The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-18

RANGER
JOBS OPEN
Elk A MIN ATIONS IN
SEVENTEEN STATES
NEXT WEEK
800 PLACES OR MORE
FOR QUALIFIED POSITIONS
Must Have Fair knowledge
of Readin', Riten' and
'Rithmetic

Can you throw a diamond hitch? II
you cant you are probably something
OF tenderfoot, and as such would uu-
doubtedly be well entertained and
very much enlightened If you could
lattend one of the examinations TO be
! held next Thursday, Friday and Satur-
I day in seventeen of the western states.
These examinations are for the par
nose of nnding three hundred or more
imen each qualified to till a position, as
forest ranger
/ National forests are still new in the
| United States, and the management OF
I their vast resources is a very difficult
task The business connected with
these forests is transacted on the
lground The local officers consist OF
a supervisor, having direct charge
/ all the business and being located at
some nearby town. and his field force
OF rangers living at points throughout
/ the forests. The national forests are
: vast estates worth many millions of
idollars. and upon The rangers deyolyc
the dlties of safeguarding the most
valuable heritage of the people, At
present there are not half enough
rangers to properly protect the forests,
and Uncle Sam is eager 70 recruit the
llittle army to its complete strength.
He wants the hardest and most fear
Hess riders, the best shots the quickest
and most accurate lumbermen. and the
most truthworthy young men in tile
country.
Applicants should have a fair knowl
edge OF readin' and writin' and rith.
lmetic, for the forest ranger Us re-
,,,f,,l b., aoaf, fftpka~ Iratu nm auraa.
ments. make out reports ETC. but the
man who is little short on book
llearning and away head Of the others
lin throwing the diamond hitch or In
following a blind trail is lhe one who
| will have the call with the civil service
commission when final judgment Is
rendered
The duties Of the rangers and supor
visors are numerous They hear com
plants. and settle difficulties when
/ ever possible without applying TO thc
main office at Washington. They sell
! timber, grant permits TO cut down
ltreea tor the development of mining
claims and for domestic uses. They
give permission 20 Craze limited
number of cattle or sheep, to build
fences, TO use the land necessary for
the erection of stores, residences and
| hotels, for the construction of wagon
roads trails, canals. reservoirs, tcle-
phone lines, etc. They must guard
against fires, and sec that all the uses
/ of the forests resources are made
within the law This matter Us some.
times difficult in a country where men
are proverbially short on temper and
quick on the trigger
! The first day OF the examination VIII
] be given TO educational tests, and II Is
safe 10 predict that many q COW
lpuncher, who will shine in the fie,a
lexamination, viii emerge from tho
| first days trial With ink stained fins.
! ers and eyes fun OF despair.
Tho second day The horses viii be
brought out, and al an early hour the
| forestry expert Ia the lead, they viii
hit the traii Tor the iall timber where
lthe real test VIII begin. Here the
contestants viii be giyen axes ana
/ Will have chance 10 show their skill
I in cutting and scaling timber They
Twin then be given work in following
/ blind trails, for the man who rides the
lTanee must be able 10 read wilderness
lagns Ike book long hard ride
through the mountains testing the en-
ldurance Of the men on rough riding
wst probably end the days work ex-
cept Of course, pitching camp, and
notes viii be made OF The manner %
which each man makes fires and pre-
lpares his resting place.
The third day the accuracy OF The
linen will be tested in jadging dis.
ltanoes. This is the most important
lpart OF The work, as a forest ranger Is
lolten required 10 estimate distances
with NO other facility than HIS eye
Tor the length of bis stride. Another
important accomplishment which the
ranger must possess ig that of pack
ling. and usually a small pack animal
Is brought out and each candidate told
10 60 ahead in his turn aud show what
he can do In the way OF putting @
load on the horses back Il is q reve-
latiOn 10 an fastener 20 witness tie
ldexterity with which the average
ranger puts on the blanket. the little
lpack saddle. and then slows away the
bags Of feed. the tarpaulin, The shovel
and ak and ties the whole with the
diamond hitch This hitch Is one that
can be loOsened with a single pull 20
the rope II never slips, and when =
Is correctly thrown on a well packed
animal the load cannot be bucked off
A little compass work and few tests
IN the saddle viii complete the exam
. nation and many OF ihe contestant
viii depart for their homes on horse
back hundreds Of miles across noun
. taius and plains.
The papers in the examination VII
iall be forwarded 20 Washington. 10
I eether with the reports Of the experts
Oh field work and ue successfui mel
! lwil be- assigned 70 the reserves tha
are Ia particular need Of rangers, q