The Washington herald., 1908-08-25
FIGHT FOREST FIRES
Work and Hardships of the
Sturdy WeSterners.
SORT OF MEN THEY ARE
4 Stirring Story of the Mountains
in. Flames and the Splendid Or
Eanizatfon of the Present Fight
Ing FOrces-PinchOt Surrounded
by Men Who Do Things

For days now we have had an oppor-
tunity TO meet and know the members OF
the United States Forest Service and TO
see their work first hand, to watch them
in the great forests of California, and 70
see what they are working at and learn
what they hope 70 accomplish. writes a
California correspondent Of the St. Louis
Globe-Dem0crat Undoubtedly they form
one Of the most interesting and unique
bodies OF men ever brought together II
the country.
For the most part they are men Of a
high order OF intelligence and with educa-
tons acquired in some OF the best schools
and colleges in the United States Such
a man IS Capt. Elliott. whom we met at
Lake Tahoe. Such man IS 8Ir. Hopping
who is still with Us. having come down
tie mountain from Camp Sierra. Such a
man is Col Shinn. who is in charge Of
the big forest which stretches for miles 10
the south Of Us and comprises more than
a million and a half acres. Such a man
is Capt Adams. chief Of all the rangers.
and next in rank in the forest service to
Clifford Pinchot, the Official head Of the
whole system.
Dudes Arc Missing
The assertion that "Pinchot has a lot
Of paper-collared dudes doing the work Of
f0resJers and m0untainee-s" is not sup
ported by the facts as We have been able
to get them Hopping was born and
raised IN this vicinity. His father and all
his relatives were Of the old colony that
built the great mountain road which leads
Up 70 Camp Sierra and the center Of the
Big Trees Capt Redwood IS g son Of the
secretary Of the same colony, and his
father stil lives about midway down the
mountain Capt Elliott has spent the
greater part OF his life in the forest where
ne now has charge Col Shinn Is Of the
West. and has seen two generations come
and SO since he first began 20 live in the
mountains and 70 study the forests and
their proper care.
Capt Adams has had a most picturesque
career. Although next in rank and honor
I IN the service 70 Alr. Pinchot he had q
I long and bard apprenticeship before &C
I Quirilg the place. He was a soldier IN the
war with Spain. and served in Cuba and
1 the PHILIPPINES. Before that he sailed be
I fore the mast. and always he has beer
/ accustomed 10 outdoor life. His duties
q
I ter months- and he spends all OF his sum
mers in the mountains.
Salaries Are small
/ The salaries paid in the forest service
are 50 small, comFa mFarativeIy-raugsnE from
{ $500 20 800 a year-an5 the expense O.
( keeping the necessary horses so great
with the lonely life led by the men. that
I il would seem impossible 20 gather TO
gethe- such men as are really found ir
/ the service Almost without exception
I the chief foresters and supervisors and
/ district rangers are men with college edu.
cations They - men who love the tree.
[ and the mountains
In talking with them 7 found most o.
them have e conviction that they are do
/ ing much for the progress OF the woriC
and for the preservation OF resources FOL
I coming generations. which viii max,
1 them famed in the future history OF IN.
! republic. though but little appreciated
| now These men are just Ike GinorC
I Pinchot. back in Washington
! For the most part they could take theii
ease and find conEenial employment else
1 where. but their love for the woods and
| the great open mountain spaces and thef
/ conviction that work well done now il
{ the preservation Of the great forests VII
/ them 70 their lives Of hardship and toll.
/ Without exception. they wear the darl
/ green and picturesque khaki Of the serv
4 ice, and there IS naught 20 distinguish
/ the relative rank Of the men They prid,
I themselves on their horses and theu
/ equipment They usually have two horses
! and sometimes Two horses and a paci
/ animal I saw Capt Redwood ride away
out OF Camp Sierra. with his rife unde
! al
/ provisions for EX weeks. and a blanke
roll in which he may sleep at night an,
| simple cooking utensils with which h
may cook He has a tiny mite Of a baby
only three days old. born up there unde
I the big trees in Camp Sierra. and Il seem
ed almost pathetic 10 see him ride away
I leaving the anxious mother and the new
born baby looking after him from unde
| the edge Of the raised tent flap He vii
/ De gone for weeks. Each day he vii
climb mountain sides and descend int
! deep canyons and gorges. Each day h
1 VIII keep his eyes constantly on the sky
| line to detect signs Of the light gray an
blue haze which rises toward the SIX.
when there IS a forest fire. Many day
he viii ride from sixty to eighty miles
Do Desperate Work
Most Iumbermen and mountaineers vii
tell you that the Forest Service NOR
than pays for itself in the way in whicl
II saves the destruction Of trees and prop
erty from the forest fires. I had an op
portunity the other day 10 see how tn
rangers work up here in the mountains.
Fire broke ont far up on the side Of tn
Sierra Nevadss- Ralph Hopping. the dis
trict ranger in charge. had just arrived a
Three Rivers He had been riding al
most continuously for twenty-fOUr hours
and had secured but three hours sleep
that time He rode Up to the mOuntai
inn here on the stage route and turned hi
horse and his pack animal out IN the cor
raj He slipped OF his riding boots, threV
aside his coat opened his shirt front, an
was just sinking into an afternoon slum
Der out on the wide front porch whe