FOREST. FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 257 



But industrial interests are always recognized in time, and so, in 1854, the Legis- 

 lature delared the Salmon River " a public highway for the purpose of floating saw- 

 logs and timber." In fact a portion of the river was so used before the passage of 

 this law. 



In 1804 the Legislature passed a law, chapter 103, to punish any one who stole 

 timber or lumber that was floating down the river or lying along the shore. This 

 act refers to " any timber, hewed, sawed or riven," terms which do not seem to 

 include saw-logs, and which would indicate that only long timber, spars and masts 

 were floated down the stream at that time. Section 2 of this law provides a severe 

 penalty for persons who shall " deface or alter any mark, or put a false mark on any 

 such timber," from which it appears that " log marks " were in use then, even if 

 short logs were not driven down the stream. Nine years later a law was passed — 

 chapter 34, Laws of 181 3 — requiring all log marks to be recorded in the ofifice 

 of the town clerk of Queensbury, and the phraseology of this act shows that log 

 driving had commenced already on the Hudson and " its branches to the northwest 

 of Baker's Falls" (Sandy Hill.) In 1825 a similar act was passed for the protection 

 of log marks on the Au Sable River. 



In 1 8 10 the Legislature declared the Raquette River a public highway from its 

 mouth to the falls ; but the text of the act specifies " rafts or boats " only. The 

 same law opens up a portion of the St. Regis River, and provides that dams shall 

 be constructed so as to permit the passage of "timber, masts and spars." In 1850, 

 chapter 249 provided for the passage of saw-logs and appropriated money for 

 "clearing and improving" the channel. 



The Black River was first declared a highway in 1821, the law providing for 

 ■" rafting timber or lumber." The Grasse River was made a highway in 1824; and 

 in 1854 an act was passed "to improve" this stream "for floating timber and 

 saw logs." 



The years in which other rivers were declared public highways for floating logs 

 are as follows : 



Genesee River, *------ ...-. 1818 



Delaware River, ----- 1823 



Saranac River, - - - -- - - - - - - - 1846 



Moose River, ----- 185 1 



Chateaugay River, . . . ~ . . . . ^ . . 185 1 



Beaver River, - - - - - - - - - - - 1853 



* In 1828 the Genesee River was declared a public highway from Rochester to the Pennsylvania 

 line. 



17 



