The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-06-20

lear1ul obstruction wrought ny the
rrairie fires of earlier days in the
West, and which even now frcIuent-
ly sweep the vast prairics west Of the
Missouri aud the rivers Of the North.
From earliest childhood to manhood |
was familiar with this demon of the
prairies, and no recollection Of pion
Ger experiences stands out so clearly
as those connected with these fiery
trials.
From the earliest settlement of this
region down to perhaps 1873 or later
destructive prairie fires annually Wis
tied US in northern Iowa, and they
were especially severe during the falls
of 1862 aud 1867. None of the old
pioneers will ever forget those terrible
fires. During the earlier years the
fires were, Of course, deroer aud Wild
'er, but not 80 destructive, for the
reason that the country then was 80
sparsely settled. Houses, grain and
= haystacks, and sometimes stock and
people, were destroyed by these wild
fires. Every fall, and perhaps spring,
the vast prsiries would be swept by
the tirss, and they kept the settlers in
constant fear and dread. More than
once did we come near being burned
out, or having much property destroy
ed. After the first one or two hard
frosts in the fall, and even up until
the snow came the settler looked for
and expected these visitation. All
the long weeks during the fall the air
would be hazy with smoke from the
prairie fires either near by or far away,
and always accompanied by that Pc
culiar odor Of burned wild grass.
There was o sense of wildness and
danger about all this that, in spite Of
the anxiety and dread which each one
shared, lent o charm to the scene.
The settler would break few furrows
around his home, hay and grain
stacks, aud then second line Of fur
rows five or ten rods from the arss
one, and then during a quiet day
would set IRE to the wild grass BE-
tween these two strips and burn it off.
This was his FIRE break. But often
the fire would come sweeping aloug at
raoehorse gait, jump the fre-break
40 easily &C g Though it gas only an In
dian trail and destroy everything in
its path. The: Ere gathersd wind,
and when the grass wss heavy and
tall, it Was on the lower ground in
early days, il was terrible and nothing
could stand before it. :
The FIRE always burned and advanced
in broad V.shaped form, broadening
AID widening aB it. advanced, and
would something's jump twenty to forty
rods, catch and continue on. A great
prairie FIRE would sometimes advance
with the mad rush Of the wind miles
aud miles over the country, when the
wind would suddenly shift and blow
from contrary direction, compelling
it to baSk.6re or burn against the
wind. This was watched day and
night. by the settlers, as they knew
only too we'll that any moment the [
wind might change and the FIRE come !
on again in its mad rush,
. Well do I remember how night after
night va would watch the distant |
fires, ready ct q moments notice with |
bundles Of hazel brush, mops and wet |
rags to begin baok6ring to save our |
or another's property; and distinctly |
do I recall what fierce times We would !
have sighting the flames, sometimes
all day long and fss into the night. |
The flames would 'mementariiy become
less fierce as the wind died down, and
then beecze up again, and only too
often the fire would spread with re.
newed fury over the ground We had
gained, and we would all be compelled
to run and wait our chance to Fight It
again. Inch by inch we would gaia
upon it, only to be overwhelmed byl
it and compelled to retreat again.
The men, women and children had to !
Eight for dear life. Sometimes We
would conquer, sometimes not. All
we're nearly roasted and. bliassred By
the fierce heat and : blsckened by the
dense smoke. #
But horne and oil We held dear de-
pended upon il, and all mustAsh.-,
and We did. Beyond the prsiries
were blaek and dead; coversd with
sshes o9 the husnsd grass, aad;iwhirl.l
winds passsa hisAsrand. .shiskeh "a {ess.
rying great black eolpmns Of sshssfar
mp into inc sky. u Tng Iva7 asi;. ssase 49,
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