FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 59 



efforts made by the authorities in charge of the Adirondack Division of 

 the New York Central to prevent forest fires along that line. Twice during 

 the year, in the spring and in the fall, an emphatic order was issued to all 

 trainmen, directing them to take every precaution against fires, and special 

 instructions were given to the engineers and firemen, notifying them that 

 all ashpans on the engines must be in good order before leaving terminal 

 stations, and that the back dampers must be kept closed; also, that any 

 defects in engines that might permit the escape of sparks or coals were to 

 be reported to the engine foreman. It was further ordered that if a fire 

 was discovered at any point along the line, the section men must be notified 

 at once and the trainmaster's office also. 



Some woodland fires occur every year in one or another of the agricul- 

 tural counties outside the Adirondack and Catskill districts, especially on 

 Long Island. But, in these places a conviction for a violation of the fire 

 law, a duty which devolves upon the town supervisor, is more difficult to 

 obtain than in the sixteen counties which contain the Forest Preserve. 

 The Corning Democrat, in its issue of October 5, 1905, has the following 

 item indicating the views which a jury often holds in these cases: 



" In the case against Charles Sabin, charged with wilfully and neg- 

 ligently refusing to extinguish a forest fire, the jury returned to the courtroom 

 for further instructions. They wanted to know what the court would do 

 with the defendant if the jury found him guilty. The judge very properly 

 refused to enlighten the jurymen on that point and sent them back to 

 deliberate. Later the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, county to pay 

 the costs." 



Trespasses on v>fafe Lands 



At the last session of the Legislature, at the suggestion of the Governor, 

 an amendment to the Forestry Law was passed, placing the care and custody 

 of the Forest Preserve in the hands of the Superintendent of State Forests, 

 and directing the inspectors, game protectors, and fire-wardens to report all 

 trespasses directly to him, thereby restoring the powers and duties devolved 

 upon that office prior to 1895. For the last ten years the work belonging 

 to the reporting and suppression of trespasses on the Forest Preserve was 

 entrusted by law to another department of the Commission. 



