NORTHERN FOREST PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION 



659 



tainous. The highest mountains in the 

 north central states are just west of 

 Ontonagon, and the western half of the 

 Peninsula is traversed by ranges of 

 hills, interspersed by very fertile val- 

 leys. The railroads cover the entire 

 territory pretty thoroughly, so that 

 nearly all of it is easily reached. There 

 are few locations more than fifteen 

 miles from a railroad. 



The remaining timber is owned by 

 many interests, but there are large 

 enough holdings to make it possible to 

 patrol great areas of timber belonging 

 almost entirely to our members. In 

 spite of this we patrol a great deal of 

 land not listed with our organization. 

 Our entire membership embraces about 

 two and a half million acres and we 

 cover in addition to that about one 

 and a half million acres, which is 

 interspersed among the holdings of our 

 members. The season of 1911 was 

 favorable to our work, and except for 

 a short period, this season has been. 

 We use from 15 to 20 rangers whose 

 duty it is to cover their allotted districts 

 as often as possible. These men were 

 picked from the woods' foremen 

 previously employed in the districts they 

 now patrol, as far as possible, so that 

 they know their ground. They cover 

 their fields in various ways ; some on 

 foot, some on horses and some on rail- 

 road velocipedes. They write daily re- 

 ports to our Chief Forester, which they 

 mail to him once a week. These reports 

 are very complete, as shown by the fol- 

 lowing : 



"Northern Forest Protective Associa- 

 tion, Iron River District. 

 Iron River, Mich., June 23, 1912. 

 Thos. B. Wyman, Secretary-Forester, 

 Munising, Mich. 



Dear Sir: I hand you herewith full 

 report for the week ending Saturday, 

 June 22. 



Sunday: At Bates and Sunset Lake. 



Monday : Visited camping and fishing 

 places at Hagerman Lake and vicinity. 



Tuesday: On roads and amongst set- 

 tlers on east half of T. 44, R. 34. Called 

 on supervisor of Bates Township. 



Wednesday: Looked after brush 



burning on county road work, between 

 Iron River and Beechvvood. Visited 

 fishing places along Iron River. 



Thursday : Visited campers on south 

 side of Chicagon Lake. Called on set- 

 tlers in and around Pentoga. Visited 

 Gibb's logging camp. 



Friday : Attended a meeting and pic- 

 nic of Iron County Grange at Iron 

 River. 



Saturday : Visited fishing places along 

 Morrison Creek and Paint River in T. 

 44, R. 35. 



Yours very truly, 



Wm. Rigstad, Warden. 



Note to Wardens : — Report daily 

 trips ; streams ; railroads and roads trav- 

 eled ; camps, homesteads and farms 

 visited; calls upon supervisors and 

 other wardens ; people met in the 

 woods; fires, trespasses and general 

 conditions found." 



All fires are reported at once. Hun- 

 dreds of fires are put out each season 

 despite the smallness of our force of 

 rangers. Our work is necessarily to a 

 great extent educational as yet, and I 

 presume always will be. We have plac- 

 arded every road, camping ground and 

 berry picker's hut in the country we 

 patrol, with signs of our own and those 

 issued by the State. 



We were astonished to find that only 

 about two per cent of the settlers in 

 outlying districts had ever read the 

 State fire laws. We furnished them all 

 a copy. Our rangers have called upon 

 every homesteader and settler in their 

 districts, and they have conferred with 

 county, township and village boards in 

 regard to protective measures. Until 

 we took up this private patrol work, few 

 officials would aid in fighting fires. 

 Now, they all will. No difficulty is 

 found in getting what help is needed. 

 The State has made all of our men 

 deputy State fire wardens. They have 

 also included a number of woods super- 

 intendents and foremen at our request. 

 We have had fine support from the 

 local newspapers and in these various 

 ways have become quite a recognized 

 force. Apparently the people believe 



