The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-25
WOOD FOR THE FIRE.


Some OF the PeculiariticR Of the Various
Kinds That Are Used.
40 the traveller on the plains or in The
mountains there are three essentials TO a
good camp, says q writer In Forest and
Stream. These are wood, water. and grass.
The water in necessary to men and animals
alike, while wood is required for cooking,
and grass for the animals. IL 10 not always
possible TO abtain oil three Of these. In
the old days on the plains "dry camps"
were not unusual, though oftener one had
10 camp by alkali pools, whose acrid wator
gave little relief TO the thirsty STOCK, and
which the men could hardly drink, even IN
their coffee. So, too. 1t was often necessary
to camp whore there waa nttlc or no grass.
In euoh cases there was nothing to do but to
tic up the poor animals to the wagon wheels
and let them starye till daylight. II turned
lneae they wnnld be sure to wander IN
search OF food, and in the morning might
mot be found.
In the old times on the prairie traveiers
were sometimes obliged to camp without
wood; but this did not occur very often.
Usually bushes would DO found along the
streams-a few dried willow twigs-or there
would be sage brush, or the almost nniyeg-
sal boia de v~aches-oow wood-she butialo
chip. Amy of these would do 10 COOK with,
In the mountains good wood, water and
grass are almost always to be had. Az a
rule the steep slopes ara timber clad and
the stream bottoms wooded. There Is sage
brush on the prairie, and groves OF aspens
scattered among the foothills. Even In the
midst of this abundance the careful traV,
eler does not 90 about collecting his wood
ut haphazard. He knows that there are
different degrees of excellence among the
sorts that he has to choose from, and ne
selects that kin which experiences mas
shown him to be best suited TO his needs.
He remembers that pine, while excellent
for q camp fire, owing to the bright
ness with which 1t burns. is not the best
wood in the world to cook with, since it ID
likely TO smoke his viands and give them
an unpleasant taste. Fir he will not have
mt all If any other wood can be secured. IL
10 continually swapping and Nils the trying
pan with Goals. II it is used for u hre .by
which to sleep it covers ono's blanket with
Goals and sporks, burning many a mole IN
them and obliginQ the man whom he hrst
lies down to sit up At frequent intervals
and brush off the fire from his bed OF oloth-
ina. This, il ho is tired and sleepy, leads
to the Use of language ontis ely unserlptu al.
Sage brush makes a good ire for cooking
and a pleasant, bright blaze to sit by, but
il il too unsubstantial and q hre of sage
brush has to be constantly renewed. The
same ia true Of any light brush that flares
up for a moment and then burns down.
The ideal wood for the FIRE, whether" 1t be
for cooking or to sit by after the meal is
over, ia dry aspen. 1t burns with q bright.
clear fame and with little smoke. and
when it has died down to Goals makes the
best possible fire to cock over. And then
after the meal 10 over as we light our pipes
II stretch out our feet toward the fire
some one of the party lays on two or three
sticks from the pile of split wood near al
hand, the cheerful blaze rises, and we dc
indeed take our ease, il not in our own inn,
at least in our lodge. Each man provides
himself with Il splinter from the sticks OF
with a slender branch. which he can light
Mt the blaze if he needs it, or with which he
can easily rake ont a coal from the ashes tc
renew the light in his pipe, which has per
haps gone out while he was earnestly talk
ing. With this fire there is no swapping,
No need now to dodge a shower of sparks
which, bursting with a loud report fsom q
blazing log. fly in all directions, or to jumI
up and brush off a live coal which has beer
thrown on q piece of CANVASS, which il
likely to char and smolder until q grea'
hole is burned in it.
An aspen fire gives no trouble, onl,
warmth, cheerfulness and a bright light, bS
which one may read, write OR sew. BLESSED
be the aspen.