HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 4i¢ 
Mr. Price. Speaking of my own personal knowledge, a fire could 
be oe by a very few men, before it had gotten headway. 
Mr. Brooxs. My recollection is that Mr. Gardner, when he was in 
Colorado—Mr. Gardner of your Bureau 
Mr. Price. Yes, sir. 
_ Mr. Brooks (continuing). He met there the most intelligent forester 
in the State, General Palmer, and he has told me, repeatedly, that 
when they were building a road on the Rio Grande, at that time he 
and his associates acquired a tract of 40,000 acres on the divide, and 
he incorporated a little land company and he put that tract in charge 
of one man after the forest was cut off of it, and in about thirty years 
there has come up as good a growth of the long-leafed pine, and it is 
very nearly ready to cut now; and in that time he has never hada 
destructive forest fire in that tract, although the Government land on 
all sides has been burned off. 
The Cuarrman. How does he keep the fire off? 
ae Brooxs. That particular line is fenced, and he keeps a man on 
there. 
Mr. Scorr. What I had inmind is this: All through this vast Rocky 
Mountain region there are innumerable trails, and hunting parties and 
touring parties are traversing these trails every day in every direction, 
and the fire which any one of these parties makes to cook its coffee 
might start a forest fire, and it certainly would require an army of 
men to patrol that region so as to keep an eye on all those parties. 
Mr. Brooks. I do not think it would require somany men. A man 
goes on a reserve and he builds a camp fire, as you say, and the forest 
ranger follows him up and finds him, and says: ‘‘ When you leave there 
J want you to put that fire out;” and he says: ‘‘All right, I will do it;” 
but the next morning he takes no precaution whatever, and there is no 
penalty and there is no way of enforcing that. 
Mr. Bowir. Why do we not get a statute on that, then? 
Mr. Brooxs. I think it is very important, to increase the scope of 
the power of the rangers and to increase their numbers. 
Mr. Scorr. The rangers should have power to follow that man up; 
but I have been spending much time in Colorado and IJ never have seen 
any forest ranger there, and I have seen several destructive fires. 
Mr. Brooxs. You have been in the Pikes Peak Reserve? 
Mr. Scorr. Nos sir; I have been in the country. 
Mr. Brooxs. There is no reserve there? 
Mr. Scott. No, sir. 
Mr. Brooxs. On the Pikes Peak Reserve there are three rangers to 
cover all that whole country. 
Mr. Brooxs. Unless there isa rigid system of arrest you can not 
accomplish anything. = oe 
' Mr. Scorr. The system we have is inadequate and must remain 
inadequate unless the number of rangers is increased. ; 
Mr. Brooxss. Or their power is increased. Of course this tract of 
General Palmer’s that you speak of is in private ownership, and he can 
enforce his regulations and he has the civil power back of him. The 
proper control of the reservations by the forest rangers if they are 
given an increase of power is very feasible and practicable, and that 
man has been able to do there what a forest ranger could not do. 
Mr. Scort. Is that not a very small tract? 
Mr. Brooxs. No, sir; it is 40,000 acres, 
Co A——27 
