The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-03-12
Caution.

should be timely warning to our farm.
ers against setting nre under any clrcum.
stance, TO straw, stubble or grass, particu.
larly during this month when high winds
are usually prevalent. There is no person
WITHIN our county, we believe who is pos
sesed IF such malicious or reckless dis
position, as to purposely fire stack or grass
that it may spread. And in all probabil-
ity the fires that have lit the horizon in
every direction for the past few days, were
/ innocently started fnr useful purposes, that
is to destroy straw stacks or burn dead
grass that'spring feed might start early.
1t is the custom so to do in prairie coun.
try, but custom does not make right, by
no means. Those who have been made
victims Of the fire. ticnd through the care
I. lessness Of some unthinking farmer can
appreciate the necessity Of extreme care
and caution on the part of every resident
OF the country relative to fire. a
The infamable nature Of dead
grass, the rapidity with which fire will
run, and the distance it will traverse, and
particularly ahead of such winds as are
peculiar to this prairie country, often per
lis persons and property miles away from
where the match is struck.
Every season is chronicled some ser
ious loss, either in hay, stables, graneries,
residences Of people who are far from able
to meet such disaster and universally
such loss is occassioned by another than
the owner.
To guard against such matters, the Leg
islature has very wisely enacted laws there
are stringent, but none!too: much so, and
should they be enforced when violated,
we think that there would be less damage,
and people would be stayed in acts that
are to liable to result disastrously.
For the benefit of those persons WHO
possibly have had no opportunity to see
the law relative to prairte fires we will re-
fer them to chapter 60 of the Penal Code
| of 1877, Dakota, Sec. of this chapter,
provides that if any person shall set or
cause to be set on fire, any woods, marsh
or prairie. or any grass or stubble, in the
months ofSeptember, October, November,
December, Jan, Feb, March, April, May
or June, except as hereinafter provided,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdeauano-.
be fined sum not more than $1,000 nor
less than $40. and imprisonment IN the
county Jail for period not longer than
six months, one or both, at the discretion
ofth Court, and shall also be liable in a
civil action to any person or persons dam
aged by such fire to the amount of such
damages.
The exception in Sec, to tie above
permits fires to he set at cry time for the
purpose of destroying grass or stubblc
that may be on any piece Of land, at the
time any person or persons commence to
break or plow the same. Proesded that
at the time of setting such grass or stabble
on fire, there shall be q strip Of land well
plowed or burned over al least so feet in
width, completely encompassing the place
where such fire is set. ...
1t further provides, if any fire set as pro
yidcd in the above section, should by acci-
dent and without any fault or neglect of
the person setting it, get beyond his con-
troll, he is liable for all damages. But i f
such fire by negligence, carelesnes, or be
Intentionally permitted to spread beyond
the bounds of such strips of land, then the
person setting such fire shall We liable
10th civilly and crimmally.
Another provision also permits the set
ting on fire marshes, prairies, grass or stub
bic lands, Tor the purpose of destroying
grasshoppers at anv time between the 20
of April and the Goth of June, provided
"a hours notice shall be given to all per-
sons living within one and half miles of
place where the fire is to be set. And the
fire must be subdued and extlnguished the
same day on which it is set, or he is liable
for any dam age that may occur.
As will be seen by reference to this law,
it is nowhere contemplated tnat persons
can set fire only for preparing land for
ploughing, and to destroy grasshoppers,
and then only under certain circumstances,
What damage, or the amount ofdamage
done by the fire on last Wednesday, we
haye heard no estimate, but the house on
the Mckay place cost several hundred dol
lars, and the Bennett buildings were just
spared from destruction.
Last Of all, serious damage was done to
several by prairie fire sweeping down fnr-
ously from distance, in the destruction of
buildings, stables, hay, g-aneries, and in
one or two instances loss ofhorses, hogs
and cattle, and grain. stored: also several
valuable groves of cultivated timber.
Money will not replace timber, time
care and labor alone will restore that.
It is hoped that our people will exercise
more care than here tofore, for but few of
them are able to pay the damages that
may be recovered, sr the fine imposed,
and so much suffering has been inflicted
that people are getting almost desperate,
at least to the extent that they are deter,-
mined to seek an enforcement Of the Law
both for punishment for carelessnass and
Indifference as well as for protection
against further loss of property, and pos.
sibly life.
A careful compliance with the proyia-
ions Of the law relative to the firing Of
prairies, stnhble and straw, is all that is
asked nf nnu citizen. and cannnot possib.