Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-08-09

To the increasingly
large number of people
who do find 1t possible, to spend the
summer and fall in the woods and
mountains note Of friendly warning
at this time may not be amiss. This
Is the season when each year thou
sands Of inexperienced and oftentimes
careless PEOPLE enter the forest to
camp and ash and wander, to let their
minds and bodies grow. How many
Of these people realize what menace
they are 10 that same forest which
they admire, and to the old trees which
they reverence?
Even old. experienced woodsmen are
not always careful with their camp
dres. Hunters who have been inC the
woods for 20 years often leave smol-
dering embers when they break camp.
This. Of course. is pure recklessness.
for these people know better. They
appreciate what consequences may fol-
low II the wind should fan the smol-
dering Goals. Usually, however, men
who have lived in the woods all their
lives or who frequent the forest re-
gions during portion Of the year
are very careful where they build camp
ares and how they leave them.
The question OF camp fires, like the
forest fires which may result from
them, must be handled differently in
different parts of the country and in
different kinds of forest. The differ
ence in the danger element is very APP
parent between fire started In the
sandy soil beneath a pine forest and
the deep duff beneath the spruce. Dur
Ing even the dry season 1t is perfectly
easy to clear away innammable mate
rial and scoop out hole In the sand
where a camp fire may be built with
comparative safety. In the spruce
forest It is different: great care must
be taken in the selection t.. the site
for a fire, since it will be apt to creep
back beneath the surface and to gain
Roadway after all trace Of 1t is sup
posed to have been extinguished. When
ono digs fire hole in forest, such
as spruce or fir, 1t is necessary to dig
deep and find material that will not
smolder, or, better yet, select site
along some stream or lake shore where
there is gravel or rocks.
Do not build large fires. They serve
no useful purpose. AS an old Indian
said: Indian he build leetle fire,
stay up close. keep wa-a-a-rm. White
man he build great fire, stand way
back. roast one side, freeze other" It
Is too often true that campers, particu.
larly those who are but slightly woods
wise. pile on the wood to their own dis
comfort and sometimes to their 1mmi-
nent danger and that Of the surround
Ing forest OF course camp fires should
never be built against trees or stumps
where they are likely to smolder. It Is
we'll to give thought to the fire some
little time before breaking camp. Do
not build up . hot nre only an hour
or SO before leaving the locality. This
win save trouble In extinguishing the
last vestiEe fthe Goals and perhaps
save an extra bucket Of water carried
from an inconvenient spot.
The question of camp nres leads lit.
orally to the question OF forest fres.
Nearly every one who has been in the
woods during the dry season, whether
it DO in Maine or in British Columbia,
has had the opportunity to prevent the
spread of some incipient forest IRE.
Sometimes they are called upon to
take part in controlling IRE we'll I'M
der Roadway. This kind Of work Is
necessary. It may mean carrying wa
ter to pour upon smoldering fires in
dry peat in spruce or tamarack
swamp; 1t may mean raking back the
leaves from creeping surface fire in
an oak thicket; 1t may mean digging a
trench through the Leaf mold and dun
In forest Of FIR; very often 1t means
beating out with boughs the flames ad-
vancing through grass and needles be-
meath the pine; occasionally 1t means
the lighting of fierce crown fires when
a gale is blowing. In the latter case.
of course. fighting from the side and
narrowing in the front Of the fire IL
one way Of making progress. Another
is to retreat to some favorable ridge,
water course. or other natural point
Of vantage, dig trenches, and back fire
u 6IA4p t1CAOSS WAACu Iu0 dOtdUCluS
fire cannot travel.
Practically every state has laws max
ing It a misdemeanor to leave camp
fires unextinguished. In Colorado the
penalty Is $25 to 500, or IS to 60 days
Imprisonment In Maine the penalty
Is $50. In Montana Persons starting
camp fires without taking sufficient
steps to prevent spreading Of them. or
failing to extinguish them before leav-
ing. are guilty Of misdemeanor and IL
able to fine of $4,000 or one years
imprisonment"
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Respecting
A healthy looking woman dressed in
deep mourning stepped onto the plat