212 REPORT OF THE 



No. I in the northeast quarter of the township, as there is hardly enough 

 timber in that part of the tract to warrant the erection of a mill. Logs 

 have already been driven from the east line of Township 40 to Tupper 

 Lake and Piercefield, and that would be the best way to dispose of the 

 timber on this compartment. 



The timber on the remainder of the tract should be sold to one pur- 

 chaser. It would thus undoubtedly bring a higher price and attract a more 

 reliable class of bidders than if it were sold in small lots. Such sale would 

 also avoid the necessity of having a large number of contracts with small 

 contractors, and would lessen the burden of supervision which necessarily 

 goes with operations of this kind with irresponsible " wildcat " jobbers. 

 The timber would probably be cut in a much more satisfactory manner 

 and with less friction between the lumbermen and the inspector. The pur- 

 chaser of the stumpage would, of course, have the option of reselling it 

 to the small contractors, but he himself would be bound by the contract 

 and held responsible for the careful cutting of the timber according to the 

 rules and methods prescribed. It follows, therefore, that the best way to 

 lumber Township 40 is by the sale of stumpage to the highest bidder. 

 Lnder this plan the purchaser should have the right to build a mill at a 

 point on the lake which could be easily connected by a railroad spur with 

 the Raquette Lake Railway, for reasons stated fully under " Recommenda- 

 tions for a Mill and Branch Railroad." (See page 212.) He should also 

 have the right to improve the stream and to build a dam at the foot of 

 Raquette Lake — a matter which is discussed fully vmder " Recommenda- 

 tions for a Dam at the Foot of Raquette Lake." (See page 217.) As 

 shoAvn later, neither dam nor mill will destroy the use or beauty of the 

 lake as a resort. 



There are a number of possibilities in the lumbering of Township 40, 

 which are shown on Map III. A careful study of this map is advised 

 for those interested in the working plan. 



Recommendations for a Mill and Branch Railroad. 



A strong argument in favor of allowing a mill to be built on the shore 

 of Raquette Lake is that any reputable firm, after having gone to the neces- 

 sary expense entailed thereby, would be particularly careful to see that the 

 rules for cutting were observed, lest by violating the contract they should 

 forfeit the right to cut the timber, and thus lose the money they had invested 



