The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-13
FOREST RANGERS TO GUARD THE
WEST.

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FOREST RANGERS TO GUARD TIKI
WEST
Within the last few months the Uni
ted States government has added to it,
payroll the hardest and most daring
set Of men in the southwest. They art
the newly organized force Of fire fight
ers and forest rangers appointed t
protect Uncle Sans great western
timber belts.
The force is composed of men who
are marvels Of strength and endurance,
and who are recklessly Indifferent to
danger cowboys, Gid Indian fighters
rough riders from Ell Caney, men who
are dead shots, who can go for days
without food andat TO whom the bound
less plain and the back ,cf horse is
/ home.
While forest reservations are not a
new thing in this half forgotten portion
of the United States, the present inter-
| est has never before been manifested
| in the preservation of the great pine
| forests Of the mountainous southwest
| Forest fires have swept over thousands
| OF acres of the arid regions in the noun
tains Of Arizona and Illegal encroach-
ments of lumber companies have been
numerous upon Uncle Sans domain in
this section.
The first organized force Of forest fire
fighters and Government Rangers was
organized in July of last year under
OForest Supervisor II. S. Breen, and
numbered fifteen men, Each one of
these rangers provides himself with a
saddle horse, camping outfit, six
shooter and a rifle, and after having
been instructed as to duties is posted
by the supervisor in a given district
over which he has full control and is
made responsible for all timber depre-
.dations fires or other trouble that may
arist there,
These rangers districts very in size
according to the nature of the country
and dangerousness Of the district They
cover from six to ten townships to
ranger. The Mollogon mountains ex-
tend from the northern boundaries of
the territory, SOUTH crossing the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado, eastward to
the boundary line of New Mexico. All
of this is a magnificent belt of pine
timber, flanked on either side by the
great sand deserts of North America.
Water is scarce and found at dis
lance 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
mountains-all dry and dusty. Small,
M foy, f,rny nj aY,fo
eruptions, are found here and there,
some of them containing water that
comes from winter SHOWS in the hills
melting i'm the spring.
Millions of acres of this barren land,
piled high with volcanic rock, huge
powders high cliffs and deep canyons,
form the country where these men are
protecting government property There
is no water to fight fire with. What
ever water is found is boarded for
drinking purposes and for the jaded
horses
Many men have spent the greater part
of their lives in this widest of the re-
territories; men who have seen
all phases of pioneer life, all hardy, ex-
pert horsemen and men who have had
thrilling experiences during the early
history of the territory.
One of them picked up on the field
after the famous Mountain Meadows
when all his relatives were
in cold Blood by the notori-
GUS Mormon John D. Lee, in 1854, spent
the remainder Of his life in this terrific
ry, engaging in Indian warfare, was
deputy sheriff during the early days and
came through the Tonic Basin war of
known as the Tucl1sburry-
Graham fight, in which fifty-seven cow
boys and ranchmen lost their liven.
One was with the gallant band of
Rough Riders who stormed San Juan
Hill. Another was with General Crook
during the early Indian outbreaks
through the southern part of the terri |
tory when the Apaches We're on the |
Others have lived in the sad
lie most of their lives, following the &C. !
of coWboys.-Mail and Elk
press. K