74 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



nearer peak, which, unless ray aneroid served me a trick, is 

 nearly 1,300 feet above the ponds, the old works were still 

 found, coming slantingly up the steep ground to near the top 

 of the mountain, as far, in fact, as any lumber had ever 

 grown. Looking the country over from the top of a tree, an 

 east course was next set, which carried me across the Katah- 

 din Iron Works' tote road (the old highway of supplies for 

 Chesuncook and Chamberlain before rail was laid to Green- 

 ville) and through to the shore of Trout pond.* Thence a 

 turn north and another west took me back at night to my 

 pleasant boardino; place at Mr. Stirling's farm. All the way 

 it was the same. Up on the mountains and everywhere else 

 the crews had been sent, and their cutting was systematic and 

 hard. Bunches of loff trees were few and small. Covered 

 originally with rather a heavy and even stand of timber, the 

 400 cubic feet remaining in all sizes could hardly have been 

 more than a quarter of the spruce that was originally on the 

 land. 



So in that portion of the tract lying north of the river and 

 pond. Two days travel were put in here, and the larger part 

 of it found to be in about the same condition. The best of 

 supervision had plainly been employed. The men who cut 

 the land owned it, and the lumber they wanted for the supply 

 of their own mills. 



fitimi^age""' <^i*e!it was the contrast seen on I, R. XIII. Who 

 permit. ^y^^ owuei's of this towuship are I do not know. 



* One of the largest forest fires of 1S95 occurred in this region, and a record of 

 the circunistances attending it may be of some interest and value. The writer 

 ■was on a portion of the burn August 26th, and roughly mapped its western por- 

 tion. The fire was still smouldering, even after frequent and heavy rains. The 

 following facts are learned from Mr. F. H. Stirling, who lives on the shore of 

 -second Roach pond, within a few miles of the burnt area. The fire started June 

 13th in old burnt land between Trout pond and thii-d Roach pond, being set, in 

 all probability, by lightning. It ran swiftly that day but the next was checked 

 by a heavy rain and could then and for some time after have been handled by a 

 crew of men. Mr. Stirling notified the owners of the land in which the fire started, 

 also the nearest fire warden. Neither, and no one else, paid any attention to the 

 matter. Mr. Stirling, with his two hired men, saved the supplies stored in a camp 

 that was burnt, and spent some little time trying to prevent other damage. Up 

 to the (late wh(;n he was seen he had received nothing from any source for his 

 labor and time. The burnt area, so far as it was overlooked by the writer, was 

 thought to be at least 10,000 acres. The rains of late summer put the fire out. 



