The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-11-15


CITY and admires the fearless and system
work of the fremen fighting to subdue
flames. Here they are but minutes away II
the source of the fire, with speedy conveyaz
for reaching 1t and every possible assistance
human ingenuity to control the fire.
Compare this with the many obstacles
which the forest fre-ighter has to cont
Sometimes he is more than a days journey
the fire. He has a limited and often inexpl
enced crew to help him. He must travel on
or on horseback, and he cannot lope along
they do in the city Professionalism trails
not made for Looping horses. He must rely
packhorses for conveying commissary suppl
because 1t may mean many days of hard va
ahead of him on the burning area Very ofaI
indeed. he must blaze his way number Of ml
through trailess wilderness, carrying his
and grub on his back, and through a count
where every step seems a greater impeding
to rapid progress; and when he reaches the q
1t may be of such proportions as to appall q III
sturdy nature
The rapidity with which fire can spread in q
mountains is almost unbelievable. For instans,
in 1910. by the middle of August over 30
small fires had been put out by patrolmen q
over 80 large ones had been brought under e
troll by crews of from % to $50 men. And n
when the cyclone Of August 20 came that wei
was all undone so quickly as TO make one gq|
with wonder and awe. Within As hours stu
or country more than 100 miles long and mcr|
than 20 miles wide had been burned over. AL
still the fire was advancing. Against all this a
army of more than 5000 men fought persistendf
and courageously and always in the face of owe
whelming odds. yet never did they falter und
the rains came.
In passing, 1t is but fitting to give credit to "
brave men In the governments employ. WI
risked and lost their lives In earnest endeavon
to carry out their duties, and many are the tad
of heroism and unselfsh devotion during tho
strenuous times, when men toiled and sweat
shoulder to shoulder.
Men can and will. in the course OF time. MAJ
effort to reforest the great devastated areas, "
the scope Of years to carry out such work \
broad indeed. Mans best work. now and for I
ways. lies In the prevention of a recurrence
such calamities as have gone before. Throu4
legislation man can compel the railroads to Us.
contrivances to prevent sparks from leaving III
engines; he can educate campers into the necef
sity for their cooperation in extinguishing canl
fires Ia truly little thing. yet big in results and
exact severe penalty for failure to abide by th'
law; he can appropriate more money for i'm
provement and protection work. to place the for
ests under closer supervision and make thea
more accessible so that the fires caused by lighl
Ming for instance. can be caught at their vss
inception; but mostly. he must enlist the .
operation OF all his fellowmen to help in u
great work OF preserving and perpetuatng u
forests because they represent source Of weall
and necessity and beauty, not to any single indi
vidual. but one in which every member Of oul
great country is, and always will be- directly o.
indirectly. participant. even unto our childreni
children, ad inf1nitum