Tho heliographs played a part in almost every f iro 

 that occurred on tho California this season and. came inta 

 good uso for administrative messages. Each man was required 

 to rooord tho substance of every official message on a 

 blank holiogranu Toward tho ond ef tho season tho man were 

 able to sond messages at about tho rato of feur words a 

 minuto or an average message in about five minutes^ 



By actual demonstration I found that tho holo- 

 graph worlied o-oollontly at a distance of 41 miles 



Tho heliograph has its disadvantages, ^s everyone 

 knows, it cc-nnot bo oporatod unless the oun is shining. 

 During the ordinary fire sees on such days would form a very 

 small percentage. 



I have hoard the opinion orrprossod that the helio- 

 C.Tp!Ii is an oscollont substitute for the telephone and that 

 it is possible to malio it replace the telephone* I cennot 

 "boliovo that cuch will ovor como tt pass. Eor/ovor, it has 

 a distinct fiold of its own which tho telephone will nover 

 fill and furthermore, it can ho used to groat advantage 

 prior to tho timo when wo will have sufficient money t 

 construct standard telephone linos. Uert year I cm in 

 hopos of placing an instrument with ovory patrol man BO 



that at all times they will bo able to co-mmunica^ with 



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