$1500 per annn (and soon theresfter Bill Kobbe came to me from the Cocohino-

and before that from the rhilippines) and my Forest -sst. (Kobbe) was getting

$1800. But the Rangers; there were Dave  udd, Homer Eaton, Major Chapin,
Billy 
Martin, and Drayton Martin- lately demoted FS--and the wildman- Frank itchell
, 
Later came such notables as Billy Wheatley, Guy Rencher, 
Ben Rogers, Harl Sizer, etc. But that first bunch was   ( & Johhny Aheatley)
j 
*certainly a collection. Of all that original bunch Billy Martin was the
most 
reliable of all; Billy was too modest,too self-effacig,.-but above all-honest.

I came to know that Billy always told me the truth about a matter; Johhny
Kheat- 
-ly was a little slick; and Frank Mitchell was the ladies man- the gay Lothario-

the break~er of femenine hearts-a smooth talker and a fast worker; he and

Eaton were enemies. Incidentally, Eaton was wise in leaving- for he had a
lot 
of office business ability- but not too much outdoor judgment; he has done
well 
in the commercial world and raised (or Mrs. E. did probably) a fine family-one-

was a Col. in late var. 
But not to ramble all over the Apache map too much: 
About cow brands. I have a copy of the Arizona Brand Book somewhere in my

belongings here and I've looked for it but it's unlocated so far- I know
I 
have it- and will conti nue to search for it. It would contain ail the 
brands we knew in Apache and Greenlee Counties and then some. Did you have
in 
mind using some brands in this Yvhite Mt. story ? Offhand., I 'e forgotten
such 
brands as Gus 10ecker's, Bert Colter's, Claude wUrray's, Hank Sharpetslcand

even Charlie Thomas' and Toles Cosper's and others "down the Blue".
I'll make 
a thorough search for the book and extract some for you- or send you the
book, 
just as soon as I can locate it. 
Cattle Brands themselves would make a 
good subject-tho it has perhaps h   been often done- think Will Barnes did.

Of course you know that Cattle brands go back pretty far (See my 1920 or
21 
article in Journal of Forestry on "Early English Forestry Aegulations".
I 
ran across just the other day in loal County records where Col. Clement Head

back in about 1750 had his earmarks recorded here in the Court Order Book.

If I'm not mistaken, the Bible (Old Testament) mentions cattle brands-or

certainly earmarks for cattle. 
I still have on my mind (and in my files) 
my proposed volume on what I may call "Fables for Foresters.-a collection
of 
mostly "tall tales" of Rangers, of the forest, etc. Did'nt I ever
send you 
my version of the Apache Recon. party and the young forester who was persuaded

(by you and others of that famous party) that he could obtain any kind of
a dog 
he wanted by requisition from theP roperty Asst. at Ogden ? I wrote it up
for 
inclusion in my "Fables"-also "Petk's Indian Fight",
as written by Bert Goaddard, 
also "red Ames' Cougar Fight in Oregon. I have about 40 or so heavy
line 
drawings (to imitate woodcuts) to illustrate the Fables; the drawings are
-the 
best part of the story, I think, made by a clever young artist-draftsman
who 
used to be in the Wash. office. 
Back to Ben Lily; J.Frank DobieTexas, started 
to write the story of Ben Lily's life-before the last ivar-when his assignment

to England delayed it. Both Fred Winn and I sent him all the dope we had
on Ben. 
Here I am in Texas- so I'd better stop. My best to Estella and all the family-

and more power to you on those essays. And ISll follow up with the Brands
as soon 
as I can locate that book.         Yours- 
Lightening: I recall one stkoby night 
K riding 'on top' when the air was so, 
.o charged with electricity that the t*ri 
of Darkie's ears and his mane 
glowed-and when i happned to touch 
his mane with my bare hand, I got 
a distinct shock.