The Marshall republican., 1909-07-30
New Mexico Letter

The following are extracts from
a letter written home by Llewllyn
Putsch, who is in the government
service as forest ranger.
San Mateo, N. M.
July II, 1909.
Dear homefolks:-
1t is very warm to-day down
here at the Ranger Station in the
Rinconado. Wish l was UP in the
mountains or on the Mesas.
l don't know yet whether or not
l will get to come home Christmas.
We are only allowed Is days a year
leave and Is days sickness. l hope
not to use the latter. This is not
such a bad district here as I'thot
at first. We left Albuquerque the
18th of May and rode 50 miles the
first day leading my pack horse.
There was no water for the last 40
mile We were three days getting
here. 1t was very pleasant camp
ing out but the mesas are all cover
ed more or less with lava which
makes it very rough and hard on
the horses. This country seems to
be covered with these molten rocks
Not long ago l took my pack horse
and saddle horse and made a tour
OF my district. Was camping a
week and a half and in that time l
never saw a house, nor a person
that could speak English. I got
along very well tho with the Mexi-
cans and Indians. OF course all In
dams here speak Mexican as well
as their own language. I am pick
ing up a little Mexican, now and
then. l have been here at the Ran
ger Station on George Pradt's dis
trict but have now rented a house
in San Mateo and will be on my
own district. My chief duties now
are to keep the different sheep
herders, on their own districts and
10 patrol for fires. When ever
the Forest Service is sable they build
each ranger a cabin, fence him in a
few hundred acres of pasture, etc.
This fall I will have a three room
log cabin, a cook stove and uten-
sis and have about 200 acres fenc-
ed for pasture and garden. Also !
a keep ten cows and as many
horses if ! care to but the govern
ment does not furnish them MOI
feed for them except pasture. This
fall there will be a school of Fores-
try in Flagstaff, Arizona. Mr..
Read recommended George to 60
in September and me in October.
Our pay goes on and we get all our
expenses paid except meals. l am
looking forward to it with a great
deal Of interest. July 1st every
year is the time for promotions.
Taft is not SO much of a Forest Ser
vice man as was Roosevelt SO ne
is sitting down on increase OF SAL
airy. / wish he had waited It'll next
year. But to return to the tour OF
my district. l want to tell you
what a person gets used to out
here. OF curse / always carry my
own grub when I take a pack horse
but also when l come to a sheep
herders camp he would be angry if
/ never ate with him 50 I always
do. ut is cheaperO When you
ride UP to a camp you will see a
line stretched from one tree to
another on which are hung the thin
strips OF dried meat, lilies extra)
AS soon as you ahght no matter
what time OF day the cook stirs
up the camp fire and sets the cof-
fee pot a little closer then begins
pulling some meat off the line and
running a stick through it holds it
over the fire to cook. 1t may be
mutton or It may be goats meat.
Then they dive into a dirty sack
and get out a stack OF tortillas,
dread, you know, each OF which
is the size OF q skillet or dutch
oven in which they are baked. Some
times iyou have goats milk for
your strong coffee but generally
not altho there is sugar. This con-
s~titutes your meal. Jerked meat,
tortillas and coffee, or in order OF
Importance to the Mexican--cafe,
tortillas and meat. When they