The Boy With the U. S. Foresters

Francis Rolt-Wheeler

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• Publié par: ulle
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 33
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

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Project Gutenberg's The Boy With the U. S. Foresters, by Francis Rolt-Wheeler This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Boy With the U. S. Foresters Author: Francis Rolt-Wheeler Release Date: July 19, 2006 [EBook #18874] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FORESTERS *** Produced by Steven desJardins and Distributed Proofreaders THE GIANTS OF THE FOREST AND THE MEN WHO SAFEGUARD THEM. Photography by U. S. Forest Service. U. S. SERVICE SERIES. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FORESTERS BY FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER With Thirty-eight Illustrations from Photographs taken by the U. S. Forest Service BOSTON LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 1910 To My Son Roger's Friend WILBUR UFFORD PREFACE Much of the wilderness is yet but little trod. Great stretches of virgin forest still remain within whose dim recesses nothing is changed since the days the Indians dwelt in them. The mystery and the adventure are not sped, the grandeur and the companionship still pulse among the glades, the "call of the wild" is an unceasing cry, and to that call the boy responds. But if this impulse to return to the shelter of the wilds be still so strong, how greatly more intense does it become when we awaken to the fact that the forest needs our help even more than we need its sense of freedom. When we perceive that the fate of these great belts of untamed wilderness lies in the hands of a small group of men whose mastery is absolute, when first we realize that national benefits—great almost beyond the believing—are intrusted to these men, surely Desire and Duty leap to grip hands and pledge themselves to the service of the forests of our land. To breathe the magnificent spaces of the West, to reveal the wealth and beauty of our great primeval woods, to acclaim the worth of the men who administer them, and to show splendid possibilities to a lad of grit and initiative is the aim and purpose of THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. ENTERING THE SERVICE PUTTING A STOP TO GUN-PLAY THE FIGHT IN THE COULEE PICKING A LIVELY BRONCHO A TUSSLE WITH A WILD-CAT IN THE HEART OF THE FOREST WILBUR IN HIS OWN CAMP DOWNING A GIANT LUMBERJACK A HARD FOE TO CONQUER A FOURTH OF JULY PERIL AMIDST A CATTLE STAMPEDE ALMOST TRAMPLED TO DEATH HOW THE FOREST WON A GREAT DOCTOR A ROLLING CLOUD OF SMOKE THE FOREST ABLAZE IN THE MIDST OF A SEA OF FIRE ILLUSTRATIONS The Giants of the Forest and the Men Who Safeguard Them A Forest Fire out of Control Good Forestry Management Bad Forestry Management The Tie-cutters' Boys Deforested and Washed Away As Bad as Anything in China How Young Forests are Destroyed Where Sheep are Allowed Cowboys at the Round-up Patrolling a Coyote Fence Reducing the Wolf Supply Where Ben and Mickey Burned the Brush The Cabin of the Old Ranger Stamping It Government Property Wilbur's Own Camp Just about Ready to Shoot Train-load from One Tree Wilbur's Own Bridge Where the Supervisor Stayed Measuring a Fair-sized Tree Running a Telephone Line Nursery for Young Trees Plantation of Young Trees Sowing Pine Seed Planting Young Trees What Tree-planting Will Do The First Conservation Expert Sand Burying a Pear Orchard No Water, No Forests. No Forests, No Water With Water! "That's One Painter Less, Anyhow!" "Smoke! And How am I Going to Get There?" "Keep It from Spreading, Boys!" "Get Busy Now, When It Breaks into the Open!" THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FORESTERS CHAPTER I ENTERING THE SERVICE "Hey, Wilbur, where are you headed for?" The boy addressed, who had just come through the swing-doors of an office building in Washington, did not slacken his pace on hearing the question, but called back over his shoulder: "To the forest, of course. Come along, Fred." "But—" The second speaker stopped short, and, breaking into a run, caught up with his friend in a few steps. "You certainly seem to be in a mighty big hurry to get there," he said. "We don't loaf on our service," answered the boy with an air of pride. His friend broke into a broad grin. He had known Wilbur Loyle for some time, and was well aware of his enthusiastic nature. "How long has it been 'our' service?" he queried, emphasizing the pronoun. "Ever since I was appointed," rejoined Wilbur exultantly. "I'm glad the appointment has had time to soak in; it didn't take long, did it?" Wilbur flushed a little, and his chum, seeing this, went on laughingly: "Don't mind my roasting, old man, only you were 'way up in the clouds." The boy's expression cleared instantaneously, and he laughed in reply. "I suppose I was," he said, "but it's great to feel you've got the thing you've been working for. As you know, Fred, I've been thinking of this for years; in fact, I've always wanted it, and I've worked hard to get it. And then the Chief Forester's fine; he's just fine; I liked him ever so much." "Did you have much chance to talk with him?" "Yes, quite a lot. I thought I was likely enough to meet him, and p'raps he would formally tell me I was appointed and then bow me out of the office. Not a bit of it. He told me all about the Service, showed me just what there was in it for the country, and I tell you what—he made me feel that I wanted to go right straight out on the street and get all the other boys to join." "Why?" "Well, he showed me that the Forest Service gave a fellow a chance to make good even better than in the army or the navy. There you have to follow orders mainly; there's that deadly routine besides, and you don't get much of a chance to think for yourself; but in the Forest Service a chap is holding down a place of trust where he has a show to make good by working it out for himself." "Sounds all right," said the older boy. "Anyway, I'm glad if you're glad." "What I like about it," went on Wilbur, "is the bigness of the whole thing and the chance a chap has to show what he's made of. Glad? You bet I'm glad!" "You weren't so