5802_12_1_12_001_Page_5

To that end, interested Citizens might be invited,
to cooperate and assist to swell the list by collecting such
seeds and specimen of plants, that may be convenient to
their reach and entirely out of ours, while the department
is authorized to recognise such contributions by desirable
exchanges with them.
It is not foreign to the mission of the City's
Park Commission to be informed of some of the facts,
relative to the United States Reservation, created and
designated as the "Pacific Coast Park Reserve",
embracing an area 10 miles square about Mount Rainier.
The natural beauty of the Preservation is indeed
wonderful. It's numerous streams, cascades, torrents and
waterfalls, amid solid walls of rugged rocks and verdure, have
no equal anywhere. The symetrical and charming beauty of
the characteristic trees, crowning and dressing the tops of
ridges, hills, and mounts, with their varied undergrowths
constitute unequaled natural groves, clusters and groups.
These trees, by reason of their altitude have made very slow
and very short annual growths, and thus have become ex-
tremely dense and compact in their foliage and twiggs.
Their resinous nature as also the miniture moss forming
upon them, make then extremely inflammable, this fact
has induced some of Tacoma's visiting Citizens as reported
be settlers and guides to set fire to them, merely to enjoy
a momentary rocket conflagration and thus, many ao
incalculable forest gem has been killed, and the beautiful
Park scenery of Paradise Valley irreparable marred and
injured, while others have ruthlesslly cut down live trees for
their campfire wood. In a short time, if such vandalism
is not prempterily stpooed, one of the if not the most
beautiful natural park in the United States will have
been ruined beyond reparation. It is also time that this
over