Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1905-11-17
Prairie Fire Near Town,

EG0Stl0 FbE0 lNoNT 1OWus
Considerable excitement was caused
In Linton yesterday about l o'clock
p. m., when dense volumes Of smoke
were seen rising from the prairie a
few miles a little north of west of
town. Men on horseback, in wagons
and In buggies were soon riding furi-
ously IN the direction of the fire.
The blaze started at the south side
Of the road at q point about north Of
tho G. w. Lynn farmhouse, now oc-
cupied by Frank Herbert and wife.
the family having recently moved
here from South Dakota. Soon after
1t started 1t destroyed ninety tons Of
hay belonging to Mr.. Lynn and
seventy tons the property OF Mr.. Her.
bert. Although hard fight was
made to prevent 1t doing 80, it
jumped Beaver creek In at least two
places. At one Of these points it was
by actual measurement 800 feet from
the midst of the head fire to the
tbint on the south side Of the creek
where II 7again Caught. The wiud
was blowing strongly from little
west Of north at the time, and the
flames made rapid headway.
1t was thought that the fire might
be stopped ut the road cumming be-
tween the fences OF Messrs. Herolz
and Horton) out to the South Prairie
country; but it easily leaped that
road. 1t also jumped the road from
Linton south.
The only other damage the Record
has heard of-except TO the range,
which Is . considerable loss at this
time OF the year-was to w. J. Mar
chant, who lost about twenty tons Of
hay on the prairie some distance south
of the creek.
The tire was extinguished by run.
ming up against the Milwaukee grade,
few miles south of town. And that
same grade undoubtedly prevented
the settlers Of the Strasburg and
other neighborhoods having a good
Bit of athletic exercise during the
windy afternoon.
After the fire was out and the dam.
age counted up, the next thing was to
visit the place where it started and
seek to establish theory as to it's
cause. At the point where it began
there were found some oats strung
along the road, also some onions, and
an old bed-quilt, partially burned,
had been buried by the roadside
by means Of scooping some loose dirt
over 1t. George Lynn's idea of the
matter is that some emigrant was
driving along the road. smoking; that
his quilt, and possibly other plunder,
caught fire from the pipe, cigar or
cigarette and the fire was not dis.
covered uetil it had made consider.
able headway. That, when the man
ascertained that his outfit was on fire,
he got busy ut once; that he threw
oa&lhe oats to get the gunny-sack tO
light the fire with: that he tried to
bury the burning quilt to prevent the
fire catching on the prairie; that he
was not successful; and that, when he
saw the tirc biting into the grass,
'he stood not upon the order Of his
going" but kited out at once.
As the fire reached the brush 1T the
creek there was something In the
nature Of comedy enacted. A jack.
rabbit, yellow from his singeing, bolt.
ed through the head.fre and scam.
pered north across the burned.over
prairie.
We said, above, that there was no
damage save to the hay and the range.
That was mistake. Ten acres Of
timber were burned over ON the Lynn
place, aud many big, spreading, shade.
making tress we're killed.
~The un dersigned are In Lintor
for tho purpose Of making the last
shipment OF the season. We are
deSirous OF buying u few carloads 0l
hogs weighing from 80 pounds up
PARTIES having same will do well K
call on US. PECK h FROST.
Lost-A pair of telephone lineman',
"reversible c0nnectOry" This Is I
dingus that opens and closes like !,
pair OF pincerS, ana when closed has
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