NORTHERN FOREST PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION 659 



tainous. The highest mountains in the burning on county road work, between 

 north central states are just west of Iron River and Beechwood. Visited 

 Ontonagon, and the western half of the fishing places along Iron River. 

 Peninsula is traversed by ranges of Thursday : Visited campers on south 

 hills, interspersed by very fertile val- side of Chicagon Lake. Called on set- 

 leys. The railroads cover the entire tiers in and around Pentoga. Visited 

 territory pretty thoroughly, so that Gibb's logging camp, 

 nearly all of it is easily reached. There Friday : Attended a meeting and pic- 

 are few locations more than fifteen nic of Iron County Grange at Iron 

 miles from a railroad. River. 



The remaining timber is owned by Saturday : Visited fishing places along 



many interests, but there are large Morrison Creek and Paint River in T. 



enough holdings to make it possible to 44, R. 35. 



patrol great areas of timber belonging Yours very truly, 



almost entirely to our members. In WM. RIGSTAD, Warden. 

 spite of this we patrol a great deal of 



land not listed with our organization. Note to Wardens: Report daily 



Our entire membership embraces about trips ; streams ; railroads and roads trav- 



two and a half million acres and we eled; camps, homesteads and farms 



cover in addition to that about one visited ; calls upon supervisors and 



and a half million acres, which is other wardens ; people met in the 



interspersed among the holdings of our woods ; fires, trespasses and general 



members. The season of 1911 was conditions found." 

 favorable to our work, and except for 



a short period, this season has been. All fires are reported at once. Hun- 



We use from 15 to 20 rangers whose dreds of fires are put out each season 



duty it is to cover their allotted districts despite the smallness of our force of 



as often as possible. These men were rangers. Our work is necessarily to a 



picked from the woods' foremen great extent educational as yet, and I 



previously employed in the districts they presume always will be. We have plac- 



now patrol, as far as possible, so that arded every road, camping ground and 



they know their ground. They cover berry picker's hut in the country we 



their fields in various ways ; some on patrol, with signs of our own and those 



foot, some on horses and some on rail- issued by the State, 



road velocipedes. They write daily re- We were astonished to find that only 



ports to our Chief Forester, which they about two per cent of the settlers in 



mail to him once a week. These reports outlying districts had ever read the 



are very complete, as shown by the fol- State fire laws. We furnished them all 



lowing: a copy. Our rangers have called upon 



every homesteader and settler in their 



"Northern Forest Protective Associa- districts, and they have conferred with 



tion, Iron River District. county, township and village boards in 



Iron River, Mich., June 23, 1912. regard to protective measures. Until 



Thos. B. Wyman, Secretary-Forester, we took up this private patrol work, few 



Munising, Mich. officials would aid in fighting fires. 



Dear Sir: I hand you herewith full Now, they all will. No difficulty is 



report for the week ending Saturday, found in getting what help is needed. 



June 22. The State has made ; ii !' our men 



Sunday: At Bates and Sunset Lake, deputy State fire ward' They have 



Monday: Visited camping and fishing also included a number of woods super- 

 places at Hagerman Lake and vicinity, intendents and foremen at our request. 



Tuesday : On roads and amongst set- We have had fine sujipon from the 



tiers on east half of T. 44, R. 34. Called local newspapers and in these various 



on supervisor of Bates Township. ways have become quite a recognized 



Wednesday: Looked after brush force. Apparently the people believe 



