FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 155 



Mr. Frank Scott, firewarden for the town of Shawangunk, Ulster county, N. Y., 

 reports : 



April 8th, 1900. Number of acres burned, 400 ; value of standing timber destroyed, 

 $200 ; value of fence burned, $100. Extinguished by back-firing along the roads and 

 brooks. Ordered out forty-five men. Fire started by some person unknown to me. I 

 wish there could be some way to stop this work. I would advise you to send a detective 

 here. 



May 30th, 1900. Fire on Lot 6, Rochester Patent, burned about fifty acres ; damage to 

 timber, estimated at ^100 ; cause unknown. Ordered out ten men. Total time worked, 

 seven days and five hours. We have a firebug here. I think he could be caught if I had 

 some one to help me, or permission to hire a man to keep him under cover. 



Mr. Ezra P. Hillson, firewarden for the town of Shandaken, Ulster county, N. Y., 

 reports : 



August loth, 1900. Number of acres burned over, twenty ; Lot 7, Division i. Value 

 of timber unimportant on account of inaccessible situation. Some balsam and spruce 

 destroyed. In consequence of long-continued drought the woods and moss were in best 

 condition to take fire and spread rapidly. It was a particularly obstinate fire, and diffi- 

 cult to control on account of the inaccessible situation among ledges and crevices. By 

 unceasing efforts on the part of the men employed, some of whom remained o" duty con- 

 tinuously from twenty-four to twenty-eight hours, the fire was held in check fairly well 

 until rain fell during the night of the 12th and again on the 13th. It has left an ugly 

 scar on the side of Wittenburg Mountain. 



August nth, 1900. This fire burned over only one acre before it was extinguished. 

 It was discovered in time to avoid serious consequences. It seems to have started in an 

 old stump, where it smouldered for some time. It then spread to a long birch, which 

 blazed up and attracted my attention. 



September 17th, 1900. The fire which burned over one acre, was caused by lightning. 

 We confined it to some old logs and trees. By prompt measures we kept it under control 

 after several hours work. 



In conclusion I desire to acknowledge the valuable services rendered by Mr. L. 



S. Emmons, the Chief Firewarden, in organizing the large force of men under his 



charge and the intelligent manner in which he has reconciled their m.any differences 



and adjudicated the perplexing questions which have so often been submitted to 



him in the discharge of his duties. 



WILLIAM F. FOX, 



Supt. State Forests. 



