The line extending from Northome to Snooks Spur, in the 

 process of construction, will connect with several farmers' 

 lines. It will open up the Red lake country as far south as 

 Bemidji. It is planned to build telephone lines along the 

 fire-breaks to be constructed in Koochiching county. These 

 will help to form a network throughout the entire central 

 portion of that county. 



It is interesting to note that the federal government is 

 making experiments with wireless telegraphy in some of the 

 forests of the West. With the perfecting of the wireless, it 

 is likely that before long forest rangers in Minnesota will be 

 able to go up into a lookout tower and send messages calling 

 for aid. 



No lookout towers are being constructed this year. The 

 reason is simple. It is more necessary to spend the time in 

 other work because enough towers have been built for the 

 present. There are more than 100 towers in operation now. 

 Some of them are constructed with steel, others of timber, 

 others of stone. 



Canoe Routes Mapped Out. 



A great deal of portage work is being done. The portages 

 are cut primarily so that the forest rangers can get from 

 lake to lake with ease. It is part of the work of preparation. 

 But these portages, as in the case of the trails, are a boon to 

 the canoeists who go into the North country for their vaca- 

 tions. The trails and portages are being marked, canoe routes 

 have been mapped out, and the forest service has in every 

 way possible, shown itself ready to co-operate with the men 

 who are answering the "call" of the Red Gods. 



Fires have been somewhat numerous during the past three 

 or four months. In April, May and June, a large number of 

 fires were placed under control. Large crews, sometimes as 

 high as 100 men, have been engaged in the work of fighting 

 fires. 



The forest service believes in "being prepared." 



The imports of matches .into China greatly exceed in value any 

 other wood product. Most of the matches come in from Japan. 



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