Self Preservation
By J.E. Broaddus
Published in the 1931 Salt Lake City "Municipal Record"
A story that shows that humanity, nature and the need to protect our mountain watersheds haven’t changed over the past 69 years and if anything, demostrates how important these remain today
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"Well anyhow, my Pa's got more money than your Pa has an' I'll bet-cha he could take me more places, too ....."
"Oh, yeah? Why don't he do it then -- cause he's too darned stingy! Maybe he's got more money than my Pa but it ain't getting' you nothin' -- does he ever take you in the hills an' show you how to catch a fish, an 'tell you all 'bout the trees an' birds an' everything? I guess not! He just goes down town an' works all day an' comes home with a grouch an' you don't dast say nothing' to him an' he never takes you no place ner nothin' -- that's a heck of a Dad!"
The battle raged on; you may always trust heedless, frank youth to search out your weak points, and give them publicity. Jim Brown's nine-year-old, and my young hopeless were discussing the respective merits of their fathers with a fluency that would have surprised Jim; I was accustomed to it.
The subject was the main bone of contention between the two boys, and I determined to see Jim and find out if he could be persuaded to take a weekend trip with me. Perhaps he could, and I might be able to instill a love for the outdoors that would mean a real companionship between the father and son. At any rate, it was trying.
His response to my invitation was discouraging, "No Sam," he said, "I've got too much to do; just can't get away. Got to work all Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday -- phew, it's all-firing hot, too, and hay-fever is making life miserable for me. I'd like to go and I appreciate the invitation but I can't take the time."
"Sort of enjoy hay-fever, do you Jim?"
"No one does that I know of."
"What would you give to be rid of it?"
"What would I give? Say! I'd give a lot!"
"That's settled then," I said, having cornered him, "you give me Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and I’ll promise to rid you of hay-fever."
He was human enough to be a sport about it. "All right," he agreed, "but the Lord help you if you fail; I couldn't afford to lose all that time for any other purpose."
I had my own ideas about that, but, having gained my point, I said nothing. When I called for him at one o'clock on Saturday he was something to look at. "You take off that silk shirt, white collar and pants," I commanded, "put some clothes on; you'll dress in a flannel shirt, woolen trousers and heavy shoes, or you can't go with me. You'll need them where I'm taking you."
"May I wear a necktie, please?" he asked. Wear one and be ..... I beg your pardon, Mrs. Brown, I didn't see you were there."
"So I almost heard," she replied. "What are you going to do to Jim?"
"Make him human or else drown him," I answered.
"1 hope you do," she said, leaving me in doubt as to whether it was to be either or both. Jim came back properly attired, and we climbed in the machine and headed for the high hills. I had a spot in mind, located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, where the fir trees grew close to the edge of the stream, and I knew the banks would be covered with wild flowers. The creek would furnish us with all the trout we would need, and the car could be parked within a few feet of our camp ground. We reached the spot in about an hour and a half.
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"If it is all the same to you," he said, "I'll take both; I don't know how it has come about, but I am hungry, for the first time in a month."
"In that event," I observed, "it might be a good idea to put my rod together, and see about getting the trout."
This was soon done, and I started up stream in search of the wary rainbow. Jim followed me at a respectful distance, and noticed that he stopped many times; it really appeared as though he were interested in what he saw, and I began to have hopes that he would not regret the trip. Two hours later I had enough trout for our dinner, so I headed back for camp, cleaned them, and had them in the frying pan in a short time. It was evident that the walk Jim had taken had increased his appetite; he ate enough for two men.
When dinner was finished, Jim turned to me with a puzzled look on his face an asked, "Where are we going to sleep tonight?"
"I am going to make a bed under the trees," I replied, "where we can watch the stars and the hills go by. In the meantime we will wash dishes and then sit by the fire for a while before we turn in."
The dish-washing was soon accomplished and fresh wood on the coals threw a rosy light on the branches of the fir trees. The last rays of the sun were bathing the white granite peaks with golden light and the only sounds were the rustling of the poplar leave and the song of the stream as it hurried down the canyon.
"What do you think of the hills, Jim?” I inquired.
"I am beginning to be glad I met them, was the reply, "but I find that I know so little; for instance, this big, white flower that is so beautiful -- I don't know it's name or anything about it."
"That's a columbine, it comes from the buttercup family. The Scotch call it, 'the auld Ladies' Mutchie,' because it resemble an old lady's cap. It is a perennial, and together with 150 other blossoming plants forms an important part of the forest cover."
"What do you mean by the forest cover?”
