KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON, SUNDAY. OCTOBER 1961
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SCENIC SPLENDOR Thii fallen log created a pictur
esque scene where the inspection party stopped, for
lunch at Deep Creek opening day. Under the log can be
seen the barest trickle of a water fall; the stream is not
over 1 0 inches deep at this point.
TALKING WITH CAMPERS The Yates family of Agen
cy Lake provided Smith with some information about
how the hunters were treating the newly opened camp
grounds at Lamms Camp at the head of Williamson River.
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CHECK STATION A voluntary Oregon State Game
Commission check station for hunters drew Winema Na
tional Forest Supervisor Alex Smith's attention. As soon
as the Department of Agriculture car stopped, hunter
traffic began to pile up and Smith patiently answered
their questions.
They were not hunting, however, just camping alongside
the springs where the Williamson begins. Darrel Smith
is at right.
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TALKING WITH GUARDS Part of Smith's tour includ
ed U.S. Forest Service guard stations. Here he chats
with an employe about how the hunters seemed to be
conducting themselves. The trailer house in rear was add
ed to existing facilities at the stations which were op
erated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the Klamath
Tribe while the reservation was still intact.
By ANDY MERSHON
DEEP IN THE WINEMA -
Keeping up with a long-legged
forester when he decides to cover
over 80 miles of timbered land
and talk to a hundred or more
people is no mean assignment.
Supervisor Alex Smith of the in
fant Winema National Forest was!
curious as to how 5.000 to
10,000 hunters were treating his
young forest, so he invited this
writer and his own young son.
Darrel, to join him in an im
promptu tour of the area.
Because of its unique arrange
ment on a map it looks like a
disjointed patchwork quilt the
Winema could have been in for
trouble opening day, Sept. 30.
In addition to national forest
lands in the area, several hun
dred thousand acres of land be
longing to remaining members
of the Klamath Tribe are scat
tered through its outside boun
daries -and several hundred thou
sand belonging to timber concerns
and individual owners.
The remaining Klamalhs, on
one hand, had resolved to keep
outside hunters off their land; thel
withdrawing members, or so the1
rumor had it, did not intend to
buy hunting licenses to shoot on
what used to be their reserva
tion. The Indians maintained that
when they sold the reservation.
they still held their hunting and
fishing rights.
It could have been an action-
packed opening weekend. So Smith
decided to tour the forest, cross-
sampling all three areas: Those
held by remaining members, those
held by outsiders and timber con
cerns and those in the national
forest system.
The Winema set up hunter in
formation centers on both ends of'
the forest. One was located at
Barclay Springs on the south, the
second at Diamond Lake Junction!
on the north
At these two centers, hunters
could get maps, information about
campsites and available water
Most of all, they were able to
find out where they could hunt
The first point Smith checked
was the Information center. He
found out what hunters had been
asking. He also made suggestions!
as to how his men could better
utilize their areas. Pleased with
what he found in the Barclay,
Springs roadside center, he pro
ceeded on up the road.
Turning into the back country
behind Chiloquin, the green U.S.
Department of Agriculture car
which carried tile inspection lour
on its way, passed through the
Klamath Indian Forest lands still
held in trust by the U.S. National
Bank for the remaining members.
At a corner where just a tip of
Winema National Forest came
down to join Indian land, a hunt
er's car was pulled off to the
side of the road. Hastily, Smith
consulted a map and satisfied him
self the buck seeking hunter was
in an allowed area.
Within 300 yards the party was
Education
Pays Off
For Adults
WASHINGTON (API - Back
in 1945 a printer working for the!
government enrolled in one of the
adult night schools that thrive in
Washington.
When he started he had no col
lege credit. This year he won his
Ph. D. degree. In the meantime
his salary climbed to $18,500.
Such rewards help explain why
an estimated 9.000 federal em
ployes in the metropolitan Wash
ington area are enrolled in col
lege courses.
The Civil Service Commission!
said today these civil servants
comprise about half of all the
adult night students signed up for
the area's accredited colleges this
academic year.
In the opinion of commission
officials, in few places will you
find the response of working
adults to the educational call bet
ter than among the public serv
ants of the federal government.
