1912-13 DEPAETMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 89 



Bearing trees or posts we very rarely found, except where we ran to mining 

 locations, where they could usually be found. In this country the greater part of 

 which has been lumbered over, and frequently burnt over, there were sometimes 

 stumps standing which would seem to indicate the position of the bearing trees, 

 but there was no means of identifying them, the tops being gone and the blaze. It 

 seems that if in addition to marking " B.T." on a tree in the usual way, some 

 means of marking the tree lower down could be adopted, such as cutting three "V" 

 marks on the upper part of the root beneath it, it would be very useful evidence 

 when the " B.T." was gone, even if it were not given the same standing. 



There is much good land in the two townships, particularly in Crooks. The 

 country covered in Blake is very broken, and in many places it will be impossible to 

 lay out roads along lot lines. The land will oftentimes rise steadily for possibly 

 a mile and then drop almost sheer for from one to two hundred feet, but the land 

 at top and bottom may be equally good. 



There is not much large standing limber, but a great deal of old burnt pine 

 stumps standing, making cutting very heavy in parts. In Blake there is some very 

 fair pine scattered through, while in Crooks in addition to a little pine, there is, 

 south of the Cloud River, quite a little pulpwood. 



Every effort was made to plant the posts firmly in the ground, an old axe being 

 carried for the purpose of cuting into the frost, but where the ground was stony, 

 this was not very satisfactory, and I would suggest that you allow me to send two 

 men over the lines as soon as the frost is out, to reset them. I would furthermore 

 suggest the desirability of planting iron posts alongside the wooden ones on at least 

 one line through these townships. 



As all available teams had been hired at a premium by the Superior Brick Co., 

 whose plant is now under construction at Rosslyn, it was costly to hire teams, and 

 oftentimes almost imposible to get them at all. This caused me to move camp as 

 little as possible, involving very long walks in difficult country, so that in the 

 middle of winter it was necessary to leave camp before daylight, and often return 

 after dark in order to accomplish anything. This was hard on the party, and with 

 the comparative closeness of the railway, and the high wages being paid by the 

 pulpwood camps in the vicinity, made it very difficult to hold the party together. 

 Only the hiring of the best cook obtainaible and putting on the best possible board 

 held some of the men. My instructions were to hire the settlers as far as possible, 

 but apart from my first trip into Crooks, all settlers willing to work were already 

 engaged. 



As instructed, I have not prepared any regular field notes or plans of the town- 

 ships, but send herewith an outline plan showing the lines run. 



I also beg to enclose accounts and vouchers in triplicate, and pay-list, in all 

 amounting to $3,630.80, of which I have already received $2,000.00 on account. 



I would also request that some allowance be made for camp equipment. I 

 spent $175 in this way, and when the work was done it was of comparatively little 

 value. For instance, I spent $57.80 on tents but allowing for the cost of necessary 

 repairs, they are probably not worth more than $20. I spent $75 on hardware, 

 stoves and snow shoes, the latter are good for a lot of wear yet, but the heating 

 stoves had to be renewed in the middle of the season, and the new ones were hardly 

 worth bringing in on the completion of the work, and the other hardware was of 

 little value. I bought $42 worth of blankets to supplement the supply of the men. 



