FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 335 



and making very little smoke. It was not over five rods from the brook; but the man 

 worked four days in carrying water and digging before he could put it entirely out. So 

 you can see how stubborn a fire is when it once gets a good hold in the dry muck. This 

 was a very lucky find, for if it had ever got a-going it would have been the worst fire here. 

 I am thankful it did not get started. 



September 17, 1899. Number of acres burned, 120; part in the town of Long Lake and 

 part in the town of Indian Lake; on Townships 35 and 34. It was caused, without doubt, 

 by lightning. This fire was seen by the man on the Brown Carry four or five night before 

 it was reported. It then looked like a lamp light in the night, and ?.s there was no smoke 

 observed in the daytime, the men supposed it was a camping party. On August 28th it 

 was reported to J. G. Thompson, the superintendent of the steamboat line, who imme- 

 diately sent men there to investigate it. They found at that time that it had just com- 

 menced spreading and had burned only a few rods along the trail leading to the Sargent 

 ponds. It was reported to me Monday night, and on Tuesday I had a gang of men work- 

 ing at it. The dry weather and heavy winds were against us; but we had it under control 

 in a few days. I left some men there on watch until September 23d. This fire killed 

 everything in its course; but a large portion of the land was nothing but bushes, the 

 ground having been burned over before. 



Mr. David E. Call, town of Lake Pleasant, Hamilton county, N. Y. : 



August 6, 1899. A small fire of two acres, on Township 9, Totten & Crossfield's 

 Purchase, which we extinguished by ditching, chopping and carrying water. Ordered out 

 eight men. The fire was probably caused by a hunting party. It was on the shore of a 

 small lake called Upper Pine lake, about one and a half miles east of the fire described in 

 paper marked B. On August 9th I was called away from home on business; but before 

 leaving I arranged with Mr. O. S. Griffing, a justice of the peace in this town, to look after 

 the fires then burning and any new ones that might occur during my absence. Mr. Grif- 

 fing, together with the supervisor of the town, Mr. Edgar Call, attended to them until I 

 returned. The fire on August 16th, on Lot 120, Oxbow Tract, and 158, Moose River Tract, 

 did not injure any timber, as the land had been burned over before, and was covered 

 mostly with brier patches and small brush. 



August 20, 1899. Number of acres, 125; loss on timber, $175. Thirty men were 

 ordered out, who worked in all 148 days. This fire was caused by a party of campers who 

 left their camp fire burning. It ran over ground that had been previously burned to a 

 large extent, mostly on Lot 20, Oxbow Tract. Most of the timber destroyed was on Lot 158 

 Moose River Tract, and Lot 7, Jones' Gore. The large amount of labor performed at this 

 fire was necessary, in order to keep it from running, more particularly in an easterly direc- 

 tion, where it would have reached the village of Lake Pleasant. The hotels and summer 

 residences at that place would have been in great danger if it ran over the next mountain. 



September 6, 1899. Discovered a fire up the Kunjamuck valley; took six men, tools 

 and provisions, and immediately started to locate it and put it out. We found it on the 

 west end of Pine mountain, in an almost inaccessible place, burning very fiercely, trees 

 and loose boulders constantly falling. We could do nothing until it had burned down the 

 hill to the hardwood timber, where a trench was dug. 



