520 



Canadian Forcslry Journal, December, 1919 



THE FOREST FIRE WARDEN 



From the Christian Science Monitor. 



Like ihe keeper of the light in a lonely tower 

 anchored to the rocks possibly fifty miles off the 

 coast, the warden of the forest, particularly in 

 the mountaineous sections of the northeastern 

 part of the United States, keeps his lonely yet 

 interesting vigil. As the keeper of the light is 

 versed in the lore and traditions of the sea, so 

 the sentinel in the forest tower reads and inter- 

 prets the language of the woods and forests. 

 He knows the mountain paths and byways, can 

 tell, at a glance, the geographical position of 

 every hill in the distance, and can point out 

 and name the score or more of villages hidden 

 in the valleys behind sheltering trees or inter- 

 vening ridges. In his months or years as a 

 ranger or travelling supervisor, he has learned 

 the topography of the region over which he 

 watches, and is able to read it as he would read 

 an open book. But he has other aids, of course, 

 And is not compelled to depend entirely upon his 

 memory. In the centre of his observation tower 

 will be found a circular map, showing in detail 

 the topography of every acre of woods and 

 forest land within his district. 



The extent of this district varies, of course, 

 the area depending upon the range of vision 

 possible from the tower, which is naturally 

 placed upon the highest point available. Prac- 

 tice in observing and "locating," supplemented 

 by the right kind of knowledge, makes it pos- 

 sible for the towerman to indicate, by reference 

 to his map, approximately the exact point at 

 which smoke or fire appears. Previous infor- 

 mation furnished by the local fire warden may 

 have assured the sentinel that the smoke may 

 come from a brush fire made by a farmer or 

 woodsman in clearmg land, or from the camp- 

 fire of a tourist or hunter. Lacking these as- 

 surances, the towerman acts promptly and ef- 

 fectively. With his telephone in the lookout 

 tower, he calls, in a moment, the deputy nearest 

 the point under observation, with the result 

 that the fire is stopped before any considerable 

 damage results. These details, furnished by 

 the local warden, are recorded, along with such 

 other facts as are regarded important, in the 

 towerman's logbook, to be in turn submitted to 

 state and federal authorities. 



A casual visit to the quiet observation tower 

 of a warden in the great wooded sections of the 

 New England states, for instance, perhaps on a 



day when the clouds are low and the thin mists 

 from the coast are idly drifting inland, may con- 

 vince an uninquisitive sightseer that his quest 

 has been vain, if he has come in search of the 

 unusual and exciting. But if the visitor has 

 known the lighthousekeeper, the prototype, in 

 many ways, of the quiet man who sits in the 

 warden's tower, or if he has himself, at some 

 time, lived and dreamed dreams in solitary 

 places, he will not find it difficult to persuade 

 his host to talk. It has been said, and no 

 doubt truly, that those who talk little quite often 

 say much. Perhaps they say much because 

 they talk only of the things about which they 

 know much. So, at any rate, it seems to those 

 who listen to the quiet story which the tower- 

 man tells of his work and his experiences, of the 

 co-ordinate efforts among states and federal de- 

 partments for greater efficiency in the important 

 undertaking in which he and others are en- 

 gaged. He seems, almost unconsciously, to 

 speak the language of the forests and moun- 

 tains, not in dialect or colloquialisms, but in the 

 language of the man of books and of the vast 

 open places, where expression is free and men 

 are unafraid.. The story has ended in the hour 

 which has quickly passed. Within that hour 

 there has apparently been wrought a strange 

 but unmistakable transformation. Where sat 

 the towerman, one, perhaps, of a legion of his 

 fellows, sits a sage, a scholaj, a teacher. 



A BREAK-PROOF 'PHONE LINE. 



The construction of the forest protection 

 telephone lines in New Brunswick is proceed- 

 ing satisfactorily. About 22 miles have been 

 built, leaving 18 more to construct in order to 

 reach the Bald Mountain Lookout Station. Since 

 the arrival of snow the transportation of wire 

 and provisions has been rendered much easier. 

 The construction party consists of seven men 

 and necessary teams. Mr. H. C. Kinghorn is 

 in charge. The line is being built in the most 

 modern method of tree construction. Tie wires 

 are stretched across the road between opposite 

 trees; the main telephone wire is attached to 

 the tie wires by split insulators in such a pos- 

 ition that it remains suspended over the centre 

 of the portage and about 15 to 18 feet from 

 the ground, very similar to the method in which 