Most say they seek self im
provemcnt. Some say "to learn to
do my job better now." Others
want to finish work on degrees
which they began before entering
government service. Some, most
ly newcomers, use night school as
a way to meet new people or to
master an art they have longed
to pursue.
out of the forest again, and back
surrounded by .Indian country. A
car ahead stopped in the center of
the graveled road; its driver left
the vehicle, took a lunchbox from
the trunk and resumed driving
Half a mile more, and still in
Indian territory, he pulled onto a
fire road and parked.
Smith stopped his car and went
to advise the man he was not on
national forest land. Disbelieving,
the hunter yanked one of the for
est service's maps to prove his
point.
Alex showed him he was tres
passing. I m sure sorry," he1
said, "I'll move right on . . .
thanks a lot."
We just don't wanl to abuse!
these people's rights," Smith an
swered. "No, nobody does," the1
hunter replied. "Thanks again."
Traveling on. Smith came upon
an Oregon Slate Game Commis
sion checkpoint for hunters in the
Silver Lake Unit.
The stop was scheduled to be
a short one, "just want to check
how business is," he said.
Immediately, from three direc
tions, hunter-bearing vehicles be
gan to pile up at the intersec
tion. One caravan of three cars
was headed for the Bly area,
some 20 miles distant. When Smith
had put them back on the right
track he commented to his party
wryly, "I'm constantly amazed
how a guy will plunge off into the
woods with little or no conception!
of where he is or how to get
where he s going.
Some had questions which the
supervisor answered with great pa
tience. He explained maps, point
ed out roads, and advised hunt
ers where to get information on
game laws.
At the headwaters of the snake
like Williamson River, Lamms!
Camp, Smith paused to talk withl
hunters and campers In the area
Here the party viewed their first
hanging deer and Smith ques
tioned the hunters.
He talked with all kinds of peo
ple, about all kinds of things
He found out what they liked
about the forest and its camping
grounds, and what they didn'tl
iixe. He watcned as some teen
agers splashed each other with
spring water and conducted a,
strength test on a rocky log.
Kids can enjoy the forest in
many ways, Smith laughed.
The party left the Lamms Camp;
area and took to the dusty back
roads of the Winema again. Smith
explained thai roadsigns, which
are constantly being erected in
the Winema, all bear a U.S. Forest
Service number. "The first two
numerals," he said, "tell what
township the road begins in; the
next two or three give the road's
numerical sequence within the for
est.
Wherever the green car went
the party paused to inspect hunt
ers' camps and look over the deer
that had been taken. "This one's
sure fat, Dad," Darrel mar
vcled. He spent most of the day
inspecting hanging and gutted
animals and piercing the forest
with his eyes looking for animals
on the hoof.
"Darrel's a little miffed at mo,"
Alex said, "he wanted to go hunt
ing today."
From his station in the back
seal Darrel said dryly, "that sure
was a lat deer.
After lunch at Deep Creek,
where Weyerhaeuser land joins
national forest, the party began
to wind back out of the woods
again.
Where two dusty dirt roads and
one graveled and graded road
come together. Smith spotted some
Oregon State Police vehicles,
pulled off the side of the shoul
der.
Oregon Stale Police Is charged
with enforcing the game laws on
the new Winema.
Smith stopped and chatted with
the officers for about 20 minutes.
During that time they covered ev-l
crylhing from comparing their
public-owned cars and trucks to
problems common to both agen
cies. "You've sure got a beautiful
lorcst here." one policeman said.
Alex replied, "it's beautiful, but
full of headaches."
Swinging back out to the high
way again, the group passed the
Diamond Lake Junction informa
tion station, then stopped for a
coffee break before returning to
Klamath rails.
In summing up his tour, Alex!
reflected. Well, I d say, general
ly, we've got a pretty well-be
haved bunch of hunters this year
They seem to be respecting the
Indians' rights, and seem to be
enjoying the former reservation!
lands. Let's hope they stay that
way.
THAT'S SURE A GOOD SET OF HORNS" Smith's son Darrel, who accompanied
him on the opening day of deer season, admired a forest service guard's deer. Darrel"
is center, back to camera, Supervisor Smith is on ladder.
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LUNCH BREAK WITH POLICE Smith, eenter, stopped to talk with two O r a g e it
State Policemen who were patrolling the forest opening day. OSP is charged with an-'
forcement of game laws.
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ANSWERS QUERY Smith points out to a hunter that ha ti about 20 miles off Ml
mark. Ha had stopped, only briefly, to inspect a checking station, but wound up an
swerlng questions from five vehicles that halted at tha unmanned station. ;
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