FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 343 



Mr. A. O. Morgan, town of Hermon, St. Lawrence county, N. Y. : 



August 17, 1899. Number of acres, 400; standing timber destroyed, $75; timbermostly 

 second growth and not of much value. In addition, a house valued at $250 was burned; 

 also, fences worth from $50 to $75. This fire was at the foot of Trout lake, and for half a 

 day things looked bad. That morning the wind raised and blew down the lake. About 

 twelve o'clock the fire caught across the outlet, and in less than two hours it ran one and a 

 half miles. The house that was burned stood in the lot at the foot of the lake, with green 

 brush growing all around it. The fire surrounded the house quicker than it takes to tell it. 

 We had a hard struggle to save three other houses; but at last we got control of the fire. 



August 19, 1899. Number of acres, 750; standing timber destroyed, 100; also, twenty- 

 five cords of bark and $50 worth of fences. In fighting it we used water, shovels, hoes and 

 axes; whipped out the flames with green boughs; near the buildings we cut down the tim- 

 ber and drew it away, clearing the ground and setting backfires. 



This fire was on what is known as the D. S. Lynde ranche. The damage was not so very 

 much for the territory burned over; but if it had not rained on the 22dof August I can- 

 not tell where it would have stopped. The men who were called out did some very good 

 work. 



The teams were used to carry men and provisions to and from the fires. It was so dry 

 in the woods that a cigar stub thrown down on the lands would cause a fire at once. 



Mr. D. S. Graham, town of Pitcairn, St. Lawrence county, N. Y. : 

 August 10, 1899. I find it impossible to report definitely as to many things required in 

 this blank. It would seem as if half the town is being burned over. The fires are still 

 raging furiously and no signs of rain, nor has there being any rain for months. I think it 

 is a mistake to pay men $2 a day to fight fire. Just so long as they get $2 there will be 

 fires. I wish you would use your influence to cut the price one-half. There are lots of 

 men throughout the country who will set fires as long as they can get that pay. 



Mr. E. M. Lane, town of Russell, St. Lawrence county, N. Y. : 



May 1, 1899. Number of acres, ten; standing timber destroyed, none. This fire was in 

 a berry slash on the west side of the old Albany road. On the opposite side of the road 

 are a lot of logs and timber, and twenty cords of wood. We carried water and prevented 

 the fire from crossing the road. Some boys were seen fishing in the brook that day, but 

 no one seems to know who they were. I think they dropped a match, and the fire started 

 from that, for a man saw smoke arise soon after the boys went down the creek. 



There have been three or four parties who started fallow fires this spring in this part 

 of the town without obtaining permission from me. ' One man forbid me putting up a fire 

 notice on his barn, which stands on the side of the road. He said he would burn a fallow 

 that day just the same; but he didn't. 



Mr. Anson J. Larkin, town of Ballston, Saratoga county, N. Y. : 

 April 14, 1899. I observed this fire within a few minutes after the passage of the one- 

 fifty-five p. m. passenger train. When I first observed it I thought it was steam from 

 cinders and ashes which had been dropped by the locomotive. After watching it for 



