FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 97 



Of the ninety-eight fires reported in 1898, the causes, so far as stated, were as 

 follows : 



From clearing land - 18 



From railroad locomotives --------- 16 



From fishermen ----------- 3 



From hunters ----------- 3 



From incendiaries ---------- 3 



From railroad section men --------- 1 



The cause in the remainder of the cases was reported as "' unknown." Three- 

 fourths of them were probably due to carelessness in burning fallows which adjoined 

 some piece of woods. 



The failure of the_ firewardens, in so many of their reports, to state the cause of 

 the fire was evidently due to their reluctance to inform on their neighbors. Too 

 often these officials did not want to ascertain the cause. I have already discussed 

 in a special report the necessity for the appointment of some chief firewarden who, 

 in the course of his duties, would follow up each fire, ascertain the cause, and insti- 

 tute prosecutions for each violation of the fire law. 



Although the firewardens receive no salary — being paid only for their actual 

 time while at a fire — they have as a whole displayed commendable activity and zeal 

 in the discharge of their duties. Some of them were particularly active in enforcing 

 the law prohibiting fallow fires in certain specified months, and successfully prose- 

 cuted several parties who were guilty of a violation of this clause in the forestry 

 law. Of the firewardens entitled to favorable mention in this report, special credit 

 is due to Mr. H. B. Linstruth, of the town of Croghan, Lewis county, and Mr. 

 Willard Marsh, of Big Indian, Ulster county. 



The Fish and Game Protectors, also, rendered good service in the prosecution 

 and punishment of persons who were guilty of carelessness in burning brush or leav- 

 ing camp fires unattended. Protectors D. H. McKinnon of Delaware county, F. S. 

 Beede of Essex and G. W. Earl of Lewis, are particularly deserving of credit for 

 their activity in prosecuting and convicting parties who were guilty of criminal 

 neglect in the use of fires. 



The fires referred to in the foregoing paragraphs occurred in 1898. Fuller 

 details, with the usual tabulation of dates, localities, damages and causes, will appear 

 in the supplementary report for that year, which is now in the hands of the printer. 



The season just passed, that of 1899, was marked by the largest number of fires 

 that have occurred at any one time during a long term of years. Hitherto, forest 

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