142 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



than their share, that is ... at least, but a good deal is a sort of money 

 interest, where his name does not appear. The question is how far to go and 

 how to head him off and not allow sheep to accumulate in certain hands. Changes 

 that were made last year are going to be hard to handle. The game for us 

 is to go as far as we can and prove our ground in preventing monopoly, but 

 we can't consistently say a man has no right to borrow money to buy some one 

 out. It may be a legitimate deal and it may be a steal— but there is no sure 

 way of one's knowing what the facts really are. We can guess, but a bad 

 guess raises hell. Will the sheep men howl and all tell you their talk of woe? 

 Get all the information you can but don't say anything they can use and pervert." 



Judging from conditions in after years on the Coconino, Breen had 

 a very keen sense of the situation. In 1915 practically 70 per cent of 

 the sheep business in this Forest was controlled by five interests, directly 

 or indirectly. Much the same was true of the cattle industry. 



"... We must handle grazing better this year and keep closer in touch 

 with their movements. No damage especially was done last year by neglect 

 but they will figure on doing worse this year because we did not hunt them 

 up closer last year." 



This is certainly in line with the best practices in modern grazing 

 control. It has been proved necessary to keep in very close touch with 

 sheep in order to get the best resuhs. 



Referring to personnel matters and to the recommendations for 

 the Forest allottment for the ensuing fiscal year, Breen wrote on 

 January 31 : 



" 'S' I skiddoed for you and appointed 'A' as requested. Don't know just 

 where we are at for rangers on the San Francisco Mountains, but think you 

 soaked me in your letter. Also, re. number needed. Good luck to the gang and 

 hope I will see you all smiling soon." 



These extracts from personal letters, evidently of much deep-felt 

 sincerity, have tremendous historical value in reflecting conditions 

 during the early Forest movement. Breen's form of expression is 

 forcible and always to the point. From my intimate knowledge of local 

 conditions with which he had to deal, I feel that to his zeal, cleverness, 

 honesty, and knowledge of human character is due much of the early 

 success of the Forest Service in the Southwest. In those days Breen 

 was no mean power in influencing the Washington ofiice and in guiding 

 it over various pitfalls into which it was easy to slip, considering the 

 inexperience of the men in charge. Again and again, and at great 

 personal inconvenience and unpopularity, Breen violently opposed ad- 

 ministrative measures which he felt would harm the Service. Of 

 course, he was not infallible, but in my judgment he was usually right. 



