The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-26
NAEA THE GROUND BURNS
EXCITING RACE WITH WINTER
WON BY RED CROSS
Building Bees Break Records-New
Houses Go Up Like Magic

One Of tne strangest facts observed
in the forest fires. which occasionally
sweep over tim woods Of Northern
Michigan and MINNESOTA is the burr
ing ground Falling leaves, bark ana
twigs and dying plant.life gradually
accumulate in the. foresis. The rains
and dense shad} Keep t1iosmass damp
Moses grow In Ethefishrface. of the
decAying vegetation The halfrotted
stun settles downsa and hafiieIs Trees
spring up and their. roofs take hold In
the peaty substance.
Then comesiiaii SEASON. Of S'routh,
and the dampness slowly eyaporates.
A hunter or woodman or farmer
builds fre, or railway engine
drops spark. The dry surface Of tie
ground is ignited and a slow cancer
Of FIRE eats deep among the roots Of
the trees, smouldering for weeks or
months Then one day strong wind
springs up. The trees, undermined
by the fre. topple over, their roots
throwing out showers OF sparks and
burning masses of tinder-like mate
rial Flames burst out in every di-
recticil, and. like flash, a forest
IRE is In full sweep.
The forest fire waich occurred In
Northern Minnesota few weeks ago
broke out In many places at once, be.
cause many of these smouldering
fires were simply awaiting the gale
Which sprang up on October 7th. III
4kIU E~~ni oh .tT
country were burned The thriving
Villages OF Beaudette. with a popull
ton OF 1,200, and Spooner. with $50.
were swept out of existence In m
hour Hundreds of ."homesteaders. +"
carving their farms Out of the forests,
lost their homes and saved their
lives by lowering themselves into
wells, or plunging into streams or
ponds. Thirty lives we're lost. and
1000 persons were left homeless. with
food. live stock, farm crops and ma
cuincry all gene.
When TIE agents o: tne American
Rod Cross reached the burned lis
triet they realized that winter vas
at lend In this north country and
that their greatest task was the swift
construction Of large number 9f
shelters. II was a big job. and It
lad TO be quickly done. Here is the
manner In which the Red Cross met
the cmergency;
Two simple designs Tor houses
were prepared. Of one and two rooms,
respectively These required only \
few standard sizes OF lumber ond
tar paper took the place of shingles
and plaster. Lumber was rushed in
from Canada. the secretary Of the
treasury at Washington saving waiv-
ed the customs duty on supplies re.
quired by the Red Cross. A half
dozen carpenters were hurried TO the
scene. Then building bees" we're
organized. with one carpenter in
command OF each A half dozen
Beighbors. with saw and hammer,
Wcitd help ole Olson build his house
Then ell. intending Olson, would
move along and build Hans Hanson's 5
horse and so on. The speed with
which these houses were erected.
where several "bees" were mum
ming AZ The same time, was start.
hhks Dlif lnib Was gong m Tue
Red Cross wfty hurrving into sie /
fire district from 1uluth and st. Paul
and winneapolisl 3g orders of doors.
windows, stoyeRl bedding. chairs,
Kitchen utensils shd provisions. AS
rapidly as the little houses were
ready they were furnished and stock /
ed up with food and the families
moved IN. /
II was desperate race with win
Ter. aud the Red Cross won. While I
the race VAS at It's swiftest there was
pet hasieT sB0t between the oceans T
than this black and desoIate stretch I
Of country along northermost rim
0f Minnesota Much remains to be
done. but nobody Is going to freeze or
sfaFge.
The generous people Of Minnesota
sent IN supplies By the carload. and.
what Is more. they sent $4,000 in
Hard cash to The Red Cross for the
belp OF the hardy and brave people
Nho are. starting all over again with
characteristic American pluck
After heary meal. take couple
Of Doan's Regulets. and give your
zss<ssxnoh fluaX on4 ho.r1n~ &ho haln