196 Forestry Quarterly 



"The Forest Superintendent at that time for this district was 

 at Santa Fe and had Arizona and New Mexico under his juris- 

 diction . 



"The system as run then was mighty cumbersome. A free use 

 of timber permit or appHcation was made out by the Forest 

 Supervisor, sent to the Superintendent, then to Commissioner G. 

 L. O. and was finally approved by the Secretary of the Interior; 

 no matter how small the amount. There were no blanks printed 

 at that time for a supervisor and we made a weekly report on 

 blanks used by the special agents of the Land Office. Rangers 

 made the same weekly report. I started for Prescott, where I 

 had been assigned a reserve of one township, but was met at 

 Lamy Junction by the Superintendent, who advised me that the 

 San Francisco Mountain Reserve had been created and that the 

 people were holding mass meetings and condemning the whole 

 business. And in good truth there was a hostile atmosphere 

 when we arrived. Few men wanted the job as ranger (at $60 

 a month and keep his own horse) because of the feeling against 

 the whole outfit, but I succeeded in getting five men, all I was 

 allowed, to cover the 3 million-acre patch of trees. 



"From 1898 to the summer of 1905 there was a steady drought 

 with high winds and you can imagine about how the fires whipped 

 us to death. 



"I think the superintendent scheme was mainly a failure because 

 he had no authority and I think they were afraid to turn any 

 loose in Washington." 



The letter of instructions which Mr. Breen received on August 

 6, 1898, is interesting as showing what a supervisor was sup- 

 posed to do. It is, therefore, quoted in full. Naturally it has 

 some historic value, signed, as it was, by Binger Hermann : 



August 6, 1898. 

 Mr. Fre;d S. Breen, 

 Forest Supervisor, 



Manteno, Illinois. 

 Sir: 



Having been appointed a Forest Supervisor, you are hereby 

 placed under the supervision and direction of Forest Superin- 

 tendent J. D. Benedict, located at Santa Fe, New Mexico, who 

 will direct your work and through whom you will submit your 

 reports to this office. You will, in turn, have under your imme- 

 diate direction various Forest Rangers. 



You are assigned to duty in, and will have charge of the 

 Prescott Forest Reserve, with headquarters at Prescott, Arizona. 

 Report yourself by mail to Superintendent Benedict. 



