60 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



force of 750 men and organize another, an entirely different one of new- 

 men, carefully and personally selecting them from within such a large 

 wooded area; to build many miles of telephone line up steep mountain sides, 

 over rough places and through the woods with these men ; to establish and 

 build nine observation stations on the tops of as many mountains, connect 

 them up and equip them with new-made maps, range finders and all neces- 

 sary things; to organize the whole force and give them proper instruction; 

 to prepare payroll, report and other blanks and distribute them to all these 

 men and to 281 supervisors; to meet the supervisors and endeavor to have 

 them become familiar with the law and procedure under it, and do it all 

 in forty days, taxed the whole executive force of the department to the 

 utmost; yet it was done, and over 250 fires fought and extinguished so 

 quickly that few, if any of them, attracted public notice. 



The results and expense up to and including November 5th have been 

 tabulated and are hereinbefore set forth in this report. The whole of it, 

 the work, the scheme itself and the results, we feel are worthy of the atten- 

 tion and support of the public and the Legislature. 



When the order of the Public Service Commission directing that all 

 engines used on railroads running through the forests of the State be equipped 

 for and burn oil for fuel is compiled with, and all lumber operations 

 are thoroughly done in relation to top-lopping, as provided by law, our 

 forests will be much safer from fire than they ever have been. It is fair 

 to say that the railroad companies, with a few notable exceptions, patrolled 

 their rights of way during the summer w r ell and fairly cleaned the rights 

 of way of grass, briars and brush. It was so much better done than ever 

 heretofore that it is very encouraging. The order of the Public Service 

 Commission in relation to fuel, we feel, should be rigidly enforced and 

 should finally apply to engines used nights as well as days. We believe, 

 taking into consideration the companies' liability for damages for property 

 destroyed, it will be much cheaper for them in the long run and much safer 

 for our forests. 



Another cause of fires from which great destruction has followed comes 

 from the carelessness of campers, hunters and berry-pickers. What legis- 

 lation can be had other than that which we now have fixing severe penalties 

 for carelessly or willfully setting or causing forest fires is a question. Gen- 



