SHERMAN PEAK
Tulare Coumty - National Forest
May 4, 1923: "Mrs. Jennie E. Abbott, the only woman employed as a lookout in the forest service, will leave for Mount Sherman within a few days, and take up her duties there on June 1st.
Mrs. Abbott has been stationed at Sunday Peak in the Greenhorns for the past few seasons, but this year was assigned to the more remote location.
The woman lookout will watch for forest fires from June until October at the station located in Tulare County where she started her work." (Fresno Bee)
Mrs. Abbott has been stationed at Sunday Peak in the Greenhorns for the past few seasons, but this year was assigned to the more remote location.
The woman lookout will watch for forest fires from June until October at the station located in Tulare County where she started her work." (Fresno Bee)
May 10, 1933: "George McComas, forest service lookout employe, recently suffered an injury to his leg while working on a trail on the river north of here. It is expected the injury will unfit him for work for a few weeks." (The Bakersfield Californian)
June 15, 1933: "Johnnie Osenbaugh of the Mr. and Mrs J. A. Green home, left Tuesday with Ranger McComas for two weeks stay at the Sherman Peak lookout station." (The Bakersfield Californian)
July 26, 1935: "Reports from the high country indicate that George MacComas, fire look-out and old-time man about the mountains, has quit chewing tobacco and has gone to smoking his old pipe. He stated that his reform was due to the fact that he had to launder all his own shirt bosoms in his present state of isolation." (Bakersfield Californian)
October 21, 1935: "Intangible factors, such as George McComas and his consumption of tobacco, aren't recorded in state division of forestry reports that although there were about 1000 more fires in California this year, the loss was smaller than in 1934.
Nevertheless, upper Kern river citizens are wondering whether George didn't have something to do with it. Returned after four months of exile as fire lookout on Sherman peak, he reported he consumed 27 pounds of chewing tobacco, while 7 pounds of smoking tobacco went through his trusty pipe. And, question local friends, what did he do with all the chewing tobacco if he didn't spit on the fires in his district from his lofty perch?
George wouldn't state, but he admitted that he tapered off considerably on his smoking during the summer." (Bakersfield Californian)
June 5, 1936: "George McComas, veteran lookout for the forest service, has gone to Sherman peak to take his stand for the summer. He left Kernville on Sunday morning well stocked with both chewing and smoking tobacco. He recently dropped chewing, but thought he had better take a dozen or so plugs along in case he changed his mind." (Bakersfield Californian)
July 11, 1936: "George McCommas, old timer on the lookout for fires for the U.S. forest service at Sherman peak, recently sent down for a dozen pounds of chewing tobacco to tide him over for a couple of weeks." (Bakersfield Californian)
August 28, 1936: "George McComas sends word from his look-out on Sherman peak that his culinary art is improving with age. He recently served dinner to four mountain visitors who pronounced his fare equal to that of the most prominent hotels. George says the secret of his success as a cook is the long, hard climb to his high look-out which creates appetites for his visitors before they arrive." (Bakersfield Californian)
September 19, 1936: "George McCommas of Kernville, veteran lookout of the United States Forest Service stationed at Sherman peak, sits in his isolated point of vantage and, in addition to scanning the far-rolling Sierra for a hint of smoke or fire, sits and tugs at his whiskers.
This spring he took with him to the high country only a long, drooping mustache which curled slightly toward each other. But during the summer months he found that he must have some hobby which, while not taking him away from his duties, would offer him an interest which would break the monotony of living alone. Fortunately, and without coercion as is the case with those living in proximity to the Bakersfield Whiskerinos, he hit upon the idea of raising a beard.
Throughout his months of isolation he has devoted a great deal of care to his new hobby and has achieved sueprising results--his whiskers almost match his time-worn mustache.
A citizens' committee, arranging for an entry in the Frontier Days parade, recently dispatched a request to Mr. McCommas that he lead their entry and compete for the Whiskerino prize. He magnanimously refused, saying that he was an old-timer at the game of raising facial bristles and did not wish to compete unfairly with city slickers who were primarily interested in fuzz culture.
'The trouble with those fellers is that they drown it all out with all them fancy concoctions called tonics.' He said, 'I just sit here and think and rub my chin once in a while and, outside of that, I leave it alone. That's the only way to get results.' " (Bakersfield Californian)
November 5, 1936: "George McCommas, veteran fire lookout for the United States Forestry Service, recently journeyed to Bakersfield and purchased a second hand Dodge. He states that he has one of the best sets of store teeth in the business, but that he does not wear them because he needs the extra room in his mouth for a real man-sized chew of tobacco." (Bakersfield Californian)