384 Proceedings oe the 



special forest agents were appointed for the patrolling 

 of the reserves, and they were assigned to duty in 

 California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and New 

 Mexico, it being the opinion of the Department that 

 the reservations in those localities demanded more 

 immediate attention than in other portions of the 

 country. It is very apparent that such a limited force 

 was not sufficient to obtain a great measure of success 

 in the administration of the forest reserves, but on 

 July I, 1898, a larger appropriation became available, 

 and an attempt was made to organize the service on a 

 somewhat permanent basis. The reservations then 

 existing were grouped into eleven districts under as 

 many superintendents, each of these having under 

 his supervision and direction several forest supervis- 

 ors, in immediate charge of the respective reserva- 

 tions assigned them, each of whom had under his 

 personal direction a number of forest rangers, whose 

 duty it was to patrol the reserves, to prevent forest 

 fires and trespasses from all sources, to see to the 

 proper cutting and removal of the timber designated 

 by the supervisors where sales of timber had been 

 made. 



From the experience gained in the administration 

 of the reserves various changes in the force of em- 

 ployees have been made until the present division of 

 responsibility has been established, which has proven 

 to be the best for a careful administration of reserve 

 interests coupled with prompt action in any emergency 

 that may arise. Some of the superintendents were 

 dispensed with and their duties assigned to inspectors. 

 The reserve force in the field is now composed of three 

 inspectors, five superintendents, fifty-two supervisors, 

 seventeen first-class rangers, one hundred and twenty- 

 four second-class rangers and three hundred and 



