384 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



into this work. Then we hardly had Santa Cruz," comes in with burning- 

 more than two kinds of rangers — local zeal to learn the local needs first of all. 

 men, full of local prejudices, who would He learns to "carry his office under his 

 strain every nerve to take care of their hat," without disregarding the official 

 old neighbors ; and men from a distance side of life. So, little by little, the real 

 who would cheerfully trample upon all men have begun to move together in 

 the local customs and usages. One of harmony with the work. Their thoughts 

 the first class of rangers used to tell rise from "our district" to "our For- 

 men who wanted posts or shakes or est," and then to "our Service." They 

 anything else out of the forest, "Go do not pause there; they become a liv- 

 right along, and take what you need ; ing part of national issues and fearless- 

 never mind any record; it's a pity if I ly climb into great spaces among the 

 can't help you out — there's lots left." stars of heaven. The noble cause be- 



In another case the ranger used to comes only one of many noble causes 



tell cattle men (this in the days of free and the end of all is the same — the fol- 



grazing permits) : "I don't mind if you lowing of the eternal verities, not for 



run over the number you asked for ; gain, nor honor, nor happiness, but in 



drift 'em right in." absolute self-surrender for the sake of 



This doesn't mean that these rangers that which is. 



were consciously lazy or dishonest; Because I have found all this in the 



they simply belonged to the neighbor- daily life of guards and rangers to 



hood and they wanted everybody to whom my philosophies of life are as 



have a good time. Greek, they have taught me more than 



On the other hand, there was once a my favorite books (which for the most 

 ranger whose first announcement when part merely restate in some delightful 

 he reached his district was to this effect: way what one already knows). We be- 

 "Everything has been too slack here ; gan together long ago — rangers and 

 these mountain people must obey the head-ranger — when "a dollar looked as 

 regulations ; office hours are Saturday big as a cart-wheel" and if a ranger 

 afternoons, at my cabin." Thence arose had one to spare, he lent it along the 

 the historic statement of an old Sierra line, till, three months later, some vet- 

 mountaineer : "That dude from Santa eran away up in the blue peaks would 

 Cruz telled me not to spit on any piece suddenly remark: "Here's that dollar 

 of Government land without a permit you lent Harry, an' Harry lent to Jo, 

 from Washington.'* an' Jo lent to that new feller down in 



Came into the Service, because of the the canyon, an' some more I don't re- 

 loyalty of a great multitude, that leaven member passed it up, an' that's your 

 which leaveneth the whole mass ; came dollar. Came in handy, too." 

 a something which has made man after At present many of the rangers have 

 man of the "old guard" of our forests little bank accounts, and they buy better 

 more than willing to seek, through toil horses and saddles, but the comrade- 

 and travail of spirit, the highest perma- ship of the old time remains, and it 

 nent good oi the local communities deepens and broadens with the years. 

 Avhich they love and of which they are We are learning to pass ideas down 

 truly a vital part. the line even more freely than we did 



In these days our rangers say to those cartwheel dollars, 



those who criticise us: "We know just A ranger is not a man whom you can 



how you feel ; we are plain folks our- easily put into a book or story any- 



selves. But we are very sure that the where away from his own country. He 



Service is right. Just wait a little, and is one who has come into the Service 



try to believe that this thing is coming for the hope and promise of it, and has 



out in the best way for all of you. Help staid for the sheer love of it. He learns 



us fellows to make the Forest a real to bless his lucky stars that the fates 



benefit to everybody." led his feet into this path. But never- 



The outsider, too, the "man from theless he finds the Service hard, not in 



