Year: 1860

A writer in the Boston Transcript, referring to


the frequent suspicious that fires arc caused by in
eendiaries, says:


In our walks about town, it has occurred To us
that the incendiary may be readily discovered.
Some of our merchants will be startled to learn
that he is an every day acquaintance, sometimes
useful one, in their counting rooms and warehous-
es; gentlemen who are very respectable citizens
conceal him in their vest pockets he may be found
among the loose coppers in the pocket of the la
borer, and even careful housekecpers allow him
snug corner in drawers, among waste paper, bits
Of thread and scraps OF cloth.


This is the way it occurred to us. Walking one
evening through one Of the city thOrUughfares, we
saw gentleman lighting his cigar. The lighted
match still blazing, was thrown eareessly to tho
ground, and disappeared through the iron grating
which formed portion of the sidewalk On arriv-
ing at the place, smoke was pouring up through,
and we found brisk little fire. burning merrily but
mischievously, well fed by the scraps of paper and
other sweepings from the store. little water
extingushed the fire. very fortunately, for the sash
of the window Of the cellar were already little
scorched, and one or two broken panes were ready
to suck in the flames, and piles of cases stood in
vitngly near to welcome the intruder. Here was
a case illustrating. we believe, two-tbirds Of the


fires that have taken place, where traces Of their
origin have been discovered, and where the work
of the s. incendary " was clearly to be seen. If
this large warehouse, with its contents. had been
DESTROYED as they unquestionably would have been,
but for our timely arrival.


Almost everybody smOkes-every ambitious
young man has a meersehaum or Woodstock to
color on the street the gentleman burns his Ha-
vana, and on the wharves the day laborer puffs
away at his clay pipe. In the dwelling, the ware
house. stores, saloons, counting rooms and IN clos
cts and wardrObes, matches may be found, in con-
sequence of this universal habit of smoking. Con-
slant use and familiarity have made people careless
in handling and bestowing them. Gentlemen will
put half dozen matches in their vest pockets, use
perhaps one or two Of them during the day, and
returning home change their clothes, hanging up


in the closet the vest containing in the pocket the
remaining matches. fire breaks out, and the
house is burnt to the ground. Tue matches for
gotten, and of course it the work of an ineen-
diary The proprietor clerk of large establish
ment wishing to indulge in a smoke. now and 'hen.
while about his business, will light his ciga and
throw the match away earelessly. There are many
things that will catch fire in such establishment
and shoulder for hours, increasing in size until
draft of wind fans the spark into q fame Many
persons who have been upon our wharyes have
seen abOrers cOolly leaning against bale of cotton
while lighting their pipes, eombustible matter
surrounding them in every direction. The pipe
lighted, the match drOps-nO one cares where.
Everybody cries matches. Letany one who doubts
it, stop in the street, say half dozen persons and
ask for match. We believe we are not setting
it too high when we assert that five out of six will
readily and eOurteously hand out the little ncendi
ary.


The reader will perceive that, although there
are men wicked enough to set FIRE to the property
of others, we are OF the opinion that such cases
extremely rare aud that the universal and care
less use of matches by smokers and others, is the
of nearly all the fires it is convenient 10
lay upon the shoulders of the ineendiary. L