• Hutan Simpan Bukit Cherakah (1909-Kini)

Pada tahun 1905, beberapa orang peladang Eropah memperolehi tanah di sekitar Bukit Cherakah, dengan sokongan pentadbiran British. Antaranya ialah Bukit Cherakah Estate:-

“Fourteen miles from Kuala Selangor and 23 miles from Klang is situated the Bukit Cherakah estate, comprising 2,236 acres, the proprietors of which are the Scottish Malay Rubber Company, Ltd. Felling and clearing was commenced on the property towards the end of 1905, and within the next two years 1,267 acres were planted with Para rubber. The land is mostly undulating, and there are two kinds of soil - sandy loam and red loam. The trees have shown a better growth than the average, and the land is well drained. The labour staff consists of 350 Tamil coolies and 100 Banjorese. Felling, clearing, and draining are done by Banjorese, Javanese, and Malays. Mr. J. Hunter is the manager of the estate, and the directors of the company are Messrs. J. A. Hunter (Managing), of Meikle Kenny, Kerriemint, N.B.; Thomas Wedderspoon, Castleton, Meigle, Perthshire, N.B.; and R.C. Bowie, Carnoustie, Forfarshire, N.B. Before coming to the Federated Malay States Mr. Hunter had six years' experience of planting in Southern India and Ceylon, and prior to joining the Bukit Cherakah estate he was in charge of the Sungei Kapar and Jalan Acob estates. Mr. Hunter is also the manager for the Strathmore Rubber Company, Ltd., and of the Kongsi Rubber Company, Ltd.

Mr. R.M.G. Mitchell. - Born at Loth, in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, on September 15, 1879, Mr. R.M.G. Mitchell, the superintendent of Bukit Cherakah estate in Selangor, was educated in Edinburgh, and served for three years with a commercial house before coming out East in 1900 to learn planting. His first appointment was on the Wardieburn Estate, where he had three years' experience in coffee and rubber planting. Then he took charge of and opened up Harpenden estate. In November, 1906, Mr. Mitchell joined Bukit Cherakah estate as superintendent, and is now in charge of one of the divisions. He is a son of the late Mr. William Mitchell, sheep farmer, of Ribigill, Scotland.”

“Bukit Cherakah Estate, Klang. The bungalow and various stages of growth of young rubber.”

(Sumber: Arnold Wright, 1908: "Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources", m.s.430-431).

Pada Februari tahun 1906, terdapat cadangan naik taraf perparitan di sepanjang jalan berhampiran Bukit Cherakah Estate, agar dapat menampung kegiatan perladangan di sekitarnya:-

“District Office, Kuala Selangor, 14th February, 1906. 'Bukit Cheraka Road Drain.' Sir, I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Milne (Manager of the lands at Bukit Cheraka alienated to Messrs Hunter and Harvey) and Mr H.M. Darby who writes on behalf of Mr. Harrison, have written to me asking that the drain along the Bukit Cheraka and Bukit Panjang roads may be converted into an agricultural drain. 2. The Assistant Engineer reports 'After measuring existing drain I am of opinion that the new drain should have a sectional area of 18'+9'x5/2 x 6 for the upper reach from the Ulu to the Simpang Tiga a length of 108.7 lines; from the Simpang Tiga to Simpang Ampat a sectional area of 24+12/2 x 6 for a distance of 107 lines and from the Simpang Ampat to the sea a sectional area of 26'+12'/2 x 6 for a distance of 52 lines. This works out to some 12212 cubes of new earth work which at 60 cents per cube amounts to $7327-20, plus 10% equals, say, $8060-'. 3. The attached tracing shews that Messrs Hunter, Harrison and Parkinson are the landowners who will benefit chiefly by the proposed drain and I would suggest that the work be taken in hand provided these three gentlemen will accept a yearly assessment on their properties equal to, say, 10% on the total amount expended.” - District Officer, Kuala Selangor.

“S.R. The construction of this drain will do much to improve the road - at present unmetalled - which gives access to the two peaks at Bukit Cheraka. I recommend the work being done and the properties benefitted assessed accordingly.” - Secretary to the Resident, 8/3/06

(Sumber: Arkib Negara 1957/0127738W, 14/02/1906: |"CONVERSION OF THE DRAIN ALONG BUKIT CHERAKA AND BUKIT PAYONG ROADS INTO AN AGRICULTURAL DRAINS").

