338 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



September 25, 1899. Firewarden Richard writes as follows: Inclosed find account for 

 services in fighting fire, by order of Col. W. F. Fox, Superintendent of Forests. The item 

 of expense may not seem correct, as the law allows a firewarden $2.50 a day and the 

 laborers $2.00 per day. But I had to get a team and drive ten miles to the first fire, which 

 we fought and got under control. We then heard there was a large fire farther on towards 

 Forestport. I sent three men home and then drove there, where I found that the super- 

 visor, Ed. Curran, had it under control, or nearly so. There was no firewarden there, and 

 so we kept men out on watch all night, so as not to have anybody start one somewhere 

 else in the vicinity. It seems to me that the expense ought to be allowed, as we made no 

 charge for the team from there, but went and put out the fire on Lot 12, Remsenburg 

 patent, which I think was purposely set on fire, as the flames started up in two places along 

 an old wagon road at about the same time when I came along. 



It was very lucky that I was over there, as it occurred in the forest where the pulpwood 

 had been cut, leaving an immense amount of tops and brush. Part of this lot is State 



land, but the fire was on the part claimed by Gideon Farr. I really think that — 



set it on fire but cannot prove it. I drove to his place and called for him, but he was out 

 picking berries. Shortly after he came in, and then in less than half an hour I saw the 

 smoke in the direction he came from, about half a mile away. I had just come from there, 

 and on returning found two fires had been started along the road. We have been very- 

 fortunate in our town, Wilmurt, as so much land here has been cut over recently that 

 a fire would burn rapidly. I put out several before they got fairly started. 



Henry B. Linstruth, town of Croghan, Lewis county, N. Y. : 



May 7, 1899. Number of acres, ten ; loss in timber, nothing. Location, Great Lot .5, 

 Range n, Macomb's Purchase. Ordered out twenty-two men, who worked one day each. 

 I think this fire was started by fishermen at Twin pond. Some of the standing timber was 

 partially damaged, but the owner of the lot, Joseph Farney, said that he was going to cut 

 the same for pulpwood and sawlogs as soon as the fire was checked. I left two men on 

 watch, and on the 13th they reported to me that the fire was all extinguished. 



Tuly 10, 1899. Number of acres, 800 ; loss in standing timber, $800 ; in addition, fifty 

 cords of stove wood were burned. One hundred days labor expended in fighting these 

 fires, which were caused by farmers who were burning brush on their own lands. Adolph 

 Pate and Isadore Pate came into court and paid their fine of $50 each. Charles Fritsch 

 and Toseph Pitzoldt plead guilty to the charge of carelessness in the use of fire, and will 

 pay their fines in a few days. As soon as they are paid I will forward the money. 



August 1, 1899. Christian Yansey of this town reports that the fire at Jerdan Falls, 

 August 1st, which burned over 750 acres, and destroyed $500 worth of standing timber, 

 besides occasioning a great loss in cordwood and fences, was -the- work -of an incendiary, 

 who is supposed to have started it through a grudge which he held against the owner of 

 the premises. 



August 6, 1899. Number of acres, 1,600 ; value of standing timber destroyed, $500 ; 

 value of logs, bark and cordwood destroyed, $150 ; fences and buildings, $375. I ordered 

 out thirty-five men, whose aggregate labor amounted to 350 days. These fires were started 

 by people burning brush on their own lands, one of whom, Fred Sauer, was arrested by me and 

 taken before a justice of the peace, where he plead guilty and paid a fine of $50 and costs. 



