The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-11-15
KINDLING FOR FIRES.
A CHICAGO MAN USES A cELLUlolD
TOILET SET.

Pine Wood. Properly Prepared. Is the
Best Material for Starting Fire In the
stove-Utiiiring an Old Flour Barrei-A
Task.
A west side man was called upon not
long ago to make fire, After searching
about diligently for kindling and finding
mono, he took his wife's toilet set, and. II
being Of celluloid the flames soon glowed
vigorously. II Is scarcely needful TO say
that this was during the temporary alb
senoe Of his better half but she found II
out, and her lecture was not restricted TO
the extravaganza Of such proceeding.
1t Is rather strange that this great city.
with Its manufactures Of well nigh every
material, has not single kindling fac.
tory, or, If there be one, directory men
fail to discover 1t. Understood, there are
several places where the original article Is
prepared. One firm has q saw, or saws.
propelled by large engine, which turns
out daily many cords Of the commodity,
cutting 1t into short pieces and tying It
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 well known wood box manu-.
facturer Of this city who sells two OF
three thousand wagon loads Of board ends
annually. He said: There can be no
improvement made upon wood. pine wood,
l mean, that being best Of all Given
plenty Of this and there Is not the slight.
est difficulty in starting fire in mo-
ment, moro quickly and satisfactorily
than In any other way" Chicago people
are shrewd and are not inclined to under.
take the impossible. Wood being the
best possible material, they stop at that.
This, though, is provided In plenty, and
the only good excuse for failure to keep
a supply at home Is lack Of money.
The amount used Is enormous II one
reflects for 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
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
II they do not run ahead of the supply.
Pine 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 political
speech or sermon.
The reporter would by no means be I'M
derstood as saying that wood Is the only
material used in starting the fire upor
the domestic hearth, or in the new patent
stove or range He would be derelict In
his duty If be failed to refer to that arti
Gle so popular with the average hired girl
the very danger in the use Of which ap
pears to add to its value in her eyes. II
is needless to say that kerosene Is meant
But the employment of kerosene i;
scarcely more hazardous than the chop
ping up Of an old board or barrel into the
requisite size for kindling. Putting W
the stove" has been the subject for 1
thousand newspaper jests, 1t being com
monty agreed that to adjust the Joints Of
pipe demands more patience than Job ex
ercised during all his manifold trials; ye
one who has had experience will doubt
whether that be attended with SO grea
danger or with such trial of patience a.
the attempt to chop kindling with an ole
ak or Ratchet with serrated edge anc
with tendency to fly off the handle
As to the danger, that inclines to tn,
side Of the chopper and splitter. On
may once in while fall from
chair when the pipe obstinately decline
to joint or to enter the chimney hole; bu
one cannot well escape the perils which
environ him who undertakes the task o
| converting gnarled and knotted board
or meek looking but weather heater
and shaky -four barrel into the A B c O
fuel. If the ak do not come off and fal
upon his head or back, some bit tina
seems to require the exercise of creates
force to break will yield with surprisin,
weakness and fly full into his face. O
If he do escape these perils long ant
ugly splinter is sure to pierce his hant
| and cause him to bless the whole bust
ness. The need for work of this kline
diminishes year by year, thanks to civil
cation which counts duty the prepare
| ton Of kindling wood for the people.
The heaven for the kinder Of fires Is il
proximity to southern swamp who's,
black loan bears upon its surface an(
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, 1t is as quick to take fir,
as finder. The people there use it mo-
only as substitute for candle or othel
Illumination, but also invariably for til,
| purpose Of starting their fires, whether
in nth the house use Of the wealthy planter Or tn
apparently inexhaustible. and but To-
great expense Of transportation no doub
Its eminent excellence as kindlins
would have caused its introduction anc
general use in Chicago and through tn,
west. In its absence, it's congener, tn,
pine Of the north, less firm and less resin
GUS, is favorite But shavings, old pa
pers and debris Of all kinds come in a.
substitutes when negligence has led tt
exhaustion of the legitimate supply.
| Given the best of material, however
there are many people who would find 1T
use to the starting Of good fire tasl
Of no easy accomplishment. Woman hal
come in for full share Of ridicule here, i
having been charged that she cannot star
a fire any better than she can whistle o.
sharpen pencil. That this is Islander
upon the gentler sex is proved In the mil
lions of cases of wives who preside owe
their own kitchens and the numbers O
them who indulgently suffer their laz,
worse halves to lie abed in winter morn
ings until fires are built and houses ar,
well warmed. Still, it is none the less al
art that must be acquired. Success viii
not follow the mere throwing together o
q lot of kindling and the placing upon tina
Of quantity Of wood or coal. The Bit
must be placed compactly, yet not ST
close together as to choke the draught
1t is important, too, that little tim,
shall be allowed for the fixing of the FAM
| before the fual nrnper ia added -Chica on