Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-17
FOREST SERVICE
0PE ERATES VAST
PHONE SYSTEM
More Than 5000 Miles Of
Telephone System in This
District; Phone Method
Beats AirpIane

While the average layman does
not dream of it ana even the aver
age man who takes his recreation
I'm the woods has no real concep-
ton Of the fact, the United States
Forest service has telephone
system through the forests of this
district which exceeds the systems
of the majority of the cities eX-
cepting the largest and is more
extensive than the systems OIL
many communities in the couh-
try.
The United States Forest serv-
ice has constructed and is operat-
ing more than 5000 miles OF tele-
phone lines, according to figures
released yesterday. With the ex-
ception of 250 miles still required
and to be constructed as soon as
is possible, this system complete
ly covers the national forests OF
New Mexico and Arizona.
The greater part of this system
is tree line and is swung from
pine trees by specially designed
insulators. The Forest service mas
spent about IL years in the con-
struction OF this line. Its Value
is indicated in the fact that gov
fires were handled last year with
but half a dozen reaching serious
PROPORTIONS. Without this phone
system such successful handline
would have been Impossible, ~.
A feature in connection with tue
system is that the entire 3,oVo
miles of the system is now belns
operated without a telephone engi-
neer, although an engineer. was
formerly employed to control.
Woman Orders Bacon
old officers of the forest serV-
ice reminisced yesterday as they
went over the figures. They re-
called number OF humorous IN
stances which arose when tnt
Telephone lines were first EXTENDED
into the mountain DISTRICTS
one of the old timers recallee
how a woman called up one or tht
Forest rangers shortly after the
system had reached her home anc
asked him to kindly obtain tWI
nounds of bacon for her and sent
II over the wire. She could no
understand why q line which WoulC
carry the voice would not also
transmit merchandise.
Another story was told or I'M
attempt TO extend the line across
fhe desert in one of the southern
sections. There were no pore
available, so the supervisor sIIull'
his line on the suahara, other
wise known as tree cactus ahS
giant cactus. w.. ,ro,
A short time after the line wa
strung a lightning storm came up
The lightning struck the line am
every suahara over mile or IN
e,,4t.-,l was demolished, while IN
wires were scattered across IN
sends. The wire formed a con
4act in spite of the insulators, a
the latter failed to protect agalns
the magnetism caused by the pa
in the cactus.
Work on Snowshoes
Tn order TO have the forest line
in hest shape for the fire seaso
The work of overhauling often ha
~ start in the middle of the win
fer, When this is the case IN
rangers work for long stretche
on snow shoes. e..
In certain cases these lines lea
IN TO high mountains, used a.
Inol,out posts. Here the snow
en- heavy that no matter how TN
lines are strung the snow peat
them down. In such cases Tn
rangers often have to cut the WI
off and build a new section aooV'
In some places this happens ever
year. r.,., .o-v,c
The report Of the Forest serVic
is that tests given the airpiane d
compared with the telephone III
and lookout method, nave prove
conclusively that the telepnon
line and look out station metno
is not only cheaper but IS ais
more effective. The figures prov
this in cases where the two sys
TENS were tried side by SIDE an
sri,rnt, ahsn1llta a tests.