FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. I33 



was short of help. Must I get the number of acres and the timber land burned 

 over ? If so, it will take me a month to do it. Will report again as soon as I 

 feel it is safe to call all the men off. 



Mr. William W. Cheney, Caldwell, Warren County. — The grade from Lake 

 George south to near the point of this fire is very heavy. There is also quite a 

 heavy grade from the south to near this same point, and when trains pass 

 up these grades a large number of live coals are thrown out from the smokestacks 

 of the engines. 



Mr. Miles Frost, Thurman, Warren County. — I would have written you before 

 now, but since the death of our firewarden, Mr. W. J. Fuller, I have been trying to 

 ascertain whom we could appoint in his place. I think we had better appoint one 

 Henry Combs. He is a young man and has always lived here. I think it is 

 best for me to see the deputy wardens in Districts Nos. 2 and 3 this spring and have 

 a talk with them, as they are young men and I would like to consult with them. 

 The firebugs you speak of are now in jail. A boy caught them setting a fire, and 

 there was a bill found against both of them, the leader on two indictments — 

 one for shooting at the boy who caught him, and the other for setting a fire. 

 These fellows have set a great many fires in our town. 



Mr. E. H. Sturtevant, Fort Ann, Washington County. — Mr. Charles De Golver, 

 a justice of the peace, was called on by the owner of Lot 24 at one o'clock 

 Wednesday night. He got the men out early the next morning and did a good job, 

 for the people were frightened almost out of their wits on account of the drought, 

 heat, smoke and desperate fires. These men say that they had rather lose their pay 

 than have to lose a day and travel thirty miles to get their bills sworn to. They 

 are the best lot of men I ever saw to climb mountains and fight fires. But some of 

 them say they will answer no more calls to fight fire. They are all poor men and 

 cannot afford to lose their time and have so much trouble to get their pay. The 

 deputy wardens claim they cannot get help for the price, which is one dollar per 

 day, as fixed by the town board. 



Mr. Robert Steves, Whitehall, Washington County. — At the commencement 

 of the fire we had hard work to get men to fight it, as the town board had 

 voted to pay only one dollar per day. Later, when the supervisors instructed 

 me to pay a fair price for the work, the fire had gained such headway that the 

 district warden had difficulty to manage it even with a large gang of men. When 

 the fire reached the village limits the hose company was called upon by those 

 endangered, and I would like to have you instruct me who will settle the claim. 



Mr. John D. Graham, Putnam Station, Washington County. — I wish you would 

 call the attention of the officials of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company 

 to the danger of fires which are being set by their locomotives nearly every day in 

 this town, and to the fact of the insufficient work being done by their trackmen 

 in putting fires out when they do occur. 



