The Colorado statesman., 1913-11-01
An Accomplishment Most Per-
sons Can Learn.
1t Looks Easy, but It Requires Spe
cial Methods-Two Recipes from
England, Where Coal and Not
Wood Is Customary Fuel.

When the first chilly days of au-
tumn come, the open fire claims much
of the affection and attention of the
household. For nothing is so cheer
full, SO comfortable and SO beautiful
to look upon as fire of logs cracking
on the hearth, or OF glowing Goals
burning in a CRATE.
There are some women and some
men, as well, who think they do not
know how to light fire; so, if they
want to be warm or want to be cheer
full or want to watch the cracking fire.
they must needs wait for some one
more skillful than they to build it.
Doubtless there are some persons
who cannot build fire, just as there
are some who cannot make geraniuws
grow and some others whose cake al
ways falls in The baking. But most
persons, if they will take the trouble
to learn thing or so about the chin
ney where they are building a fire,
and about the ways of fires in general,
will find themselves able to master
the art of fire making.
Every one know, of course. that a
draft is one of the first essentials for
good fire, drr fuel is another. So
see to it that you have them both at
hand.
Even poor chimney can be made
to harbor a good fire. If it's drawing
powers are not good, cuddle and coax
the fire past the smoking stage. Don't
burn an all wood fire, but establish a
glowing bed of Goals and rest assured
that the poor draft will prove suffi-
ciently strong to carry off the coal
gas and the little smoke that the Goals
give off.
Often even good chimney smokes
when the fire is first built, because
the chimney is cold and damp. If you
are sure that there is a substantial
layer of flreproof construction between
the chimney and any framework about
the house, light a crumpled sheet of
newspaper and thrust it as far up
the chimney as you can reach. Light
half dozen of these in succession
and you will have the chimney warm
enough to start smokeless fire.
On damp day this same newspaper
advantage, as much moisture and
dampness collect in the chimney in
fogs and rains.
There must always be room for air
to circulate under and behind the fire.
If you have andirons your task is sim
pie. Simply place the logs so that
room is left behind them for the air
to circulate; the andirons hold them
high enough to let the air circulate
under them. If there are no andirons
and no coal basket-a very good fire
of logs can be built in a coal basket
lay two stout sticks like andirons and
build the fire on these.
Have plenty of kindling - paper,
shavings. excelsior, dry sticks, pine
knots or chips-and let this get well
lighted before you pile on logs or
coal
Here is an English recipe for light
ing a coal fire-and the English who
Use coal to the exclusion of wood
should be authorities on the subject
Put some cinders in the bottom of
the CRATE. These insure circulation
of air. for they are porous and do not
cake down. Over them put a couple
of sheets of newspaper, crumpled
loosely and lay ten sticks of dry
wood on the paper. Put the fire well
back in the CRATE, but allow room be-
hind it for circulation of air. When
it is cracking. put on a shovelful of
coal, and repeat this process until the
CRATE is sufficiently filed with fire
Another English method of fire
lighting is to light the fire from the
top and let it burn downward-which
at first sounds something like scoop
ing up water with sieve. This is
how it is done: Put a layer of Gin
ders in the bottom of the CRATE and
cover these with a good bed of coal
Then lay dry sticks--a dozen or So
loosely over the Goals. Put on a
shovelful of coal and then put half
dozen sheets of crumpled paper on
top. Light the paper and watch the
fire burn downward