Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-11-14

"
civ and admires the fearless and systematic
work of the fremen fighting to subdue the
flames. Here they are but minutes away from
the source Of the fire, with speedy conveyances
for reaching it and every possible assistance OF
human ingenuity to control the fire.
Compare this with the many obstacles with
which the forest fre-fighter has to contend.
Sometimes he is more than a days journey from
the fire. He has a limited and often inexperi-
enced crew to help him. He must travel on foot
or on horseback, and he cannot lope along as
they do in the city professionalism trails are
not made for Looping horses. He must rely on
packhorses for conveying commissary supplies.
because it may mean many days Of hard work
ahead OF him on the burning area. Very often,
indeed, he must blaze his way a number of miles
through a trailless wilderness, carrying his bed
and grub on his back, and through a country
where every step seems a greater impeachment
to rapid progress; and when he reaches the fire
1t may be Of such proportions as to appall a less
sturdy nature.
mountains is almost unbelievable. For instance,
in 1910, by the middle Of August over 5000
small fires had been put out by patrolmen and
ever 90 large ones had been brought under con-
troll by crews Of from 25 to $50 men. And yet.
when the cyclone Of August 20 came, that work
was all undone so quickly as to make one gasp
with wonder and awe. Within 4S hours a strip
Of country more than 100 miles long and more
than 25 miles wide had been burned over. And
still the fire was advancing. Against all this an
army OF more than 5000 men fought persistently
and courageously and always in the face of over
~whelming odds, yet never did they falter until
the rains came.
In passing, 1t is but fitting to give credit to the
brave men in the governments employ. who
r1sked and lost their lives in earnest endeavors
to carry out their duties, and many are the tales
OF heroism and unselfsh devotion during those
strenuous times, when men toiled and sweated
shoulder to shoulder.
Men can and will, in the course Of time, make
effort to reforest the great devastated areas. but
the scope Of years to carry out such work ia
broad indeed. Mans best work, now and for al
ways, lies in the prevention Of a recurrence OF
such calamittes as have gone before. Through
legislation man can compel the railroads to use
contr1vances to prevent sparks from leaving the
engines; he can educate campers into the neces-
stty for their cooperation in extinguishing camp
fires IA truly little thing, yet big in resuIts) and
exact a severe penalty for failure to abide by the
law: he can appropriate more money for i'm
provement and protection work, to place the for
ests under closer supervision and make them
more accessible, so that the fires caused by light
ming, for instance, can be caught at their very
inception; but mostly, he must enlist the CO.
operation Of all his f~ellowmen to help in the
great work OF preserving and perpetuating the
forests because they represent a source of wealth
and necessity and beauty, not to any single indi.
vidual. but one in which every member OF our
great country is, and always will be. directly or
children, ad inhnitum.