4 POTLATCH TIMBER PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION 



service which is demanded of such lines under the most ad- 

 verse conditions. So far as my personal experience goes I 

 have never seen a better built telephone line in the woods or 

 one that gave better satisfaction at all times. Our lines have 

 never, so far, been out of commission and we have been put 

 to no expense maintaining them. 



The entire system and all equipment cost us $3036.75, in- 

 cluding superintendence and its pro rata of all such overhead 

 expense as chief fire warden's salary, office and miscellaneous 

 expense, depreciation on tools, equipment and horses. Next 

 to our expenditures on trails and in fighting fires I know of 

 no money we spent which is better invested or pays larger 

 dividends, for by the use of these telephone lines we are kept 

 in constant and close communication with the lookouts which 

 command views of most of our territory and with the patrol- 

 men on their beats. 



We need more of these telephone lines. 



CLEARING OUT OLD TRAILS 



On May 25th we put a crew into the field clearing out old 

 trails and during the season cleared out over 194 miles. These 

 are trails which have either been built by us in previous sea- 

 sons or were built by homesteaders and others before we be- 

 gan our protective work and have been utilized by us on ac- 

 count of their advantageous location for our work. 



The maintenance of these trails includes the up-keep of' 

 good, strong bridges across creeks and mud holes, and all 

 such bridges are built to safely carry heavy pack trains. 



Our total expense of the season for clearing out old trails 

 was $1,086.60, including its pro rata of all overhead expense 

 such as chief fire warden's salary, office expense, depreciation, 

 etc. 



BUILDING NEW TRAILS 



We expended $325.43 in building two and one-half miles 

 of new trails during the season. At first this seems a little 

 steep but the country was steep too, and, after using consider- 

 able dynamite, we got an easy grade and a wide, comfortable 

 tread on a trail which is a very important link in our system. 



