1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



29 



blown away by the wind, leaving 

 nothing but blackened, broken stones. 

 Under such conditions any natural re- 

 foresting is, of course, impossible, 

 there being no soil in which seeds could 

 germinate. 



The principal causes of fires in this 

 locality are three in number : 



(1) Those caused by sparks from 

 locomotives, there being two railroad 

 lines on the mountain. 



(2) Negligent fires, caused by hunt- 

 ers and campers, who throw away 

 lighted cigars and ashes from pipes, 

 and leave camp fires unprotected. 



(3) Incendiary fires. These have 

 hitherto been the most serious, and 

 were mostly started by berry-pickers 

 who depend to a great extent for a 

 livelihood on picking the huckleberries 

 which grow in large quantities on this 

 mountain. As is well known, these 

 bushes do not bear well after they are 

 three or four years old, and, to en- 

 courage the younger growth, the old 

 bushes are burned off. These people 

 never concern themselves about the 

 damage done to other property, their 

 only thought being the conservation of 

 the berry crop. Consequently, such 

 fires have often extended over thous- 

 ands of acres of land, destroying much 

 property. 



With the view of preventing and ef- 

 fectually fighting fires, in the fall of 

 1902 the owners of upwards of one 

 hundred thousand acres formed what 

 is known as the Pocono Protective 

 Fire Association, a regularly chartered 

 organization. Under the provisions' 

 of the law, which provides for the ap- 

 pointment of deputy constables by the 

 court upon the application of a certain 

 number of citizens, they secured the 

 appointment of deputy constables in 

 each of the seven townships in which 

 the association operates. These men 

 have all the powers of fire wardens, 

 with authority to call on any men in 

 the community to assist in fighting 

 fires. The fact that these men are ap- 

 pointed by the court, and are, there- 

 fore, not dependent upon the votes of 

 their fellow-citizens for their election, 



makes them independent in their ac- 

 tions, and they are of much more ser- 

 vice to the association than the regu- 

 larly elected constables. They are 

 paid $10 per month for the three 

 months in the year in which there is 

 the greatest danger from fire, viz: 

 April and May in the spring, and Oc- 

 tober in the fall. Of course, they are 

 expected to be watchful at all other 

 times, and to extinguish any fires 

 which may occur. In two or three 

 cases large land owners have gratui- 

 tously given the services of their em- 

 ployees who have been appointed dep- 

 uty constables. The association also 

 makes itself responsible for the pay- 

 ment of the men who may be called 

 out by their wardens to fight fires, in- 

 stead of making them look to the coun- 

 ty commissioners for compensation, 

 which otherwise would be necessary. 

 The promptness with which these 

 claims are paid makes men much more 

 willing to leave their work and re- 

 spond to calls for aid. 



Immediately upon organization, the 

 association offered a reward, first of 

 $50, and then $100, for information 

 leading to the arrest and conviction of 

 any persons starting fires, or for such 

 information as could be used as evi- 

 dence against the railroad companies. 

 Publicity was given to these rewards 

 by standing notices in the newspapers 

 circulating through the district, and by 

 muslin signs tacked on trees along the 

 road and in conspicuous places in the 

 woods. In addition, the association, 

 through its attorney, notified owners 

 of timber lands which were being 

 cleared that they would be held respon- 

 sible for any damage caused by fires 

 which might occur in tree tops or other 

 rubbish on their operations and spread 

 to adjoining lands. Fortunately, there 

 has been no occasion to make this 

 threat good. 



The expenses are met by an annual 

 assessment of six mills per acre of land 

 owned by the members. The officers 

 receive no pay, the money being used 

 for the payment of legal expenses in 

 securing appointments, paying the 



