. Each year, the world loses forests that would
cover an area nearly the size of Louisiana. But what most worries
environmentalists is that Third World soils, rainfall, husbandry practices and
economic pressures will make recovery there much more difficult than it has been
in temperate climates. Europe now has more forest land than it did at the turn
of the century, but the comeback is threatened by acid rain. China has suffered
longer and more deeply from deforestation than any other country but is
replanting furiously. The Soviet Union, the world's leader in forest resources,
is reforesting only a third of the area on which it harvests timber. ; Table,
ANNUAL LOSS OF TROPICAL FORESTS; Table, HARDEST HIT COUNTRIES
TYPE: Series; Non Dup
SUBJECT: DEFORESTATION; FORESTS; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT
LEXIS® NEXIS® ® LEXIS® ® NEXIS® ®
M
MONTANA
NTANA
1889-1989
BRIAN ANSE PATRICK
Manager of Field Operations
STATEHOOD CENTENNIAL OFFICE
P.O. Box 1989, Helena, Montana 59620 (406) 444-1989