Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-06-30
LIFE OF THE FOREST RANGER.
On the Government Reservations .ot
the Far West.

the Far West.
New York Sun.-Interesting is the
life of the government forest rangers
in the reservations of California and
elsewhere in the far west Many of
these men are graduates of eastern
colleges, and eventually all OF them
will have had a course Of training in
some school of forestry connected
with a university.
The rangers live alone in the
wilds. often with no neighbors nearer
than 10 or IS miles, and with no COM
partnership save that of their horses.
4 Yale man who took to this life be.
cause he found his health failing in an
eastern city. whore he was practicins
law, has become vastly enamored OF
his work.
He maintains a permanent camp in
valley 1000 feet or so above the sea
level. Here he has a log house, suit
able stabling, a beautiful bit of
meadow half mile long inclosed as
! pasture, stores of food and clothing,
wood burning furnace which heats
his dwelling and cooks his food, and
whatever else is necessary for the
reasonable comfort of a man leading
an active outdoor life.
On the mountain 1000 or 5000 fee.
above his valley camp, and some
hours distant, he has a comfortable
tent and corral for his horses, with
few stores of canned food, -four anu
meal He is comfortably clothed tol
winter and summer. and armed with
a big revolver, shotgun and a rifle.
The ranger keeps three horses.
i When he goes from his permanent
camp upon his regular tour of inspec-
ton he takes with him sometimes one
horse, sometimes two. He always keeps
one horse at pasture in the meadow
near the permanent camp.
In summer he passes much of his
time on the mountain, returning usual
ly to his tent at night, but not in
frequently sleeping out. When he
sleeps in his tent he keeps his horse
at night in the corral
When he sleeps out he seldom dares
to picket his horses lest they be at
/ tackled by mountain lions. and killed
or injured. Sometimes he thinks ii
safe to picket a horse close to his
/ own sleeping place for if anything
! disturbs the creature the ranger will
be reused and can drive off the in
truder by firing his big revolver
He has drilled his horses to manage
= themselves perfectly when picketed.
This was a delicate task, for a horse
is likely to get tangled in the picket
/ line and then TO throw himself and
receive injury.
The drill consisted in repeated,
letting the horse Craze at the end of
the picket line, permitting him to get
tangled and to throw himself in the
effort to kick lose. After time a
horse of ordinary intelligence learns
that If he will kick with the entangleo
foot only he can get loose without
fall This once learned, the horse
may. with safety. be picketed when
the mountain lions are not likely to be
abroad.
II is the duty of the ranger to follow
up camping parties and to see that
they leave no dangerous embers at
their camping places. to put out forest
fires, and to see that cattlemen do not
put too many cattle or sheep on a
given area.
The effect of overlooking the
ranges is to XIII the grass, and prevent
the storage of moisture on the high
lands for the feeding of streams. The
result is that irrigated lowlands are
deprived of water,
Tho rangers are Also more and more
studying the botanical condition AMI
aptitudes of their ranges.
II This particular ranger occasionally
rides nearly leo miles in three days,
This he ordinary Gccomplishes with
two horses, one a pack horse, and the
other saddle. If need be he transfers
the pack to the saddle horse, and the
saddle to the pack horse,
When he returns to his permanent
camp after such an expedition the
horse left behind at pasture scents
his coming afar and races like mad
TO welcome the returning man and
horses. The lonely beast is so de-
lighted to have companionship again
that he thrusts his head over the in
closure and affectionatey rubs his
nose against his masters shoulder.
| BY way of relief from the loneliness
of this life the ranger has his &C.
casional meetings. with camping
parties in the reservation. his contac>
! from time to time with fellow rangers
whom he meets in the course OF duty.
and his visits at rather long intervals