CONSERVATION 721 



this nation 200 years from now. In threatened. All manner of trumped-up 

 the ordering of Providence, when a tre- charges were sent on to Washington, 

 mendous crisis comes there is always a and sometimes he had to face fire both 

 man to meet it. This time it was Gifford front and rear. But those heroic men, 

 Pinchot, by education one of the best like the mounted police of Canada, have 

 foresters the world has produced. A convinced the ranchmen there is a law 

 man of means, he is not hampered in in the land, and it must be obeyed, 

 his work. He is ready to sacrifice thou- In a terrible time like this, when most 

 sands for the future. He might have of our northwestern forests are tinder- 

 made judicious investments in the great boxes, what could be done without our 

 west he knew so well, so he could have range riders and their system of fight- 

 become a billionaire. He might have ing fires? Sometimes they are at it for 

 taken his chances in an unguarded forty-eight hours without a let-up. One 

 moment and captured forests, water man found two of them lying on the 

 powers, and coal lands. No man since ground in the deep sleep of utter ex- 

 the days of Robert Morris, who fur- haustion. They lay as they had fallen, 

 nished the sinews of war for Washing- and the ants were running over them, 

 ton and then died in a debtors' prison, Perhaps these men take a little relaxa- 

 has done more or made greater sacri- tion, and then the cry goes up : "See 

 fices than Mr. Pinchot. Though for the those lazy fellows, and the waste in the 

 present he has lost his position, he is Forest Service." No figuring, you un- 

 yet a king, independent of throne or derstand, of the waste of the fires and 

 crown. Few men have shown such a the ax. All manner of abuse was heaped 

 fearless persistence in the face of the on the chief forester, but there was a 

 most determined opposition. There vision before him, a vision of ruin and 

 were thousands of men who had pet desolation, and he wrote, talked, and 

 plans for the future. They wished to pleaded, till the tide turned and a great 

 put their hands on the nation's wealth, victory was won. A crisis came, and 

 Little cared they for the future. Cat- issues involving hundreds of millions, 

 tie men and sheep men, who for years The forester broke a piece of red tape, 

 had been allowed to ruin young forests and he must go. No matter that he 

 and destroy pastures by over-grazing, stands for a great principle. No mat- 

 rose in arms. And what a clamor they ter that he has given his means and his 

 raised! life to a great cause. "Just look at 

 There were no ways of fighting fires, that piece of red tape ! Can't you see 

 The cattle men wanted fires. Some of it is broken?" But, thank God, the na- 

 the cowboys had it worked down to a tion is fully aroused and our forestry 

 fine art. Here was a tract they wanted system is established, 

 burned. They might be caught. One You can readily see the clashing of 

 takes a magnifying glass and sets it so interests. Leading men in our Pacific 

 the focused rays next day would light coast cities want the bars thrown down, 

 on dry leaves and other combustibles. The future may care for itself. They 

 The sun does its work, and the innocent want the coal to be dug, and the water 

 cowboy proves an alibi, for he is fifty powers to be exploited, and flocks and 

 rniles away. I met a range rider in the herds to have free range. It all makes 

 Rockies and had a long talk with him. business, and they want business now. 

 He would say to stock owners: "You There never yet was a national park 

 can put only so many head on this laid out or a national forest made but 

 range, and you must pay for it." "Not what there was a tremendous protest 

 much," was the answer. "We have had from this source. When the govern- 

 this range, and we are going to have ment made a national forest near Cass 

 it." He would tell them : "I represent Lake, Minn., a howl long and deep went 

 the United States government. You up. When we tried to have a park in 

 cannot afiford to have a war with 90,- the Wet Mountain Valley, and could 

 000,000 people." Often his life was have got a bill through Congress for 



