184 BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
is difficult to sell at the conclusion of a logging operation. Of course, 
if the road is ultimately to become a common carrier, the former 
would be desirable. Should a right of way be refused, a line can 
be forced acKOss foreign holdings by condemnation proceedings and 
the payment of just compensation to the owner, the operator, how- 
ever, forfeiting certain rights. For example, a logging operator 
acquiring a right of way by condemnation proceedings must agree to 
carry over such road any of the timber or other forest products of 
the lands through which such right of way passes, upon payment of a 
reasonable consideration, and failure to do so results in a forfeiture 
of the right of way. 
CLEAEING THE EIGHT OF WAY. 
Before starting the grading of the right of way, it is necessary to 
cut and remove the standing timber, brush, and stumps which will 
interfere with the roadbed. This work is done by both contract and 
day labor. The right of way varies in width, seldom being wider 
than 50 feet. It is not possible to speak confidently of the cost of 
this workj since operators, as a rule, do not classify their accounts 
in such a way as "to make it possible to secure data that are at all 
satisfactory. The average cost should not exceed $500 per mile, 
where the stumps are blasted and the timber is dragged from the 
road with a logging engine. The following piecemeal data will 
serve to indicate the method of performing this work, also what the 
total cost consists of. 
(a) In one case the cost of bucking the down timber on a mile of 
right of way ahead of the f allers amounted to $55. 
(h) The labor cost of felling the timber (13 trees) on 400 feet of 
right of way amounted to $3.75. One of the f allers was paid $4 per 
day, the other $3.50. The diameters of the trees were as follows : 
Number of trees (hemlock) : in inches. 
2 16 
2 17 
1___ v 18 
1 20 
2 i 24 
1 28 
2 30 
1 32 
1 60 
(c) The cost of blowing 24 stumps on 600 feet of right of way 
amounted to $40, as follows : 
5 boxes of powder, at $0.11 per pound $27. 50 
1 man, at $3.50 per day 3. 50 
4 men, at $2.25 per day 9. 00 
Total 40. 00 
