518 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. And have you consulted him with reference to those trespasses ? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. And seen him frequently in regard to trespasses that he had 

 reported to the office ? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. When they stated you wanted to see him I suppose it was in 

 reference to these trespasses; give us the explanation of those letters? 



A. The explanation is he was .wanting to exchange lands on parti- 

 tion lands, for instance, that was a great scheme to partition the lands 

 that he and his father owned jointly with the State, continually talking 

 about that; there are differerit propositions now before the forest 

 commission; he came to the office a great deal and they were annoyed 

 by it, and the forest commission a year and a half ago or two years 

 told me to talk with him and if I could get any reasonably fair propo- 

 sition from him for the division of those lands to submit it to the 

 forest commission and they would act on it, and I was anxious to do 

 it; allow me to tell another reason; land owned jointly with the State 

 is very disagreeable property for the reason a joint-owner can go on 

 and cut that timber and you can't make it a trespass, all you can sue 

 him for is an accounting; you can't sue him for penalties; in suing 

 for the value of the timber they have the best of us, they know what it 

 costs to cut it and what it costs to put it in the stream and get it out 

 and they will use up the whole value. 



Q. (Chairman Evan.) Do you get enough to pay the lawyers ? 



A. Always. 



Q. You talked with him in regard to those matters of which you 

 have been speaking ? 



A. Yes, over and over again. 



Q. Eepeatedly ask him to submit propositions in regard to it ? 



A. Trying to talk any proposition that would seem a reasonable 

 offer; he submitted a number of propositions ? 



Q. One of those propositions he wanted 7,000 acres of virgin timber 

 for about 5,000 acres of denuded land ? 



A. That was about the proportion; there were more acres of 

 primeval forest than land he offered; he never submitted anything 

 like a fair proposition. 



Mr. Adams. — I object to taking that; the witness arguing this matter. 



Q. And each of the propositions that were submitted by him, did 

 you submit them to the forest commission ? 



A. Oh, no; he made me dozens of propositions. 



Q. Any written propositions ? 



