Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-10
TRAINED RANGERS
To GUARD FOREST
GOVERNMENT WILL INSTITUTE
INNOVATION
Pay for the Work to Be Increased to
Induce Capable Men to Take Up
the Occupation - VIII
Tax Cattle

within the next year the forest re-
serves of the United States will be
watched over and cared for by as COM
petent and hardy set of mountain
eers as are to be found anywhere in the
world"
Such was the assertion yesterday of
w. B. Greeley, federal expert on timber
and forest lands for the California
district Greeley Is in Los Angeles on
short business visit and while here
is making thorough inspection of the
southern watersheds and the character
Of the timber to be found in the San
Gabriel San Bernardino and Monrovia
mountains.
Inspector Greeley had much to say
yesterday regarding the present condi-
tion of the ranger system and the plans
to be adopted in future
For years past in some way or an
other. the forest ranges of the west have
been patrolled by almost anyone who
applied for the position" said Greeley.
THE government had to have men
constantly at watch over the vast
ranges and the pay was so very small
that able bodied men as rule did not
care to take UP the work.
Examination Practical
"That system has now entirely been
changed and there Is movement on
foot now to offer better wages as in
ducement to capable men. Every appli.
cant has now to go through a civil
service examination and these tests
are carried out ON the most practical
lines.
1T is not necessary that a man be
able to speak Greek, Latin, German
and several other languages and be able
to write fine, neat hand. When the
time for the examination Is at hand the
inspectors take the candidates out to
the heart of the forest wilderness. There
they are put through tests of strapping
heavy packs on mountain burros, hand
ling refractory burros and horses, sad
ding and riding horses, hobbling and
lettering horses, shooting, cutting out
trails, surveying certain parts of forest
and making maps Of various sections
of the district.
IF a man is able to pass this ex-
animation he is considered thorough
mountaineer. capable and willing to
fight fire. rid the range of desperate
characters and tend to the constant
care required by his tract.
"A forest range is simply a great big
infant constantly requiring attention
and the government recognizing this
fact Is now starting a school for the
education of forest rangers. This school
Is in Colorado and there young college
chaps who are anxious to try the life
of the wilderness and healthy young
men from all parts of the country are
to be trained to ride the ranges and
save the woods.
Tax Cattle for Expenses
"In order that better salaries may be
paid these men, the government has
this year imposed a light tax on cattle
and sheep which have heretofore been
allowed to roam the ranges unmolested.
Another source of revenue is the lum-
ber business and that is what am now
tending to in this end of the state.
There are certain portions of the
mountains where miners and ranchers
have not the necessary means of trans
portation for timber and in these places
the government allows the sale of for
est lumber.
But the timber is watched like o
hawk and every tree is marked before
being cut down. When a request Is
sent in for timber from a certain Sec
ton I go to the place and If the dis
trict is we'll wooded inspect the trees
and mark such old and infirrn giants
as will soon topple to the ground.
When these are cut down 1t gives sun