Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-18
N. e. A. Staff Special.

SACRAMENTO, Cal, Nov. 5-Un-
Gle Sans authority at last rules the
wild region of the Upper klamath.
SaWyer's Bar, relic of the last
frontier" where some Of the noun
taineers combine the free spirit Of
Tennessee backwoodsmen with the
recklessness of the old west, today
for the first time in it's turbulent his
tory pays tribute to the United States
forest service and it's laws.
In this and similar California dis
tricts, the open forest has been re-
garded by some as mo Mans Land"
The habit of setting fires-aften with
the motive of revenge has cost
this nation thousands of dollars in
ruined timber every year.
Special Inspector Charles V. Brere-
ton, Sherlock Holmes of the forest
service, has furnished the needed OBJ
ject-lesson.
A six-months term in a federal
prison must be served, and a 5000
fine paid, by Charles McBurns,
prospector of Sawyer's Bar, found
guilty Of setting forest fire. Nc
Burns is 6 feet 2, giant-framed, a
king among mountaineers by virtue
of his huge strength and daring tenn
per.
A Forest Sherlock Holmes
Brereton ranks as Americas fore
most detective of the great out
DOORS He has never lost single
case, either by acquitta1 or hung"
jury. In pitting his wits against
those Of crafty woodsmen, he has
run huge risks and blazed wide
trails for the advancing army of
conservation.
A lumberman's boot-calk, screwed
into the heel of a miners leather
boot, brought about Brereton's con-
quest of Sawyer's Bar.
McBurns had quarreled with his
partner over dividing the yellow dust
Months passed, then one day the
partner hired a neighbours team to
haul wood for his mine.
It'll keep that team at home!"
swore McBurns.
He did. Fire, starting in the
brush at Niggerville Creek, swooped
up toward the forest-ranch of the
teams owner. In it's path stood a
tiny cabin occupied by a mother and
five children, including a week-old
baby. They barely escaped.
eff a man sets a fire, he leaves
est service. Elman circuit, keen
eyed Indian forest-guard, found
tracks leading from the source of the
blaze. He followed the dim trail
two miles, though the feet that made
it had stepped only on rock.
The trail followed the contour"
turned, and led toward McRMrns'
cabin.
Tracks Tell the Tale
Here the Indian, like all Indian
crackers when hunting the white
man, stopped. No red man will come
to conclusions with a pale-face on a
matter involving the doubtful courts
of law.
Brereton, arriving day later,
found two spots were the incendi-
airy had slipped from rocks into soft
ground. Casts of technical plaster,
sifted into these tracks, revealed
the marks of screw-calks-rare in
that region. Brereton learned that
Mediums had been logger. He
raided his cabin-and found the
boots
McBurns, arrested, gave vent to "a
violent outburst of rage. The whole
region was up in arms. Brereton and
his few foresters had to watch their
step" But they were used to that.
McBurns denied having visited
Niggerville Creek in months, then
under grilling admitted that he and
another man" had recently killed a
spike buck there; an illegal act. He
hadn't wanted, he said, to "pe' on
partner" Challenged to find the
bucks offal, he took Brereton into