The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-09-10

-. & y While at a ! social
gathering recently
. the question as
a.y to queer. origin
of fires. was quietly started.
and the free discussion 'uri- the
subject by those present, brought
out many II startling, / and 'unexz
,pected facts bearing on the. subject.
The Intelligent hestess related this In
cident: "My father was a great ,smok-.
er. He, smoked, IN This barn. and out
OF his barn, and In all the farm build
ingss . Though repeatedly warned of
the danger Of entering the harm with d
lighted pipe IN. his mouth, he, gave but
little heed. One Sunday mornings as
ne was Areparing the team for the reg
ular church service. he, noticed a thin
column"of smoke issuing from between
tn" cracks Of the barn floor. "A hasty
examination revealed d fire we'll start
ed In the~straw and chaff that had
sifted down through the, cracks. = OF
course Me- soon put ont the fire, and
vas frank enoughStd tell us all about
tltssfna admit that. In all probability,
a coal Of fire had rolled, unobserved
Dy MIN, from his pipe and fell through
the crack and ignited the chaff. Had
ne failed TO discover the fire Just as he
did, the barn and all its contents
would, undoubtedly, have been des-
troyed, as the entire family were just
ready to start for church. AS father
often smoked with his pipe nearly up
side down, we all believed that to be
the true origin of the fire." Now let
the intelligent reader observe this fact.
II the fire had remained undiscovered
until they were away to church, the
barn would have been "mysteriously
burned" and the finger of suspicion
would have been pointed at some un-
fortunate wretch. who, though he
might have plenty Of sins of his own
to bear. yet would be entirely innocent
OF this u3deserved approach And it
would be something. too, that he could
not shake OF, for the whispered sus-
plclon Is q dark shadow that may cling
to q person fer life,. observed by
everybody but himself So much for
the. pipe. .i@stf. .9'. g. ~
+ Ayoung woman then gave this &C
count: "A friend Of mine left his Ian
tern lighted in the barn one evening
to aid him to put out his horse when
he returned. During his absence, the
barn was burned and with it a horse,
,ouggies, harnesses; robes, etc. The
= carcass ',of the horse that was burned
:sgas found In q part OF the barn quite
distant q from his. STALL It was, Of
very .sreasohably supposed that
title horse got loose and, lin wandering
about the barn overturned the lantern.
Ands thus set the barn on fire." AL
Fthoash there was no great mystery
Fa5oStSthe7 orttg;in5of this IRE. it deyei.
Roped TODD for thought, lor, 81 frs:h;;r
inquiry, the fact was brought to light
that though there was a Considerable
'sshstfrance, on tie barn the company
promptly refused to pay it on the
ground Of criminal carelessness.
I" Another member OF the gathering
said: Il set my lantern down upon the
barn floor. where there was consider
able hay scattered about. A single
stalk Of the hay ran up through one
of the round holes in the plate be-
meath the globe. and touched the
blaze. I put it out quickly. but had
I.snot noticed It as left the barn
would DOUBTLESS have been mysterious
~ burned" So much for the lantern.
The genial host then related the most
extraordinary instance that has. ever
come under my notice. While rid
ing with friend at quite distance
from home" said he. "a sudden and
violent storm came up, and we drove,
with the owners permission. into a.
wayside barn, which afforded conven-
lent shelter from the copious rainfall
which followed. While there, the
horse fell to eating hay from the side
of the NOW, and pulled considerable
litter beneath his feet. Suddenly we
heard something pop and on looking
toward the horses, head we saw him
drop a saSxing match from his mouth.
II fell Into the, litter at his feet and
stratsAt began to blaze up in the
dry std1. OF seoursSawei quickly put it
out.H st. u the unexpected that hap
pena Here was assource of fire 20
strangely anomalous that, had it &C.
CURED when no one was near, its true
origin could hardly have been guessed
at, and very likely It would have been
called the work Of an incendiary
with the sure result of accusing some
innocent person with q heinous crime
Yet it really happened. The heavy
incisors Of the horse. closing sharply
upon the matchhead ignited 1t, when
he quickly dropped it in the litter at
his feet. So much for the match.
Celery Culture simpliaed.