Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-04-11

away, break 1t in two or more piece
before you throw it away. Be sure
your pipe ashes, cigarette and cigal
stubs are dead before throwing then
away. Never burn your slash Oh
brush in windy weather Consult your
district forest Officer) and burn early
before the frost is out of the ground
| Never leave a campfire or any burn
ing before that last spark you SEE
glowing is out.
A fire can be SO ruthless and de-
structive, it is almost beyond com
pretending the extent of the damage
The floor of the forest is blanketeC
with deep coating of sO-called hui
mus, which acts as a great sponge
conserving the rainfall which slowly
| searches out a way through this maze
OF needles, leaves, twigs, moss, and
other vegetative growth. Water is re-
strained from flowing away by being
held in hardwood leaves which curl
and form cups. Thus rainfall which
on bare slopes would reach the nearest
brook in few hours, causing erosion
and muddy streams. can be delayed
for days and finally may appear in
some spring to quench the thirst of
warm and tired lover of nature,
birds and perhaps other furred and
feathered friends. But if we give
the fires free reign over this carpet
of .humus, (Which varies from 4 to 6
inches in thickness) destroying the
trees that are furnishing this sponge,
We cannot expect to have beautiful
forests which furnish humanity with
so many things, for instance beauti-
full camp grounds, summer homes, no.
tells and resorts, lumber, pulpwood,
ties, posts, insulation, prevention of
floods, regulation of lake, levels, pre-
ventiOn of erosion, refugees, state
parks and recreational centers.
Forest fire destruction is as real as
riot or invasion. When you gaze into
the night skies in spring or fall at
the most dangerous fire seasons and
can see all around you the reflections
of fires in every direction. the sky
lit up like red ball. there is no
more terrifying thing to witness, I'M
less perhaps it be a volcanic eruption.
which don't believe can be any worse
than the roar and crackle of an ad-
vancing fire front, or the darkness
of midnight at noon. To all too many
in this land and all too often, the
picture is a vivid one. There is no
more pitiful thing. I believe, than the
settlers family. after years of priva-
ton and incredible labor, surveying.
without food or shelter. the blackened
ruin of all their hopes.
When human distress comes to our
eyes and ears, We act first and argue
afterwards. l wish there were some
way to get good human emotion
aroused to its proper place in view
ing the evils of the red demon, the
forest fire. Our problem is not fire.
hunt, but a man hunt; before the fire
if possible, but in no case abandoned
until he is eliminated. Not fire, but
the hand that lights it, is the public
enemy. In his heart and that of his
wife and children and neighbors, and
of the officers of the law, and the
judge on the bench, and of editor,
legislator. and man on the street,
there must be knowledge that his
hand has been set against society as
surely as that of the killer, and the
thief. No excuse alters the fact of
this. He may plead thoughtlessness
instead of depravity, but this does not
his victims In the de-
gree that they are more numerous,
that his carelessness strikes more
homes, it is greater crime. AS d
rule it is mere than utter careless
ness. 1t violates the Law and we can
no more live outside of the law than
we can the atmosphere. All this
brings to mind the words of gentle
man Of Finnish descent residing in
the city of Cloquet during the time of
our last war. Asked if he would fight
for the United States, he answered
in this manner: mo, but | fight for
lat Lo Kay town" (meaning Cloquet).
And / believe it would be well for
everyone to also fight for what / have
placed before you in respect to Pine
and the state pertinent to the
welfare of our woods and wild life.
ALIVE JOHNSON.
Sandstone. Minnesota.