Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-05-09
DOWN THE LINE,
Death of MI. Stevens-A Fight
with Prairie Fire.

Special Correspondence of the INTER OCEAN,
ODESSA, April 2S.-News has reached
this place that Mr.. T. G. Stevens died at
Plymouth, Iowa, on Sunday April 10.
This is sorrowful news to those who ell
joyed the friendship Of this truly good
man, and especially so to those of his
family who were unable to be with him
during his brief illness. Frank and
Ernest both started for Plymouth as
soon as they heard of their fathers sick.
ness, but were too late to attend the flu
neral. MI. Stevens was between sixty
and seventy years of age. At the age
of twenty three he was rendered blind
and nearly lost his life by the premature
explosion of a blast in a we'll which he
was sinking; yet in spite of this terrible
misfortune-which he has borne with
great patience-he has not only support
ed his family, but has accumulated a
fine property. He performed many
kinds of labor with his own hands and
gave personal attention to business de-
tails with which q less determined man
in his condition would not have dared
to cope. He was a kind husband and
father, q CONSTANT Christian, and Il is a
source of consolation to his friends and
family to know That he has secured Il
home where he will be free from care
and never be blind.
The grass is coming up nicely and the
cattle find plenty of good grazing. Seed
ing is progressing rapidly, some farmers
having finished. Eugene Backus is
working on the Jerusalem school house
with Mr.. Lawrenson. Gene is q good
hand and intends to learn the trade.
Your correspondent wal witness to a
lively fight with a prairie fire yesterday
afternoon, and being unable to partici-
pate, took in the details. The fire start
ed between Odessa and the Calderwood
farm and the wind was blowing q gale
from the south west so the fire was driv-
en- at a rapid rate to the north east
where several residences lay in it's path.
No damage of any account wal done
until it was passing the T. G. Stevens
residence, where it burnt a stack of hay
owned by Calderwood Brothers. Just
at this time several neigl,bors saw the
danger to which Edgar Calderwood's
place was exposed, and a lively acc be-
gan for that point. Miss Nettie Graves,
Mrs. Ella Graves and Mrs. Jennie Stew
ems being close by: we're the first to re
portto Mrs. Calderwood for duty, Edgar
being away from home at the time,
Andrew Huseby unhitched his team and
mounting "the old gray boss" he "got
there" R. NJ. Calderwood left his team
in the field, mounted The pony and was
soon there. Alfred Stevens left his team
and went on foot. A back fire was Mt
ono started with a line of battle between
it and the buildings and they had near
ly surrounded the place when Tom
Holden drove up with his team and
sulky pillow, and he was none to soon,
for at that instant the fire broke past
the right flank Of the homo guards
and being on the windward side it would
have made.short work, but Captain Tom
dashed to the front with the artillery (?)
and turned a couple of burrows at q rate
Of speed which must have astonished
the native soil. a furrow thrown up
around H. E. Stevens place and the
danger was past. Mrs. Underwood and
Edgar express their thanks to those who
helped them. Is it necessary to warn
people about fire, and Wilt do any good?
There were not enough people in the
settlement to save Edgar's place alone,
had it not been we'll protected on the
south west, and five of the best homes
in the settlement were directly in the
path of this fire, only saved by being
surrounded by plowed land, and all in
the space of mile and a half. We
Withhold the name of the party who set
the fire, for it would do us no good to
publish it, and it might do him harm.
A letter, informing relatives, of the
sickness and death of Mr.. r. G. Stevens
was held probably mlslnid) in the office
at Tracy for three Or four days, while
daily inquiry was being made for it, and
much anxiety suffered because they
could hear nothing from him. Is such
carelesSnesS eXcusable? r.