184 BITLLETIN 711, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



is difficult to sell at the conclusion of a logging operation. Of course, 

 if the road is ultimately to become a common carrier, the former 

 "svould be desirable. Should a right of way be refused, a line can 

 be forced across foreign holdings by condemnation proceedings and 

 the payment of just compensation to the owner, the operator, how- 

 eA'er, forfeiting certain rights. For example, a logging operator 

 acquiring a right of way by condemnation proceedings must agree to 

 carry over such road any of the timber or other forest products of 

 the lands through which such right of way passes, upon payment of a 

 reasonable consideration, and failure to do so results in a forfeiture 

 of the right of way. 



CLEARING THE EIGHT OF WAY. 



Before starting the grading of the right of way, it is necessary to 

 cut and remove the standing timber, brush, and stumps which will 

 interfere with the roadbed. This work is done by both contract and 

 day labor. The right of way varies in width, seldom being wider 

 than 50 feet. It is not possible to speak confidently of the cost of 

 this work, since operators, as a rule, do not classify their accounts 

 in such a way as to make it possible to secure data that are at all 

 satisfactory. The average cost should not exceed $500 per mile, 

 where the stumps are blasted and the timber is dragged from the 

 road with a logging engine. The following piecemeal data will 

 serve to indicate the method of performing this work, also what the 

 total cost consists of. 



(a) In one case the cost of bucking the down timber on a mile of 

 right of way ahead of the f allers amounted to $55, 



(h) The labor cost of felling the timber (13 trees) on 400 feet of 

 right of way amounted to $3.75. One of the fallers was paid $4 per 

 day, the other $3.50. The diameters of the trees were as follows : 



Number of trees (hemlock) : in inches. 



2 16 



2 17 



1 18 



1 - 20 



2 24 



1 28 



2 30 



1 32 



1 60 



(c) The cost of blowing 24 stumps on 600 feet of right of way 

 amounted to $40, as follows : 



b boxes of powder, at $0.11 per pound $27. .50 



1 man. at $3.50 per day_J 3. 50 



4 men, at $2.25 per day 9. 00 



Total 40. 00 