Pada April 1906, suatu tinjauan dijalankan terhadap proses pembukaan ladang Bukit Cherakah Estate oleh J.A. Hunter: “Back again from Batang Berjuntai the same afternoon to Jeram, brought me to my second chief objective. Here for four miles, on an undeveloped track along which no vehicle save a bicycle could be taken, we tramped until dark to the shelter occupied by the superintendent in charge of the Scottish Malay Co.'s property. The estate bungalow was to be ready in a few days but the pioneer had rented a hut of attaps, bark, and bamboo in a Malay kampong. … Remarkable progress has been made with the undulating portion of the Scottish Malay Co.'s land, and Messrs. J.A. Hunter, John Hunter and Harvey will be able to hand over nearly 400 hundreds of acres of cleared and planted land to the Company on the 1st June. The largest single block of land granted in one application in the Jeram division adjoins the Bukit Cheraka property. It is owned by a Ceylon syndicate. It, too, is fine land: and work upon it is to be commenced this month. Felling labour is plentiful in the locality, and between now and the end of the year, throughout the Mukim, many burnt offerings will darken the heavens at noon-day. And may the 'toll of the bush' exact no human sacrifice! … - F.C.R. in the Times of Ceylon.” (Eastern Daily Mail and Straits Morning Advertiser, 18 April 1906, Page 3: |"Malaya and Rubber").

Sebagaimana dijadualkan, pada 1 Jun 1906 syarikat Scottish Malay Rubber Co., Ltd. mengambil alih Bukit Cherakah Estate. J.A. Hunter kekal sebagai pengurusnya: “The Directors of the Scottish Malay Rubber Co., Limited, which owns Bukit Cheraka estate in Jeram, Selangor, … have issued a circular to shareholders, in which they state that they have had the estate acquired from Mr. J.A. Hunter in terms of the prospectus inspected and reported on, as at the date of taking over the property, viz, 1st June, 1906, by Mr. H.C. Rendle, of the Bukit Rajah estate, F.M.S. … It is added that the Managing Director (Mr. Hunter) reports that he hopes to be able to develop and plant the property with rubber somewhat faster than is stated in the prospectus.” (Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, 28 August 1906, Page 5: |"THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS").

Seterusnya, J.A. Hunter mencadangkan agar persempadanan cadangan hutan simpan di sekitar Bukit Panjang dipinda agar lebih banyak kawasan tanah datar dapat dimanfaatkan untuk perladangan. Ketika itu, bagi seluruh daerah Kuala Selangor, sejumlah lebih 36,000 ekar tanah telah diperolehi oleh para peladang Eropah. Mereka memohon jaringan komunikasi telefon serta perkhidmatan pejabat pos di Jeram: “On Monday, after recovering from the usual effects of a Sunday, the High Commissioner and his party started at eight o'clock in the morning, in two motors and under the supervision of the State Engineer, Mr. E.R. Stokoe, and bowled away through mines and jungle to the Rantau Panjang Forest Reserve, Sungei Rambai Estate, Kampong Kuantan, and Kuala Selangor, which was reached after rather a wet (towards the finish) but pleasant run at eleven twenty. At the Court House, the High Commissioner received a deputation of Planters while the ladies of the party discussed tea with Mrs. Townley. Mr. Irving was spokesman at first for the deputation, consisting of himself and Messrs. G.A. Anderson, A.C. Janssens, T. More, Ian Forbes, and J.A. and I. Hunter. ….. First, said Mr. Irving, they wanted motor and telephone services installed between Klang and Kuala Selangor, and a post office at Jeram, where were many planters and a growing Asiatic population. Thirty-six-thousands of acres in the district had lately been taken and thrown into cultivation by European planters so that services of the sort described were necessary. ….. Mr. Hunter suggested that the Forest Belt should be placed so as to act in respect to the hills terminating in Bukit Panjang and that the width of two miles would be too great. If these suggestions were followed much flat alluvial land would become available for agriculture.” (The Straits Times, 28 July 1906, Page 5: | "MORE OF HIGH COMMISSIONER'S TOUR").