The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-05-14

parched. In every direction from Sea
berry Settlement fires had been burn
ing through the forest, but as yet tn,
valley OF the West Canada had es
capped
But one night a careless man threw
a burning match into brush heap
When morning came the west wind
blowing up the valley. was ash laden
and warm with the fire that was com
ing eastward toward the settlement iu
line mile wide.
soon after daybreak Lem lawson
met the fire on his way TO Mobiles.
borough and warned the settlement of
lis danger One man FASTENED To No.
blesborOugh for the fire warden. two
Went up the West Canada TO the mm-
Der camps. The rest OF the male pop.
ulation, including boys. fastened down
the main road 10 an old log trail IL
was hoped the fire might be stopped
at the open the road Afforded.
with hoes and shoyels the men dug
trench through the loan to the sand.
scattering the dirt over the leaves
toward the fire. When the first flames
came along they redoubled their If.
forts amid the flying sparks and suf-
locating smoke, but without avail.
The sparks and great pieces of fam
Ing birch curls carried the flames over
the road into the woods beyond the
men. fairly surrounding them with
fire
Beyond the road the fire had freer
sweep. Only the year before that
wood lot had been cut over for the
spruce pulp Hundreds Of the tree
tops. brown and dry. needed only
spark 70 set them off. and il was a
wave OF flame that ran into each one.
instead OF mere sparks. In the more
open places little tonges OF fire darted
In a narrow line for Yards ahead of
the main wave. skipping among the
dusty leaves. The fire ran up the
curly 0irches in splrals and darted
high above the treetops.
The men could only 20 before II.
pausing now and then to throw dirt
on a spark. Those who lived in the
settlement glanced from side to side.
wondering if the fire would cross the f.
brook whore they now determined 10
make another and the last possible .
stand.
The settlement was built along the
brink OF a steep side-hll. The bed Of
the stream was only few feet wide
chiefly sandbar and drs bouldcrs al
this time-and beyond IL. toward the
ire, was fiat, or bottom. sixty rods
wide. averaging not two feet above
the bed Of the brook.
The bottom was covered with stand
Ing balsams and heads Of dead spruce
tops, like those on the ridge, only
larger and more numerous. Ii was a
'wampy lowland in all but the drlest
seasons now II was like a great bed
II match sticks. and quite as innam-
nable. Even the mold would burn
here.
Should the fire cross the brook. IT /
would climb the hill and burn the
buildings. Then it would sweep across
the narrow fields of grass or 20
around The ends OF the settlement
Tearing into the big woods" Lum- (,
'ering was the main business OF the
settlement. Should these woods 20
he men would be without homes and
Without occupation. !
One Of the fire fighters was VIII
3orson son Of the man who had !
brown the match. and as he fought
With his hoe along the road he heard {
he men on each side Of him cursing s
us father by name for his careless.
less. More than once these men =
lrned on VIII and told him he ought q
o put that fire out. since his father !
'as 70 blame for it. The words b
lung bitterly. but he made no reply
D them. a
viii did his best. Sparks burned n
oles in his shirt; fare OF sheet fire g
rom brush heap singed his eve. G
lshes and the hair over his forehead y
hen old Ike Frazier cried out. Its y
o use here any more. boys," VIII y
as the last one to duck his head and u
IN for the road up the creek to the 81
ettlement
Half dozen men were detailed TO W
to the houses and help the women u
airy the furniture and other house. n
Did goods out in the fields TO the
Altering troughs; the rest fastened ~
the brook and scattered along Il -
I'd threw water on the brush at the oi
lge. hoping the flames would be "
iadened when they came. Fl
Among them worked VIII Borson, 10
mixing with all his might and look. IN
s up and down the creek as IL the IT
y. gray boulders. with the scant W.
read OF water oozing down among
EN-, would give him some inspira- IN
IN. The width OF the stream was ba
ly a few feet on an average, and fia
'enty feet at the widest pools. over wi
llch the lame and sparks would an
ickly jump sa
There We're many trout in the
cam, and VIII knew the pools by on
art When Sol Cardin was plan. ST.
~ TO make a fish-pond above the off
element the summer before ii was
u who had advised him 10 dam the th'
rye. The result had been that in In
'ad OF the ten-acre pond on which be
landowner had calculated. he TIL
med a lake two miles long and ac
II mile wide The gorge was where IL
brook. in the course Of ages. had gro