Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1917 — Why Not Take Your Vacatoin in a National Forest? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Why Not Take Your Vacatoin in a National Forest?

If you can afford to go to Colorado the federal / government willlend tM you a magnificent Iga playground o f thir- H teen million acres in mN which to disport yourself and enjoy the world's most gor- 1 gedus scenery ■ ' By W. I. HUTCHINSON U. S. Forestry Service

O YOU know what it means to be cool all summer; to lie in lazy luxury in W the shade of the forest; to cook your rTj fj £ meals over an open fire, and turn in |p| for a night’s rest on a bed of boughs? if you do not know these thln s s - y° u A know little of the great out of doors, Ar-rtj) and life still holds many pleasures for yfxrLf you—pleasures worth living for and enjoying. CyrvJ “Yes,” you say, “I have been in the i mountains; I know them.” Do you V really think you know the mountains? Turn over in your mind the places you have visited. Look them up~rm the map, and then cast your eyes north, south, east and west over the remainder of this great country of ours. You will agree with me now, won’t you, that your knowledge is but as one of the leaves of a forest floor? Perhaps you have seen mountains, back East or down South, and have even climbed them and thought them stupendous. But you will never know what real mountains are until you have crossed the “Big Muddy” and stood at the foot of those mighty sentinels of the West —the Rockies. A thousand rugged peaks bid you welcome, and the snow-capped summits seem as fingers of a gigantic hand lifted to draw you to them. Have you not felt the call of the mountains, you Mr. Business Man, and you and you, my.friends, whatever' may be your place in this world? It was only yesterday I saw you sitting at your work, dreaming. Was it of the big trout you were thinking, in the dark pool by the haystack rock, or that little lean-to camp on the edge of the meadow In the big‘timber? That was some camp, wasn’t it? And do you remember the fir-bough bed and the big open fire, and the deer that wahdered-up into the light one evening to see what it was all.about? How It all comes back to us, and how we long to be again “in the clear” and wander at will in God’s great out of doors. You must feel ft—you can’t escape it. It is the call of the Red Gods of the mountains —a part of the heritage of us Americans, handed down from our forefathers. Let us get out our map and decide where in the great West we will spend our summer. We will look over the Rocky mountains first; here they are right under our finger. This is the Continental divide, the backbone of this great country. Most of it runs through national forests. Do these words mean anything to you? Forests belonging to the people of the United States. Yes! you and I are part owner of these forests; you and I and some hundred million others who are proud to

call themselves Americans. The government manages them for us, but they are part yours and part mine, because we help pay for their upkeep. You are welcome to use the national forests as a place for hunting, camping, and fishing, and for rest and recreation. The latchstring is always out, and there is no closed door or cumbersome restrictions. Of course, you will be careful not to set the woods on Are; for who wants to burn up his own property? And you will be sure to clean up your camp before you leave, I know, so as to make it pleasant for the next party that comes along. From Maine to California, and from the Canadian line to the Gulf of Mexico, there are 156,000,000 acres of such playgrounds, held in —trust for your use and recreation and for that of your children and your children’s children. Learn to know the national forests! They are well worth knowing, because they offer to the tourist, the camper, the hunter, and the health seeker, everything that the heart of man could ask. The clean, bracing air of the hills, the glorious freedom of the mountains, the cool summer breezes, and the rippling running water, all these and more are yours if you will only have them. The great outdoors Is calling you—will never cease to cal! you until you answer the summons. Shall we spend the summer in the Rockies —In Colorado? Everywhere we hear the slogan, “See American First.” Why not “See Colorado First of All?” Whatever this great centennial state

may be —whether a leader iu mining, or a world-renowned producer of agricultural crops-lt is, and always will be. a "Meet# of the health-seeking and seen W-lovlng Amerte.. ««««; snow-capped peaas, mountain streams, and s tag takes set like Jeweto the evergreen forests, with those of any world Colorado spells outdoors. What do the Rockies offer to vou and me? A glorious climate, the unsurpassed beauties of nature. recreation, rest, health, ami freedom from all care and worrv. To the camper is proffered

tent life in the mountains m perfection; to the wilderness a fltrails rarely trodden; to the au o , tsman cently planned system of roads; to we ary fishing and hunting in abundance, and 111. rest and health: to the _ body, recreation and pleasure. Adde _ is an advanced degree of civilization, . forts and conveniences of living and tra are unexcelled. Everywhere you go in the Rocky mountains you will find national forests —13,000,000 acres in o - orado alone--which are for your enjoyment as well as general use. Here you may camp at pleasure, or hunt and fish without restrict! except those imposed by the state game laws. There is always something for every member of the family to do-for the adults, mountain climbing, exploring the woods, gathering flowers, taking photographs, berrying, or resting under the shade of the trees with a good book; for the children, playtime in the genial sun from dawn till dark, without fear of wild animals, snakes, or noxious weeds. And after the day, a night of restful sleep amidst the delicious coolness of the mountains. This is life out of doors In the Rockies, amid the pines, and spruce, and aspen, and the wholesome silvery sage; with the gray granite peaks and snowy crests sentinel about; spring and summer below, sparkling winter above.