"Grasses, weeds, herbs and brush form the forest cover; in fact, any kind of small growth that will hold back moisture and prevent erosion is a vital part of the forest cover."
"How fast do these fir trees grow, Sam?”
"The average growth of fir, pine, and spruce trees is about one-fifth of an inch a year. This old tree we are camping under is some 200 years old."
"Nature takes her own sweet time about growing things, doesn't she?"
"Nature does not hurry, Jim, she takes as much time to build a tree today as she took a million years ago. You can see why it is so necessary to protect the forests against fire. If you knew it would take from one to two hundred years in order to rebuild your home or business block, in the event they burned down, you would see to it that every precaution was taken against the possibility of their catching fire. The same people, however, who would consider the loss if their home a dire calamity, will come into the forest and throw lighted matches, cigarettes and cigars into the dry leaves or leave a camp fire burning or smoldering and think nothing of it."
"Isn’t it true that we would find substitutes for lumber in the event that all the forest were gone? Wouldn't steel, concrete and the other materials take their place entirely if we were forced to it?"
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"It appears that the forest is rather valuable, doesn't it?"
"The value of the forests are beyond computing in dollars and cents. If self-preservation is the first law of human nature, then, those words should be written in glowing letters over the entrance to each National Forest. Let's take one item in regard to the Wasatch National Forest; it is the service of the water supply for Salt Lake City. That supply means life, homes, factories and comfort for one hundred and twenty thousand people. It has cost eleven million dollars to put in dams, reservoirs, pumping plants and mains, and without the forest watershed, the system would not be worth eleven cents. Utah has seven million four hundred fifty-three thousand acres of land in the National Forests and each one is vital to the community its serves. There are twelve hundred lakes and thousands of miles of trout streams in that area, which makes our State an ideal center for recreation, but without the forests, the steams and mirror-like lakes in our hills would be nothing but dry water courses and mud holes."
"Does the forestry department encourage people to visit the forests, Sam? I would be inclined to think the risk of fire would be too great to allow it."
"They make hundreds of miles of new roads and trails each year in order to make the remote places available, and, in addition plant hundreds of thousands of trout in the lakes and streams. This is done in order to encourage people to use the forests for recreational purposes. In the meantime they endeavor to educate the public in regard to the value and care of this wonderful resource. The recreational use has increased so rapidly, however, that it is only by the most thorough cooperation of the people, that it can be maintained. Region No. 4, which by the way, is the largest region in the United States, comprises western Wyoming, southern Idaho, eastern Nevada, northern Arizona and all of Utah. This area of twenty-nine million acres was visited in 1930 by nearly one million people. You can readily see what a tremendous problem it is to administer affairs over such an enormous area, with a limited number of men and finances."
"I am beginning to realize it is a real study, but I am too sleepy to give it a great deal of thought," Jim stated drowsily. Where do we sleep?”
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"I've never met the gentlemen," he answered, as he raised up in bed; "where is he?"
"Right up there on a line with the two lower stars in the Big Dipper; you value the respect of your small son, you won't forget it," I observed as we dropped off to sleep.
We drove on to Brighton the following morning and climbed the American Fork trail, past Lake Mary, Martha and Catherine, to the top of the divide, at Point Supreme, where Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood and American Fork Canyons head in on the same ridge. It was an inspiring sight and presented a rare opportunity to study glacial and erosive action as well as the effect of rapid transpiration on the trees at high altitudes. We spent a happy day and only turned back when the long shadows warned us of approaching night.
When we had reached the car and had driven down the canyon to its mouth, I said to my companion, "The prescription seem to have had a good effect, Jim."
He looked at me with a blank expression. "What prescription?" he asked.
"That of the high hills and pine needles and cool nights: I haven't heard you mention hay fever for some time."
"Now that you mention it, I will have to agree with you; in fact, I had forgotten there was such a thing. I 'll have to admit Sam, that you have not only taught me that the preservation of the forest is humanity's self-preservation but have learned that association with the trees and hills will preserve my mental and physical balance. I hope this the beginning of many such delightful days."
A short time later I overheard another conversation between two boys. "Aw! Your dad ain't so smart; you oughta hear my dad! He told me all 'bout the trees an' flowers an' rosion an' everything -- an' he does too know how to find the north star!"
"Huh!" my hopeful retorted, "my dad learnt your dad all your dad knows 'bout them things, but you can bet my dad didn't tell him all he knows! But say, did you know we are all goin' in the hills next Saturday? Yup! My dad said your dad said so! Won't that be dandy?"
It proves to be not alone for that day, but for all the week ends of the summer and fall.