The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-12-14
HOW FORESTRY WORKS
Big Difference in Dollars When
Fires Are Starting.

The other dav, here in Garrett county,
man stood at the top of metal tower,
and looked around him at the woods and
mountains. The tower under him rose
on four sult-like legs, and was topped
by small wooden box with sides of
glass and wood Its windows gave him
view of forests that still covered the
hills as far IS his eye could see. A
hundred and fifty thousand acres of
them coated the mountains below the
peak where the watch tower stood, and
with his glass the man could get
pretty thorough view of all of them.
He bad been climbing his tower each
morning and descending again at night
for the six or eight weeks thatthe fire
weather" lasted. On this particular
morning the air was clear, and he
chuckled with relief as his eye took in
the first of the ranges about him, for
there was no smoke to cloud its clear
ness. Many another morning one quick
look to fix it in his mind, and he was at
his phone. His voice went over the
wires that led down the side of the
tower and on to the clearings. and the
nearest Forest Warden collected his
tools and was off to a fire somewhere
within the thousands of acres that con-
stituted his timbered domain. When
he reached it, there was work. The
lockout knew it; hence the chuckle.
The recent chuckle, though, was
quickly smothered. Down in a corner,
near clearing, a ring or two of smoke
went up in little, twisting spirals. With
a muttered exclamation he was at his
speaking outfit. Several hurried calls,
and the Warden started from his home.
Travelling on horseback over the noun
tain trails, with the telephoned direc-
tious never out of his mind, it did not
take him long to reach it. Others, sum-
moned over the wire, were there ahead
of him, and once reached, the fire was
almost as quickly out.
As they turned to leave the spot
dog trotted into sight, then turned tail.
and was Off in a second. The Forest
Warden, as the man from the tower
was called, had seen it, though, and
recognized it too. The dog was the
property of man nearby who raised
few sheep for his living. His own
acres being few, the sheep were some
what farmed out on the country sur
rounding. This fire had been the fourth
in one spot within a week. and the
Warden began to make deductions.
For it IS known to those who dwell in
the mountains and woods that fires
make pasture. Even when quickly out,
the harm they do to the timber is in
tinitely greater, of course, but what of
that, when the timber belongs to an
other, and the grass is yours for the
taking.
So occasionally such men.as this start
a fire IN the forest. In years past they
were frequent, and sanctioned BY com
mon consent. That was before the days
of Forestry Board and the Forest
Warden. 1t works differently now.
The man suspected of starting the sue
cession of fires at this one spot will be
put under the surveillance of the forest
officers, and if caught at such work
there are forest laws to cover the case.
More important, though, than this
work that the Wardens do is other
work, which shows the public where its
own best interests lie. Public senti-
ment takes years to form. and is not
changed in minute, but now it is
swing around to point where burning
woods for grass is frowned upon, and
the timber of the State is steadily draw
ing the sort of care which economy,
public-spiritedness and good manage
ment demand.