98 THE USE BOOK. 



near to it, he must absolutely assure himself of its cause. No op- 

 portunity should be lost to impress the fact that care with small 

 fires is the best way to prevent large ones. 



The reserves must be thoroughly posted with fire warnings. 

 The fact that some of them are destroyed is no excuse for neglect- 

 ing this important duty. Often the warning notices can be posted 

 on or near signboards along trails, or notices of reserve boundaries, 

 limits of districts, or excluded areas in grazing ranges, etc. The 

 destruction of these notices is willful trespass, punishable by law. 

 Destroyed notices should be replaced as soon as their loss is dis- 

 covered. 



Forest officers should cheerfully and politely tell hunters, camp- 

 ers, and others about the rules and regulations governing camp fires. 

 An officer who loses his temper or uses improper language in 

 talking with persons who are careless because they do not know 

 about the rules, or have no experience in camping, fails in one of 

 his principal duties. He should call their attention to the mistake 

 and instruct them courteously in the proper way of building and 

 handling fires. 



REG. 74. Lumbermen, settlers, miners, prospectors, and 

 other persons using the forest reserves are cautioned 

 against making dangerous slashings, and must not fire 

 them in very dry weather. If it is necessary to burn 

 slashings, ample notice must always be given the near- 

 est forest officer before burning, so that he may take steps 

 to reduce the danger. If notice is not given, or if the 

 ranger's instructions are not followed, the person respon- 

 sible for the burning will be held strictly accountable for 

 all damage to the reserve, and liable, in aggravated cases, 

 to criminal prosecution. 



There is no desire to hamper the work of settlers 

 and lumbermen, nor to limit the rights of property 

 holders, but it is not just that other forests and im- 

 provements, whether owned privately or by the Gov- 

 ernment, should be endangered by carelessness. 



