110 EEPOET OF THE No. 3 



resulting in high water and floods on many of the streams. Many of the lumber- 

 men's dams constructed for driving purposes broke away and as a result carried 

 out many of the bridges constructed on the trunk and colonization roads. The 

 freshets had also the effect of washing out newly constructed roads and culverts, 

 which had to be re-constructed at a considerable cost. Heavy rains fell during 

 the early part of May and delayed road construction work considerably. In the 

 latter part of July and fore part of August extensive forest fires swept over parts 

 of the district of Temiskaming, destroying many miles of corduroy road, culverts 

 and small bridges. The re-construction and repairing of these roads, culverts and 

 bridges has materially reduced the mileage of new roads constructed this season. 



Owing to a great number of our best settlers having enlisted, it was difficult 

 to get sufficient labor to carry on the work in certain sections. Labor and supplies 

 were also higher than in j^revious years and for this reason several roads which 

 it was the intention of the Department to construct, have not yet been touched. 

 Good progress, however, was made during the dry season and first-class results 

 obtained from the amount expended. 



Operations were carried on over practically the same territory as in. previous 

 years, — from near Petawawa in the east to Kenora in the west; in the Eainy river 

 v^alley; along the Sault Ste. Marie branch of the Canadian Pacific railway from 

 Sudbury west; along the Canadian Pacific railway from Sudbury east; in the Port 

 Arthur and Port William districts; in the Wabigoon district between Dryden and 

 the Transcontinental railway; along the Canadian Pacific railway between North 

 Bay and, Sudbury; south along the Grand Trunk railway as far as South River; in 

 the Algonquin Provincial park; along the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario 

 railway and the Transcontinental railway as far west as Hearst; and in all the 

 differeiit mining sections. 



Settlers or residents of a district only were employed, except in the construction 

 of ditches or on rock work. The largest number of men employed was during the 

 months of July, August and September, when the average number employed at 

 day's labor was 2,300, and on contract work about 500, or about 2,800 in all. 



During the season up to the 31st of October, the sum of $513,533.75 was 

 expended in the construction of roads and bridges, in the clearing of farm lands 

 on both sides of the Grand Trunk Pacific railway east and west of the Kapuskasing 

 river, and the construction of store-houses at the headquarters at Cochrane and 

 Matheson, destroyed in the fires of July last; $10,125.53 was expended in the 

 clearing and operation of farm and garden plots, and the purchase of thorough-bred 

 stock; $24,916.63 was expended in supplying seed oats, potatoes and grass seed to 

 1,097 settlers; $6,630.00 was expended in the purchase of grass seed to be 

 distributed amongst settlers who were burned out in the country between New 

 Liskeard and Cochrane, on »the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario railway, and 

 between Cochrane and Hearst, on the Grand Trunk Pacific railway. Of this 

 amount 25,819 pounds have already been distributed to 414 settlers, the balance to 

 be distributed early this spring The distribution of this grass seed will be of very 

 great benefit to the settlers; much of the land burned over last July and August 

 was left almost ready for the plow. The seeding of this down in grass seed will 

 give to the settlers in the future an abundance of pasture lands and a supply of 

 hay and clover for their stock. 



Approximately 500 miles of road, new and old, was worked over during the 

 season, of which 180 miles is entirely new road, the balance being roads cut out in 

 previous years, or roads re-graded and surfaced and old roads partially improved; 

 18 miles of road was re-surfaced with stone and 83 miles with gravel; 50 bridges. 



