Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-25
FOREST FIRE FIGHTERS.
The Daring Men Who Protect the Forests
Of New Mexico and Arizona.

The forest reserve service has on It's
pay rolls the most daring set Of men in
the west. The newly organized force OF
fire fighters and forest rangers appoint
ed to protect the governments great
western timber belts is composed OF
men who are marvels of strength and
endurance, and who are recklessly in
different to danger. Cowboys, old In
dian fighters and rough riders from 81
Caney-men who are dead shots, who
can go for days without food, and to
whom the boundless plain and the back
of a horse is home.
While forest reservations are not a
new thing in that portion Of the United
States, the present interest has never
before been manifested in the ~preserva-
ton of the great pine forests of the
mountainous southwest.
Forest fires have swept over thous-
ands of acres Of the arid regions in the
mountains Of Arizona, and illegal en-
croachments of lumber companies have
been numerous Upon the public domain
in that section.
Because of the heavy winds during
the greater part of the year, sometimes
registering as high as sixty miles per
hour at the government weather bu-
reau, Flagstaff, Ariz., and the exceed
ing dryness of the country generally,
forest fires become most dangerous to
the lives and property of the few set
tiers scattered sparsely through the
mountains and hills, besides destroying
thousands of dollars worth of valuable
pine timber.
The first organized force Of fire fight
ers and government rangers was organ
lied in July Of this yea under Forest
Supervisor F. S. Breen, and numbers
fifteen men all told. Each one Of these
rangers provides himself with a sad
die horse, camping outfit, including a
six-shooter and a rifle, and after hay
ing been instructed as to duties, is post
ed by the supervisor in a given district,
over which he has full control, and
made responsible for all timber depre-
dations, fires and other trouble that
may arise there.
These rangers districts are not neces-
sarily uniform as to the amount of ter
| ritory, but vary in size according to the
! nature of the country and dangerous
ness of the district. They run IN size
from six to ten townships to a ranger.
The Mogollon mountains extend from
the northern boundaries of Arizona
south, crossing the Grand canon of the
Colorado, eastward to the boundary line
Of New Mexico, all of which Is a mag
nif1cent belt of pine timber, fanked on
either side by the great sand deserts OF
North America; which lend their baleful
influence to the less arid regions Of the
mountain ranges. Water Is scarce and
| found at distances of ten to fifteen miles
apart in little springs that peep through
these rocky mountains. Hundreds of
old lake beds are found in the very tops
Of the mo~untains-all dry and dusty.
Small natural tanks caused by volcanic
eruptionS are found here and there,
some Of them with water in them, that
| comes from winter SHOWS in the hills
melting in the spring.
There is no water to fight fire with.
Whatever water is found Is boarded for
drinking purposes and for their jaded
horses. With this short description of
the country and a mention of a few OF
the difficulties with which these men
have to contend, the reader will readily
see the character Of the men needed for
this work.
Among the men are many who have
spent the greater part Of their lives in
that widest of the remaining terrific
pioneer life, all hardy. expert horsemen,
and men who have had thrilling expe-
| riences during the early history of the
territory.
One of them, picked up on the field
after the famous Mountain Meadow
massacre, when all his relatives were
slaughtered in cold blood by the noto-
rious Mormon, John d. Lee, in 1854,
spent the remainder Of his life in the
territory, engaging in Indian warfare,
was a deputy sheriff during the early
days, and came through the Tonic ba-
sin war of cattlemen, known as the
Tucksburry- Graham fight, in which
i%fty-seven cowboys and ranchmen lost
their lives.
Another was with the gallant band OF
rough riders who stormed San Juan
hill, was in at the death at Ell Caney
and stood ready and eager to storm the
Notifications at Santiago.
Another was with General Crook
during the early Indian outbreaks
through the southern part Of the terri.
tory, when the Apachee were on the
warpath. Others have lived in the sad.