Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-09-25

the QueSliOh 80
To queer origin
Of fires was quietly started
and the free discussion on the
subject by those present, brought
out many startling and uneA-
pected facts bearing on the subject
The intelligent hostess related this IN
cident: MY father was great smok-
er. He smoked in his barn and out
| of his barn. and in all the farm build
ings. Though repeatedly wafnee Vi
the danger of entering the barn WIN
lighted pipe in his mouth, he gave ou'
little heed. One Sunday mornings as
he was preparing the team for the reg
ular church service, he noticed thin
column of smoke Issuing from between
the cracks of the barn floor. hasty
examination revealed fire well start
ed in the straw and chaff that had
sifted down through the cracks. OF
course he soon put out the ire, and
was frank enough TO tell US all about
it, and admit that. in all probability,
coal of fire had rolled. unobserveo
by him. from his pipe and fell through
the crack and ignited the chan. had
he 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 I'M
: fortunate wretch. who, though he
might have plenty OF sins OF his OWL
to bear, yet would be entirely innocent
Of this undeserved approach. And i
would be something. too. that he coult
! not shake OF, for the whispered sus
picion is dark shadow that may clini
to a person for life. observed b!
!. everybody but himself. So much TO
the pipe.
A young woman then gave this &C
II count: "A friend of mine left his Ian
y tern lighted in the barn one eyenin
10 to aid him to put out his horse whe
le he returned. During his absence, tn
~ barn was burned and with 1t a horst
ID buggies, harnesses, robes, etc. Tn
to carcass of the horse that was burne
was found in a part OF the barn quit
distant from his stall. 1t was,
he course, very reasonably supposed tn;
~ the horse got loose and. in wanderir
"a about the barn overturned the lanter
=, and thus set the barn on fire." A
al though there was no great mystel
= about the origin OF this fire, it deve
- oped food for thought, for, on furth
inquiry, the fact was brought to iig
iSo that, though there was a considerab
vi insurance on the barn the compar
&C. promptly refused to pay 1t on Il
oy ground Of criminal carelessness.
ATE Another member OF the gatheril
pes said: Il set my lantern down upon d
lin barn floor, where there was conside
lad able hay scattered about. A sing
oes stalk OF the hay ran up through o
BILE Of the round holes in the plate b
Is meath the globe, and touched I
SITS blaze. put 1t out quickly, but h
all not noticed 1t as I left the ba
ew. would doubtless have been mysteriot
he The genial host then related the mc
extraordinary instance that has e'
come under my notice. While r
ing with a friend at quite distar
from home" said he. "a sudden a
plli violent storm came up, and We dro
'me with the owners permission, into
any wayside barn, which afforded cony'
the lent shelter from the copious raini
able which followed While there,
the Horse fell to eating hay from the $
in of the NOV, and pulled considera
J to litter beneath his feet. Suddenly
airs; heard something pop, and on look
gov toward the horses head we saw
ars. drop a blazing match from his mot
( to II fell into the litter at his feet 4;
ibu- straightway began to blaze up in
ON dry stuff. OF course we quickly pn
fixes out" II Is the unexpected that
the pens. Here was source of fire
pro- strangely anomalous that, had it
ount Cured when no one was near, its [
ties origin could hardly have been CUES
the at. and very likely 1t would have b
ancs called the WORK Oh an ihcendi
in with the sure result of accusing 81
fur innocent person with heinous cri
IN. Yet it really happened. The he
nov incisors Of the horse, closing shat
-, upon the matchhead ignited It, W
b,nh he quickly dropped 1t in the little
ooo his feet. So much for the match.
nor
mere Celery Culture simpIineh.
men In the bulletin published by the Y