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MEMORIAL EXERCISES IN HONOR OF JOHN MUIR

We are indebted to Mrs. Anna N. Kendall, a member of the outing party of 1911, for the following account of the exercises in honor of John Muir at the University of Wisconsin on December 6, when the bust by C. S. Pietro, given to the university by Thomas E. Brittingham, of Madison, was unveiled:

Dear Mr. Colby: I am sending you the program of the exercises in honor of John Muir and the unveiling of the bust of him. I thought of you, one of his younger friends, as his older friends, comrades, schoolmates, and professors sat on the platform, some of them very old and very white of hair, but all voicing his praise most sincerely and genuinely, and certainly with deep affection and emotion. I wish their words could be printed in full, also that I had a photograph of the platform with the old men sitting and standing, all with the expression and attitude of loving remembrance of their old-time friend.

The program, after naming the speakers, concludes with a "Tribute" from Dr. S. Hall Young and this letter from John Burroughs:

West Park, N. Y., Nov. 29.

Dear Sir: I wish I could be with you on Dec. 6th when the University of Wisconsin proposes to do honor to the memory of one of its old pupils, John Muir; but the very serious illness of my wife and my own uncertain health will not permit me to enjoy that privilege.

My affection and admiration for Muir were deep and genuine. When in his company I used to chafe a good deal under his biting Scotch wit and love of contradiction. He loved a verbal contest which was, with him, only another form of the trial of grit which in his school days he used to cheerfully submit to when two boys, armed with whips, used to stand up before each other and lay on till one of them cried enough. As I had never had that kind of Scotch discipline I did not keenly enjoy this sort of diversion. But his heart was all right, only he liked too well to mask its real kindliness in this way.

He was a genuine student and lover of nature, and he has brought to us the message of the mountains as no other man has. In recently reading Emerson's Journals, I was struck and pleased with the fact that he places John Muir in the list of what he called "My Men." In said list the first is Thomas Carlyle, whom he first met in 1833, and the last is John Muir, whom he met in 1871. Muir's nature lore and his striking characteristics were bound to make an impression upon Emerson. He met no "mush of concession" when he met Muir. Muir tried to persuade him to quit his party for a night and go and camp with him in the woods, but Emerson's friends objected. Muir said Emerson had the "house habit." But Emerson looked upon himself then as an old man, though he was only 68.

I am glad your university is to pay this tribute to its famous and beloved old student.

With all good wishes, I am,

Julius E. Olson, Esq.,

Madison, Wis.

Very sincerely yours,

JOHN BURROUGHS

RECORDS OF SIERRAN ANIMALS IN MAGAZINE

Mr. W. E. COLBY, Secretary Sierra Club.

Dear Mr. Colby: It occurs to me that a valuable addition to the club's annual magazine would be a record of the animals seen during the annual outings.

Some of the members who go on the trips could make the necessary notes and write up the articles, giving the dates, localities, descriptions, etc. The knapsack parties would naturally be the ones to see any deer, bear, or mountain sheep, and it would be well for this to appear in the magazine, giving more of a popular than a scientific write-up. If I can be of any help in the premises, please call on me. Yours very truly,

M. HALL MCALLISTER

EVERETT SHEPARDSON

Early in January the Sierra Club lost one of its most active members, Mr. Everett Shepardson, of Los Angeles. Mr. Shepardson has served on the executive committee of the Southern California Section ever since its organization, and was for three years its chairman. He was also an earnest worker on the Muir Lodge Committee. During the holidays, with a party of friends, he went on a knapsack trip into the mountains, where they were overtaken by a severe snow-storm, suffering great privation. Doubtless the exposure and attendant hardship contributed largely to his death. For many years he has been an enthusiastic member of the annual outings and will be sadly missed.

KINGS RIVER CAÑON

Mrs. P. A. Kanawyer wishes to announce to her friends that she is still in the business of packing and outfitting for trips into Kings River Cañon and vicinity, and that her store and camp in the cañon will be open as usual in the summer. Her address is Dunlap, Cal.

NATIONAL PARK NOTES

TEXT OF THE NATIONAL PARK ACT

An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby created in the Department of the Interior a service to be called the National Park Service, which shall be under the charge of a director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary and who shall receive a salary of $4500 per annum. There shall also be appointed by the Secretary the following assistants and other employees at the salaries designated: One assistant director, at $2500 per annum; one chief clerk, at $2000 per annum; one draftsman, at $1800 per annum; one messenger, at $600 per annum; and, in addition thereto, such other employees as the Secretary of the Interior shall deem necessary: Provided, That not more than $8100 annually shall be expended for salaries of experts, assistants, and employees within the District of Columbia not herein specifically enumerated unless previously authorized by law. The service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations hereinafter specified by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

SEC. 2. That the director shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, have the supervision, management, and control of the several national parks and national monuments which are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, and of the Hot Springs Reservation in the State of Arkansas, and of such other national parks and reservations of like character as may be hereafter created by Congress: Provided, That in the supervision, management, and control of national monuments contiguous to national forests the Secretary of Agriculture may co-operate with said National Park Service to such extent as may be requested by the Secretary of the Interior.

SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Interior shall make and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary or proper for the use and management of the parks, monuments, and reservations under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, and any violations of any of the rules and regulations authorized by this Act shall be punished as provided for in section fifty of the Act entitled "An Act to codify and

amend the penal laws of the United States," approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and nine, as amended by section six of the Act of June twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and ten (Thirty-sixth United States Statutes at Large, page eight hundred and fifty-seven). He may also, upon terms and conditions to be fixed by him, sell or dispose of timber in those cases where in his judgment the cutting of such timber is required in order to control the attacks of insects or diseases or otherwise conserve the scenery or the natural or historic objects in any such park, monument, or reservation. He may also provide in his discretion for the destruction of such animals and of such plant life as may be detrimental to the use of any of said parks, monuments, or reservations. He may also grant privileges, leases, and permits for the use of land for the accommodation of visitors in the various parks, monuments, or other reservations herein provided for, but for periods not exceeding twenty years; and no natural curiosities, wonders, or objects of interest shall be leased, rented, or granted to anyone on such terms as to interfere with free access to them by the public: Provided, however, That the Secretary of the Interior may, under such rules and regulations and on such terms as he may prescribe, grant the privilege to graze live-stock within any national park, monument, or reservation herein referred to when in his judgment such use is not detrimental to the primary purpose for which such park, monument, or reservation was created, except that this provision shall not apply to the Yellowstone National Park.

SEC. 4. That nothing in this Act contained shall affect or modify the provisions of the Act approved February fifteenth, nineteen hundred and one, entitled "An Act relating to rights of way through certain parks, reservations, and other public lands."

Approved, August 25, 1916.

REPORT OF ASSISTANT TO THE Secretary oF THE INTERIOR ON PROGRESS IN The Development of National PARKS FOR 1916

The report of Honorable Stephen T. Mather, Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, covering the National Park situation for the past year should be read by everyone who wishes to keep in touch with the wonderful development which has been going on in the national parks under Mr. Mather's able supervision. For the benefit of the members of the Sierra Club, the following abstract of this report is made. This report is addressed to the Secretary of the Interior, Honorable Franklin K. Lane. Mr. Mather states at the outset that Mr. Lane had in mind the fact that the scenic features of this country were unsurpassed, and that American tourist travel should be induced to visit these parks not only during the great war, but after its conclusion. In order to accomplish this purpose, accommodations for visitors with both large and small incomes should be provided and means of travel to the parks and through the parks perfected. Mr. Mather was authorized to begin the develop

ment of these parks "on a broad-gauge scale," and he has justified Secretary Lane's faith in his ability to undertake this great work. Mr. Mather very early selected Robert Sterling Yard to take charge of the campaign of public education, and all of our members are familiar with the beautiful National Park Portfolio which was only a part of the educational campaign. This was published through the co-operation of the Government with the railroads benefited by such advertising.

Publications all over the country were furnished with photographs and material descriptive of the parks, and the interest awakened has resulted in a great demand for the loan of photographs, motion pictures, lectures, etc., which the department is as yet unable to meet.

The increased travel to the parks during 1916 has fully justified this educational campaign, for the 1916 travel exceeded the travel of the year previous, in spite of the fact that the International Exposition at San Francisco was closed. In motor travel particularly was the increase noticeable; since 12,563 cars registered at the various parks in 1915, while 19,848 cars, carrying 78,916 tourists, registered in 1916. In the near future it is quite evident that the travel in private machines will constitute the greater portion of park travel, and as a consequence this necessitates the construction of new roads and the improving of those already existing. The revenue from this motor travel is also encouraging. In 1916, $65,311 was received from automobile fees, as against $42,589 in 1915 and $14,245 in 1914.

Vigorous protests have been made against this direct tax on the motorist, but it must be maintained until larger appropriations are made for the construction and maintenance of roads suitable for motor traffic. Perhaps it should be continued indefinitely as a means of providing funds to repair the natural wear and tear on roads and bridges, the deterioration of which is unusually severe where they are used extensively by motor cars.

Mr. Mather feels that the policy of allowing automobiles in the national parks has been fully justified by the results.*

Mr. Mather points out the fact that Congress has largely increased its appropriations, showing that it responded to the popular interest in these parks. Over half a million was appropriated for the fiscal year 1917, as against a little over quarter of a million for the fiscal year 1916, and for the first time Congress provided for the care and protection of national monuments under the Department of the Interior, appropriating $21,500. If Mr. Mather had done no other one act, the people of the United States would be deeply in his debt as a result of the recent purchase of the patented lands in the Giant Forest. These were lands in the Sequoia National Park in the immediate vicinity of Ranger Station and in the very heart of the forest, including some of the finest stands of the great sequoia. An option was secured from the owners for $70,000, and through Mr. Mather's efforts the sum of $50,000 was appropriated by

In this connection it will be recalled that Mr. Muir and the Sierra Club approved of allowing automobiles to enter Yosemite National Park, realizing that it would mean a great increase in visitors.

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