Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-04-25

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our tram was Speeding up the
valley Of The Kootenai in northern
] loahO, writes a traveller. On one
sice Of the track lay an immense
i tule- marsh spotted with little ponds
That smiled back at the sun. In
Vulnerable families Of wild duck
llngs played on these ponds. each
family ~ charge II a WOtheriy old
duck who watched them with par
entail pride. N.Y. sealmate turned
10 me
Good breeding-place for ducks. -
he remarked.
Yes replied.
This country reminds me Of
my home in Lane County. Ore.
only our marshes are larger, and
where you have one breed Of ducks
we have hundreds, besides many
other kinds Of water birds.
There must be fine shooting in
the fall
There would be but for the
most cruel thing ever permitted in
q civilized country" he said, We
hemently.
And what is that?" I asked, my
curiosity aroused.
This is August. isn't it? Sup
pose a fire had swept over this
marsh month ago."
| shuddered
That is exactly what happens in
my country every year. he con-
tinued.
rs it accidental?"
No. Deliberate, and a most
dastardly crime against the wild
things. The marshes are owned by /
stockmen, and every year, in July, |
they burn over thousands of acres
for pasturage. They burned a
marsh last month, and I was pres
emit. II was the most heartless
hing ! ever saw, and it filled me
With Indignation.
THE owners took advantage of
/ high wind, and fired the dry
ules on one edge. For several
the fire crept along slow
y, gathering force as it went. The
lght was rather interesting at
irst; the apparently useless tules
md rushes were being cleared off ;
0 make room for pasturage {
hat would spring up and furnish {
God for the cattle until late in
he winter.
But soon the scene changed. '
i beautiful blue heron rose be- t
ore the fire and winged away: an
ther mounted into the air. but
he flames We're now rushing for
yard with the speed Of the wind.
NE poor bird poised in the air
ealing its wings in an endeaVOr i
. resist some invisible power that 7
nemed drawing it back. It could k
OF make headway. but hung Sus- o
ended until a great wave of fire a
Tept over it, and 1t fell to the
arth. a
- had noticed a trembling in the S
Hes In front of the fire. and sup o
osed ii to be the wind waving the 0
alks. All at once a little open d
md like one Of these was COW V
ed with ducklings. They dash W
into the water and sat for a II
oment irresOlute. Then | saw
at the rustling Of the tules was g
used by countless young birds. III
fable to Fly. running away from ~
e flames. sfv
The fire had now spread acrossf 81
IF mile front The air was a
led with flying birds: the young
uld not fly, and the old ones W
their terror, deserted them. fir
d attempted to escape. Mallards. BE-
teal, widgeon. hluebill, be
rons, pallcans. cranes. aVocets. Ii
1derllng, and other kinds of wa tn
birds. besides red-wing black III
'ds, yellow-headed blackbirds and tn
'eral kinds of marsh-wrens. rose
IN the inferno. only to be
ept back into the fire and con-
med. Near the border of the
rsh was wide shallow lake. te.
] into this rushed countless Of
mbers OF half-fledged ducklings. Ha
ey came pouring out of the dense frs
G thicket. and collected on the he
IN water their only haven of 81
uge
Driven by a high wind. the fire r
led on. reached The pond. and m
at sheets of flame spread over q
water ike a vast red blanket. a,1
len the fire passed. the water MI NJ,
covered so thickly with dead cr a'
Is that ii could not be seen. ~ ~
i he next day | walked across zoo
burned area, and the destruc- r rUU
OF bird life was appalling. Lit fio s
". hundreds of thousands of orc orc
'kened forms lay upon the S ;nn
lnd, while other thousands of nv ~
MS covered the water hole. SSu.
; thing is repeated every wear. re-, ,Ss'
only in this place, but in many III" 70
'es IN that country. How long en- ~
IT be until there are no wa 10 bou
birds left?" ne
~, the
iiLAND BOXER 0UT-POINTS was
HIS SALT LAKE 0ppANENrr Ben