FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 1 3 1 



all the men we can get, and the most of them are poor men, with families, who 

 must have their pay as fast as they can earn it. I have to find some man that 

 will buy their account so they can have their money to live on. Any help you can 

 give me at this time will be greatly appreciated. 



Mr. Stephen Waldron, Chase's Lake, Lewis County. — In reply to your tele- 

 gram I beg to say that I am at work, with about eighty men, and am doing all 

 that can be done. The supervisor and members of the town board are also 

 at work with me. 



Mr. John A. Leyndecker, Croghan, Lewis County. — Mr. Hecker has shown me 

 the telegram you sent him in regard to the fire. Miller and Parsons have not sent 

 me any help as yet, but I have sent some men across the Herkimer County 

 line to fight the fire in Watson's East Triangle. The fire here burns through the 

 mucky land from twelve to fifteen inches deep, and therefore we have to dig 

 trenches for miles on both sides of it. We are digging them three feet wide, 

 and have thus far done fine work since your telegram to Mr. Hecker. 



Mr. G. V. Norton, Chase's Lake, Lewis County. — Fires will sweep the forests 

 if the towns will not pay men honest wages in the future. Men will not work 

 without pay. All they paid men for labor in our towns was one dollar and fifty 

 cents per day, and a man must board himself at that price. Kindly write me what 

 to do about the board bill, as I have waited all summer now. 



Mr. Warner Yeomans, Porestport, Oneida County. — This was a hard fire to 

 extinguish because it was burning in the muck. When it was apparently all out, 

 and no smoke could be seen, a high wind would fan it into life and cause it to 

 break out again. Please send me two dozen blank reports as soon as possible. 

 I have been very busy driving from one fire to another organizing squads of men. 

 The fires have been in different parts of the town at once; when I would go to 

 one fire I could see another one in a different direction. I would organize squads 

 to fight one fire and then start for another. All of my district wardens were 

 just as busy. I cannot report exactly the number of days each warden and his 

 men served at each separate fire, as they were on from two to four different ones 

 the same day, and back and forth. Will get it as near as I can and will give 

 you the accurate amount. This has been a very lively time in this town. Each 

 warden and myself have done our best to quench and prevent fires. 



Mr. R. R. Prichard, Remsen, Oneida County. — -In answer to your telegram 

 and the complaint that was made to you that I neglected to do my duty as fire- 

 warden in this town, I will say that I have done everything that could be done 

 to stop the fire, and it was done in good shape. I had men out working at all 



points where there was danger. I went myself with five men to work at 



place and got the fire under control. But Mr. had seven or eight men 



working on his barn and he, by spells, put them to work in the woods to put out 



