TELEPHONES AND THE FOREST 



RESERVE 



BY 



'# 



AJ 



BRISTOW ADAMS 



Expert, U. S. Forest Service. 



MONG the newer and more unique journey, and a journey that may bej 

 uses of the telephone is one that and often is, fraught with danger, 

 has received Government sanction in But it is in cases of emergency in 

 connection with the administration the forest that the telephone becomes 

 of the Forest Reserves. The installa- the instrument of salvation ; and no 

 tion of telephone service in the nation- greater emergency is likely to arise 

 al forests, where there is necessarily than that engendered by the most seri- 

 much isolation, is counted on not only ous menace to the forest and to forest 

 to prove of great convenience to those life fire. The prevention and control 

 engaged in the administration of these of forest fires is the most important 

 tracts, but also to save many thousands and the most difficult work that con- 

 of dollars, and perhaps even many fronts the forest reserve force, since 

 lives. fires annually cause more loss than all 

 In the first case the telephone will other destructive agencies combined, 

 serve the same uses as it does in the Forest fires in the United States each 

 big agricultural stretches of the West, year consume property to the value of 

 where it has been a potent factor in one-tenth of the entire forest product 

 relieving the rancher and his family of the country. Moreover this im- 

 from the terrible nervous strain of an mense record of destruction takes in- 

 enforced isolation. It has even been to consideration only such immediate 

 claimed that insanity has decreased loss as may be calculated or approxi- 

 among farm women since the tele- mated, and cannot measure permanent 

 phone has come into rural use. Then losses to the forest, and to the re- 

 also the convenience in the transac- sources dependent upon it. 

 tion of general business between Forest fires, generally speaking, 

 farmers, and with the general public cannot be coped with after they have 

 has meant many reforms and the sav- become fully started, and sweep over 

 ing of incalculable time. These the country without meeting any re- 

 things being true in respect to rural sistance, destroying everything in their 

 districts, how much more are they path and wiping out life and property, 

 true of the telephone in its relation to In brief, the only possible way to con- 

 the forest reserves and the daily life trol fires is to prevent them, or re- 

 and work of the forest ranger and his versing the recipe for rabbit pie, the 

 family absolutely isolated from their idea is, not "first catch your fire," but 

 fellow beings, in some cases dwelling "catch your fire first." In this catch- 

 at least fifty miles from the nearest ing of the fire in its inception, the tel- 

 settlement, and twice that distance ephone plays an important part. A 

 from the headquarters of the forest single example will suffice : A forest 

 Supervisor whose consultation and ad- ranger in the California mountains 

 vice is often needed. Then, too, the leaves his cabin in some secluded val- 

 general public in or near forest re- ley to take up his round over the part 

 serves has to do business with reserve of the reserve under his immediate 

 officers and the telephone in a moment control. His trails are well kept, his 

 can obviate the necessity of a day's telephone is in order, with call boxes 



*Reprinted through courtesy of The American Telephone Journal. 



