The Bismarck tribune., 1925-05-11
N0VELDEALS
WITH FIGHT
OF FARMERS
Story Woven About Struggle
of N. ID. Growers For
Fec nCmic Justice

The vast wheat lands of North
Dakota form the setting of the Of
fering from the pen or Lorna Doone
Beers entitled "Prairie Fires. The
story deals with the farmers struggle
against economic injustice and Of
his efforts to establish cooperative
grain elevators, through which is in
terwoven the story of young girl
whose life is shaped by the bitter
economic struggle around her, who
is forced to balance love on one
side against money on the other. The
writer shows an intimate knowledge
of farm life in North Dakota and the
meeting of the legislature in Bis
marck
It is interesting to note what the
writer terms the status Of the farm
er. which in part is:
"The farmer is dependent on no
man in the world. He sows the
seed IN the spring and gathers the
harvest in the summer. He lives in
the midst of his fields, surrounded
by his herds and his flocks. His
wife and his children are about him.
The sky above is the home Of God,
and He sends His blessed rain. The
farmer is beholden to no man. The
sins of other men are not upon his
conscience. Although kings and the
avaricious rich create wars, yet he
stays home to carry on Gods work
of tending to living things. No man
is his enemy that he need exchange
the hoe for the rifle and nothing
else save frost and hail, or drought
and blight. These with skill and
diligence and labor he may offset.
Yes. he is independent. is the farm
er. His feet are planted in the soil.
His head is barred to heaven. His
hand stretches forth to strew life
over the fields or succor some liv-
ing creature"
The significance Of the title is
brought out in the conversation of
the farmers when they meet to dis
cuss their common grievance, the ad-
vantage the bankers and lawyers
have and use to defraud the farmer.
The tide Of resentmant starts as
cminous smoke and with ever in
creasing volume reaches the pronor-
tions of huge prairie fire which
eliminates III the forming OF CO.
operative elevators and the organiza-
ton of the Nonpartisan league, the
time of the story being in the few
years preceding the year 1916.
This spirit Of resentment is ably
illustrated in the boycott scheme
rracticed bv the farmers in the vi
cinity of Besserud, the immediate
setting of the action, when by. CO.
operation the farmers force the bus
mess men Of this town to come to
their terms by refusing to trade or
carry on business transactions unless
favorable to the farmers, thus show
ing what could be accomplished by
systematic cooperation on the part
of the farmers.
The action is carried to the state
house in Bismarck to the meeting Of
the Legislature and the battle waged
over the idea Of a terminal eletAtor,
showing vividly the red-tape and
lobbying which is part of the
passage of any bill. An interesting
account of day at the State House
follows in part:
"The old red brick State House, ex-
posed as it was upon it's bluffs, ap!
peared to culver like nervous ami
NAL under the constant twang and
buster. 1t was quite impossible for
a man to be comfortable in any one
Of the Offices ranged along the ex-
posed side of the building. The
loose windows chattered like the
windows in wooden train coach.
The branches of the stunted trees
outside whipped about. 1t was true
that the snow blanketed the prairie.
yet ones nostrils smarted as though
with dust. The radiator guzzled and
Kissed. Hot air. stale and smelling
of burned paint, came out in waves.
"A hell Of a day. roared the chair
man. Can't we cool the place off :?
asked the young miners lobbyist,
and he opened a window. Papers
flew and were plastered against the
walls like bats, Huge maps flapped
like sails. There was the temporary
blessing of fresh air, then the sick
ening heat rushed back once more.
1t seemed warmer than ever. The
lobbyist presented his case for the
last time. banging upon the orange
coiored oak table with his fists"
To quote the author on the forma-
tion of the Nonpartisan League:
"As the afternoon wore on he be-
came more and more convinced that
the league would "set the prairie
afire." Slow tinder, those old farm
ers might be, yet they burned with |
a vehement crackle before the inter-
view was over" and in closing 'to
think that there beneath the lone
illness and isolation a storm was
ready to break with crackle and a
roar, storm which had been gath
ering for thirty years. All! the next
election!"