, 1888-11-15
KINDLING FOR FIRES.
A CHICAGO MAN USES A cEuLuLoID
TOILET SET.

SJOVe-DtluZlns an JIG tIOuT barTeE-A
Task.
A west side man was called upon not
long & to make a fire. After searching
about diligently for kindling and finding
none, he took his wife's toilet set. and, it
being of celluloid, the flames soon glowed
vigorously. 1t is scarcely needful to say
that this was during the temporary alb
sence of his batter half; hut she found-it
out, and her lecture was not restricted to
the extravaganza of such a proceeding.
1t is rather strange that this great city,
with its manufactures of well nigh every
material, has not a single kindling fac
tory, or, if there be one, directory men
fail to discover it. Understood, there are
several places where the original article is
prepared. One firm has a saw, or saws,
propelled by a large engine, which turns
out daily many cords of the commodity,
cutting it into short pieces and tying 1t
into bundles of convenient size, while
nigh every factory using much wood sells
the odds and ends for the purpose named.
But there is no factory which turns out
artificial material, such as prepared cake
sawdust or resin-or kerosene dipped
wood. This may be due to the cause as.
signed by q well known wood box manu-
facturer of this city who sells two or
three thousand wagon loads of board ends
annually. He said: There can be no
improvement made upon wood, pine wood.
/ mean, that being best of all. Given
plenty Of this and there is not the slight
est difficulty in starting a fire In q mo-
ment, more quickly and satisfactorily
than in any other way" Chicago people
are shrewd and are not inclined to under
a k the impossible. Wood being the
best possible material, they stop at hat
This, though, is provided in plenty, and
the only good excus for a failure to keep
a supply at home IS a lack of money.
The amount used is If one
reflects for a moment that hundreds of
thousands of fires are started daily, he
will be ready to accept the statement
that many thousand tons are consumed
annually in Chicago alone. At several
box, sash and door and furniture manu-
factories the reporter was told that ten or
twelve years ago they found difficulty in
getting rid of their kindling stuff, but
that now all they have finds an immediate
market. The increase in the demand is
due to increase Of population, of course.
OF late, in particular, orders keep up with
If they do not run ahead of the supply.
Rjne is the preferred wood, but all kinds
are readily sold, If well seasoned and cut
short, for this latter quality is as high a
virtue in kindling wood as in a political
speech or sermon.
The reporter would by no means be un-
derstood as saying that wood is the only
material used in starting the fire upon
the domestic hearth, or in the new patent
stove or range. He would be derelict in
his duty if he failed to refer to thai arti-
Gle so popular with the average hired girl,
the very danger in the use Of which APP
pears to add to its value in her eyes. 1t
is needless to say that kerosene is meant.
But the employment of kerosene is
scarcely more hazardous than the chop
ping up of an old board or barrel into the
requisite size for kindling. Putting up
the stove has been the subject for a
thousand newspaper jests, it being com
monty agreed hat to adjust the Joints of
pipe demands more patience thar Job ex-
ercised during all his manifold trials; yet
one who has had experience will doubt
whether that be attended with so great
danger or with such trial of patience as
the attempt to chop kindling with an old
ak or Ratchet with serrated edge and
with tendency to fly off the handle.
As to the danger, that inclines to the
side Of the chopper and splitter. One
may once in a while fall from a
chair when the pipe o~bstinately declines
to joint or to enter the chimney hole; but
one cannot well escape the perils which
environ him who undertakes the task of
converting a gnarled and knotted board,
or a meek looking but weather beaten
and shaky flour barrel into the A B c of
fuel. If the ak do not come off and fall
upon his head or back, some bit that
seems to require the exercise of greatest
force to break will yield with surprising
weakness and fly full into his face. Or
if he do escape these perils a long and
ugly splinter is sure to pierce his hand
and cause him to bless the whole bust
ness. The need for work of this kiCi
diminishes year by year, thanks to a civil
cation which counts a duty the prepare
tion Of kindling wood for the people.
The heaven for the kinder of fires is in
proximity 20 a southern swamp whose
black loan bears upon its surface and
within its depths the famous pine knot,
or light God, as it Is called by the natives.
OF all known woods this burns quickest,
brightest, longest and best. Fairly satu-
rated with resin, it is as quick to take fire
as finder. The people there use it not
only as a substitute for candle or other
illumination, but also invariably for the
purpose of starting their fires, whether
in the house of the wealthy planter or the
cabin of the poor negro. The supply is
apparently ~inexhaustible, and but for
great expense of transportation no doubt
its pre-eminent excellence as kindling
would have caused its introduction and
general use in Chicago and through the
west. In its absence, its congener, the
pine of the north, less firm and less resin.
GUS, is a favorite. But shavings, old pa
pers and debris of all kinds come in as
substitutes when negligence has led to
exhaustion of the legitimate supply.
Given the best of material, however,
there are many people who would find its
use to the starting Of n good fire a task
of no easy accomplishment. Woman has
come in for full share of ridicule here, it
having been charged that she cannot start
a fire any better than she can whistle or
sharpen a pencil. That this is a Islander
upon the gentler sex is proved in the mil.
lions of cases of wives who preside over
their own kitchens and the numbers of
them who indulgently suffer their law
worse halves to lie abed in winter morn.
ings until fires are built and houses are
well warmed. Still, it is none the less an
art that must be acquired. Success will