THE place the forest ranger will bold in the history of 

 America is now being made. America has had many 

 romantic heroes, the early trapper, the cowboys of the 

 plains, etc. Now there is but the one outdoor hero remain- 

 ing, the forest ranger. 



The work he does, the things he accomplishes, will always 

 remain of interest to the American public. In a recent fea- 

 ture article in The Chicago Tribune, the forest ranger was 

 called "outdoor America's only remaining romantic hero." 

 This article set forth in "racy" style some of the problems 

 the fire fighter has to meet. It is worth quoting. 



"The forest ranger must know his arithmetic well," says 

 the Chicago Tribune story. "He must see that the growth 

 of timber is not injured by injudicious cutting. He must 

 select the trees that are to be cut and he must be able to 

 scale the timber at the mill, to see that cutting in excess of 

 contract is not being done. And always always, night and 

 day, there is a thing for which he must be waiting, watching, 

 ready. 



"The forest is being swept by the fire monster! Its tongue 

 of flame lashes to a height of 100 feet above the treetops 

 200 feet above the ground. Its hot breath climbs until the 

 quiet of the autumn day is lapped into a roaring wind. Its 

 appetite is whetted by resin and turpentine and its forked 

 tongues flash out to span rivers and even lakes. 



"If the scene could be contemplated calmly there would be 

 something grand and fascinating in the terrible spectacle. 

 The flames dash from treetop to treetop as beacon lights 

 flashing along a distant shore. The fires climb giant firs with 

 the rapidity of a lightning flash. Cinders descend in great 

 showers and sparks shoot from the blazing forest like rockets. 

 The flames rush through the woods with the roar of artillery 

 and the fury of a wild thing. Otherwise the woods seem 

 strangely silent, as if deserted by all animal life. And it is 



25 



