472 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



His attitude and sincerity 

 were not questioned, but it 

 was pointed out there were 

 other pioneers who were 

 just as competent and just as 

 cock-sure as he and that in- 

 dividual lessons at $6,000.00 

 cash could not be tolerated. 

 He therefore had occasion 

 to tell the court all about it 

 and the passing of sentence 

 had a salutary efifect that 

 probably could have been at- 

 tained in no other way. 

 The day has almost passed 

 when fires are maliciously 

 set, but we still have the 

 criminally careless, the class 

 "who didn't know it was 

 loaded," and this includes 

 PACK TRAIN LOAD OF FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT many campers who, by lack 

 No small part of the hard work of fighting a fire, when it gets ^^ absolutely e>ctinguishing 



thing to occupy his time 

 while he remained as a 

 watchman for the property. 

 During the summer the ob- 

 server from the Lookout had 

 called on this man and the 

 District Ranger had twice 

 visited him and each time he 

 was asked to desist from 

 burning brush because of the 

 severe drought. In each in- 

 stance he indignantly pro- 

 tested against being "pester- 

 ed", pointing out that he was 

 a pioneer, had handled fire 

 all his life and knew more 

 about fires and their habits 

 than all the Rangers on the 

 Forest combined. 



On a certain Friday he 

 burned three small brush 

 piles, said he looked at them 

 on Saturday morning, con- started is to supply the crews with food and equipment. All camp 



eluding the fire was all out, this costs money and effort which might go into constructive beauty 



, , work if fires ctin be elimmated, -^ 



and, as a matter of precau- 

 tion, he looked at them again Sunday and there was no 

 evidence of fire. Then he went berry picking. 



The wind came up, the blackened embers were fanned 

 into flames and the evidence on the ground pictured 

 perfectly what had happened. Burned strips led from 

 each old fire until they joined. Spreading in width as 

 the fire advanced it had considerable front when the 

 slashings were reached. 



This man said he knew the responsibility was his, that 

 he was mighty sorry and he was sincerely contrite. He 

 stated that he had learned his lesson and that if he were 

 allowed to go without prosecution he "would never do it 

 again." 



fires, jeopardize the 

 of the very region 

 they have come to enjoy. 



It will be many moons before the fire alarm will remain 

 silent through the season but care and concerted effort 

 on the part of those who come to the forested areas will 

 materially reduce the necessity for sounding it often. 



The time is not yet when I may cease to hustle for a 

 train which will take me to the scene of a large fire, and 

 the men in the field must continue to devote their time 

 and energy to suppressing fires when they are so urgently 

 needed on construction work. 



Meanwhile all Forest men "preach and practice care 

 with fire," and when that fails the hand of the law falls 

 heavily on those who unloose the fire menace. 



Tke Ranger Tells tke Judge a Few 

 By Edward P. Ancona 



WD ILL HAWKINS!" I cried. "Greetings to you, old 

 '-' man ! You sure look good to me against that 

 yellow pine background. And the Canyon Station the 

 same as ever ! Never mind. Bill, some fine day I'm going 

 to slip down and plant a few tin cans in that foregrpund 

 and ruin you forever with the Super." 



"Very well. Judge, the same to you. Back to the same 

 old spot on the Middle Fork? The big one is still waiting 

 for you up in that pool below the log jam. However," 

 a twinkle crept into Bill's gray eyes, "this is the fifth 

 year, you know, and he will soon know you by that care- 

 less way you have of dropping a gray hackle into a pool." 

 This was plain slander. Ranger Bill knew that I could 

 fish with the best and except when matched against his 

 own peerless skill, I was rarely bested. However, I usu- 

 ally came out a close second on those rare days in the sea- 

 son that he dropped into camp and challenged me to a 

 match round of an hour in the pools and white water of 



the Middle Fork. I let the matter drop and changed the 

 subject. We were on our way up from the distant city 

 in the desert to the joyous retreat of pine and mountain 

 and water in the Pinto National Forest, in the high moun- 

 tains far above swelter and heat. Year after year our 

 party returned for refreshment and recreation, dragging 

 our camp outfit in the trailer back of our sturdy gas 

 wagon ; and not the least of the pleasure of the return 

 was the greeting we received from the genial Bill Haw- 

 kins, Forest Ranger, who ruledj 'over this particular 

 section with a firm but judicious hand. 

 "How are the fires this year, Bill?" 

 A shadow passed over Bill's bronzed face. 

 "Judge, I tell you I'm worried. I've never seen so 

 many strangers up here in the Cristos as this year. It 

 seems as if the last inhabitant of this State has acquired 

 an auto and that about half of them are bent on camping 

 up here. It's dry deadly dry and while I warn most 



