The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1911-08-19

49,, M from the opportunity
OF enjoying this pleasure
To the increasingly
large number of pcoplo
VINO do ind II possible to spend the
summer and fall In tho woods and
mountains a note OF friendly warning
~ this time may rot be amlss This
VI the season when zach year thou
sahds OF inexperienced and oftcntimps
careless people enter the forest 10
camp and nsh and wander, 10 let their
minds and bodies grow. How many
pl theSe people realize what a menace
'hey are to that same forest which
u'y admire. and to the old trees which
ihey reverence?
hVen old, experienced wuodsmen are
not always careful with their camp
hrcs. Hunters who have been I'm the
WOO for 20 years often leave smol
nering cmbers when they break camp.
rms OF course. Is pure rccklessncss.
Tor these people know better. They
appreciate what consequences may fol
low u the wind should fan the smol
uering Goals. Usually. however. mon
VINO have lived In the woods all their
ives or who frequent the forest re-.
gi"ns during II portion OF the year
are very careful whore they build camp
Hires and how they leave them.
The question Of camp fires. like the
forest fires which may result from
thrin' must be handled differently In
different parts Of the country and IN
Inherent kinas OF forest. The differ.
'hco In tho danger element is very an.
paEnnt between "a hrc started in the
sandy soil beneath n pine forest and
W" deep dun beneath the spruce. Dur
ing even the dry scasuu. n ig perfectly
easy TO clear away Innammablo mate
rial n scoop out q hole IN Tho sand
where "a camp fire may be built with
comparative safety. IN the spruce
forest u is different: great care must
10 taken In the selection al; tho site
for a FIRE, since II win be- npt ~ creep
back beneath tho surface and 10 gain
Roadway after all trace Of 10 f. sup.
posed a. have been o]yfinuuIsh,d When
one digs a fire hole In q forest. such
Hs tprur" or Or, it is necessary 20 dig
deep and fud material that will not
smoldor or, better yet. scloc, n site
along some stream or lake shore where
there Is gravel or rocks.
DO not build large fires. They serve
no useful purpose. As nm old Indian
fHId: Indian he build lcetlc fire.
stay up close, keep wa.a-a.rm. White
man he build great fire, stand was
back. roast ono side. freeze Othvr." II
Is too often true that %partlcu.
lnrly those who are but slightly woods.
wise, pile on the wood to their own dis.
comfort and sometimes 20 their lmmi.
rent danger and that OF the surround.
Ing forest. or curse camp fires should
never be built against trees or stumps
where they are likely to smolder. II IL
we'll 10 give thought to the lire some
little time before breaking camp. DO
o build up n hot fire only an hour
or 30 before leaving the locality. This
VIII save trouble In cxtinguishing the
last vestige O fthe Goals and perhaps
save an extra bucket OF water carried
from an inconvonIent spot.
The question OF camp nres leads III.
orally to the question OF forest fires
Nearly every one who has been In tho
woods during the dry season. whether
81 be IN Maine or IN British Columbia.
has had the opportunity To prevent the
spread OF some inclpicnt forest fire
Sometimes they are called upon To
take part In controlling a FIRE we'll un.
der hcadway This kind OF work Is
necessary. II may mean carrying " n
ter TO pour upon smoldcriur fires IN
dry peat In a spruce or tamarack
swamp, It may mean rnking back the
leave from a creeping surface fire In
an a thickct, h may mean digging a
trench through tho leaf mold and dun
In a forest OF fr: very often IL means
beating out with buughs the flames ad
vancing through grass and needles be.
meath the Pine. occasionally It means
the fighting of fierce crown fires when
a gale Is blowing. In the latter case,
OF course, fighting from the side and
narrowing Ia the front OF the fire liz
n way Of making progress. Another
Is TO retreat 10 some favorable ridge.
water course. or other natural point
Of vantage, dig trenches, and back fire
Il strip across which the advancing
FIRE cunnot travel.
Practically every state has laws max.
Ing It a mlsdemeanor TO leave camp
fires uneXtinguished, In Colorado tho
penalty Is s25 to 500, or 10 to GO days
imprisonment. In Maine the penalty
Is $50, In Montana Persons starting
camp fires without taking sufficient
steps 70 prevent spreading Of thom. or
failing to eStinguish them before !eav.
ing, are guilty OF misdemeanor and n.
able TO a fine OF $4,000 or one years
Imprisonment"