596 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



gines have been followed by prompt 

 arrest and conviction. The Washing- 

 ton Forest Fire Association has 90 

 patrolmen out and is devoting special 

 attention to finding and extinguishing 

 any fire left after spring slash burn- 

 ing. The State Forester has 27 regular 

 wardens on duty and is increasing this 

 force gradually, besides having a spe- 

 cial force of 35 secured by govern- 

 ment aid under the Weeks law. 



Oregon had but one fire worthy of 

 mention in July and this was speedily 

 extinguished, without loss, by the 

 Columbia County patrol association. 

 About 350 wardens are on duty in the 

 State outside the national forests, em- 

 ployed by State, counties and private 

 owners. 



Although the usual fire season is half 

 over, Congress has made no appropri- 

 ation for the federal forest service. 

 The national forests are being guarded 

 on a deficiency fund, which it is said 

 would be wholly inadequate in an or- 

 dinary season, but so far there has 

 been little loss. 



It is emphasized by all authorities 

 that, while the immunity enjoyed so 

 far shortens the dangerous season and 

 has permitted careful preparation, a 

 few hot drying days may bring the 

 maximum hazard at any time now. All 

 persons are urged not to attempt slash 

 burning and to exercise great care with 

 sparks, matches and camp fires. 



EARLY LUMBERING 



GHE early experiences of an old 

 lumberman are told by John 

 Swan, of Clay, W. Va, in a letter 

 to the editor, in which he contrasts the 

 past with present conditions. He says : 

 "I was born in Clearfield County, 

 Penna., December 4, 1845, and my 

 father was a lumberman. I followed 

 his foot steps. Father's first experience 

 was making square timber from the 

 white pine forest in the old home 

 county, which was covered with the 

 finest trees that man ever looked at. 

 Father made his timber 30 to 50 feet 

 long and they were almost perfect. 

 When he came to the knot he cut it 

 off, and what a waste there was left tc? 

 rot and make food for the forests' 

 great enemy, fire. Father hauled his 

 product to the Susquehana river, rafted 

 it to Port Deposit. There it was made 

 in to floats and taken to Philadelphia 

 and New York through the canals, and 

 was sold for 6 to 8 cents per cubic foot. 

 Then the men who helped do the work 

 walked back to their forest homes, 200 

 to 300 and more miles. When I was a 

 man the same process was gone over 

 with this addition: we ran the lengths 

 from 30 to 90 feet long and hauled to 

 the same beautiful Susquehana river 

 only the distance was from four to 

 eight miles and we received anywhere 



from 15 to 35 cents per cubic foot. We 

 then got into a train and rode to within 

 eight to ten miles of our homes. 



The mighty giants are all gone now 

 and when I pay a visit to the old home 

 I find the beautiful forest destroyed 

 fire havng eaten up what man left. 



In my more mature manhood I made 

 spars and we put 20 of these into a 

 raft. These spars were from 82 to 100 

 feet long, 17 inches up at the top. The 

 butts were dressed down to the same 

 size, 12 feet from the butt. We often 

 sold each stick for as high as $150 to 

 $175. I remember one stick in particu- 

 lar that was 100 feet long, 22 inches 

 at the top, straight any way you looked 

 at it. This tree or spar brought $500 

 in the New York market. 



Alas, these are all gone from that 

 grand forest of years ago. There is 

 such a small area of virgin forest left 

 in the Eastern, Middle and Southern 

 States that in a very few years there 

 will be none left to look upon. I was 

 very glad to see a law that made it 

 possible for the Government to secure 

 a large area and preserve the beautiful 

 trees. I would be glad to help care for 

 some of the lands, as there is nothing 

 so beautiful to me as an undisturbed 

 forest. 



