Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-07

OF fires was quietly started,
and the free discussion on the
subject by those present, brought
out many startling and unex-
pected facts bearing on the subject.
The intelligent hostess related this in
cident: my father was a great smok-
er. He smoked in his barn and out
Of his barn, and in all the farm build
ings. Though repeatedly warned or
the danger of entering the barn with
lighted pipe in his mouth, he gave put
little heed. One Sunday mornings as
he was preparing the team for the reg
ular church service, he noticed a thin
column Of smoke issuing from between
the cracks Of the barn floor. A hasty
examination revealed fire well start
ed in the straw and chaff that had
sifted down through the cracks. or
course he soon put out the fire, and
was frank enough to tell us all about
1t, and admit that, in all probability,
coal OF fire had rolled, unobserved
by him, from his pipe and fell through
the crack and ignited the chaff. 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.
If 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 undeserved approach. And it
would be something, too, that he could
not shake off, for the whispered sus-
picion is dark shadow that may cling
to person for life, observed by
everybody but himself. So much for
the pipe.
A young woman then gave this ac-
count: "A friend of mine left his lam
tern lighted in the barn one evening
to aid him TO put out his horse when
barn was burned and with it horse,
buggies, harnesses, robes, etc. The
carcass of the horse that was burned
was found in part Of the barn quite
distant from his stall. 1t was, of
course, very reasonably supposed that
the horse got loose and, in wandering
about the barn overturned the lantern,
and thus set the barn on fire." AL
though there was no great mystery
oped food for thought, for, on further
inquiry. the fact was brought to light
that, though there was a considerable
insurance on the barn the company
promptly refused to pay it on the
ground of criminal carelessness.
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. l put 1t out quickly, but had
I not noticed it as left the barn
would doubtless have been mysterious
ly 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 a 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 blazing match from his mouth.
II fell into the litter al his feet and
straightway began to blaze up in the
dry stuff. OF course we quickly put 1t
out" It is the unexpected that hap
pens. Here was source OF fire so
strangely anomalous that, had it &C.
CURED when no one was near, it's 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 heinous crime.
Yet 1t really happened. The heavy
incisors of the horse, closing sharply
upon the matchhead ignited 1t, when
he quickly dropped 1t in the litter at
his feet. So much for the match.