The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-07-26

last year.. No milk, eggs or butter
are for sale in the burned districts.
The farmers are handicapped by lack
of horses. Where a man formerly
worked five or six animals, he now
creeps along, most disadvantageously
and unprofitably, with one or two ami
mails.
There are very few hogs and chick
ems in the burned regions. The influx
of. Montana sheep brings few late
lambs which cannot keep up with the
flock, therefore the shepherds now and
then give such lamb to farmer. One
man was even given three such lambs
the other day.
But these sheep 60 only to a few
neighborhoods and they do not come
to stay. Later on, they either will go
to market or back to North Dakota and
Montana. If there is good forage
crop next year in regions that have
dried up this year, very few of those
sheep will come back, even for sum-
mer grazing. Naturally, even their
temporary stay will result in an inter
est and the acquisition Of a few per-
manent flocks, but not at all to the
Eextent and WAY, one wopld- Judge
from reading the unduly optimistic
drivel in the local daily papers.
The hay crop is good, but the acre
age is about go per cent of what it
usually is. Considerable wild hay and
hay on roadways must be cut with
scythes, therefore it is tedious and ex-
pensive work to save it. There is
hardly any enclosed pasturage. Potato
and other root crops will not exceed
so per cent Of last year.
Not only is there no clearing Of land
and no time and money for such work,
but fire-killed and down timber con-
tinue to exist as further fire hazard,
if few hot, dry weeks should come
between now and snowfall.
State Forester Cox has nothing to
say about the October fires, but he
does talk about flying machines with
which to patrol the hinterland against
fires. Where and how those machines
can land and how many fire fighters
they can carry, he does not say.
State Forester Cox also clamors for
more sheep to eat up the underground,
thereby reducing fire hazards in the
future. Instead Of "Letting George
Do IT, when it comes to making tho
hinterland safe, Mr.. Cox proposes to
let the woody sheep do it. ..--T
Very recently, the Duluth Evening
Herald had page of claptrap about
the optimistic spirit in the hinterland
and the bright bow Of promise hang
ing over that blackened land. As
usual, the story Of cheer was untrue,
misleading and replete with nisinfor-
nation. 1t was neat desk production,
but not in accord with facts and con-
ditions. There is no such spirit in
the farming regions, at Cloquet and,
especially, at Moose Lake. Several
hundred bodies of friends, neighbors
and loved ones, buried in those long
trenches, cause depression, discourage
ment and despondency. 4 .",.as
~ Many Of the farmers are disgusted,
disgruntled and angered by their ex-
periences in trying to start damage ae-
tions against railroads and lumber
companies whom they believe to be re-
sponsible for the inception Of many
Of the fires and, consequently, dam
ages for losses incurred. > 2a2- -
a AS previously stated in the Rip-Saw,
there is, deep anger at Alborn over the
outcome of fire damage cases handled
by Messrs. Arnold & Arnold at the
last term of. district court. Not only
is there a feeling that this firm Of
lawyers did not handle the cases elev-
erly, but there Is resentment against
government agents. 5a-!a 5aa1 ns.3it
- :, Some Of the fire victims up there
claim that men came to them immedi-
atelya after the fires, claiming to be-
government agents and intimating' that
they were trying to establish extent
of fire damage SO as to help the gov
eminent make good the losses. The
government was liable through It's
temporary control and operation Of the
D.. NJ. & N. - sa;a af.seiS 81 !;
When the, first cases came to trial,
so. the sufferers allege, benevolent
agents Of the federal government
proved to be witnesses against the
plaintiffs in several cases. ,as3as. /
The farmers report that there Is
any, number, Of men in the woods now,
claiming to be- soil experts, seeking to
study and determine the extent and
character of fire damage, but whom
the farmers consider spies and future