FORESTRY. 447 
rate of twenty rods a day. Fires can be put out even after they have 
gained considerable headway; but the easiest and best way to stop 
fire is to prevent it starting; and to prevent them all, all the people 
who start them must be reached and influenced. How to reach them 
might be left to the managers of such an undertaking; but a few 
_ suggestions briefly can be made here. 
Every individual should have some influence brought to bear 
upon him that will prevent him letting fire get beyond his control, 
whether he be locomotive engineer or trackman, farmer or tramp; 
lumberman or timber thief, sportsman or pot hunter, white man or 
red. The aim must be to prevent wild fires entirely. Legislation is 
talked of and is necessary; but it should be remembered that legis- 
lation can at best only support a movement. Penalties are not en- 
forced unless the people enforce them. Officers cannot be every- 
where, and officers may fail to do their duty unless the people urge 
them on. There must be a strong popular sentiment in favor of the 
work. You ask how can this sentiment be created? My answer may 
surprise you, but I think I can say it safely—we have this sentiment 
already. 
The friends of the forest might be congratulated on this, but for 
the fearful price we paid for it. 
Yes, I believe every one interested in the woods is anxious that 
something be done to make life and property there more safe, but 
they have different ideas of what should be done. If we could only 
select those measures on which all agree, we would not be far from 
right if all were well informed on the subject. 
The greatest difficulty, perhaps, lies in the fact that often the re- 
striction men would like to have placed on their neighbors is what 
they do not like to have tried upon themselves. It is too often irk- 
some, when living miles away from neighbors and no one there to 
see us, to make any sacrifice for the public good. Settlers clearing 
land want to set fire when and where they please. Hunters and 
other campers want to build fires where they will be most conven- 
ient. Children,some of them gray-headed, like to start a fire wher- 
ever it will make a big blaze. Railroad companies do not like the 
expense of careful guarding, and locomotive firemen (it is hard to 
blame the poor fellows) like to have a good strong draft and are 
tempted to take out screens and traps. Section foremen have so few 
men to help them that they cannot keep the right of way clear and 
have not time to watch the piles of rubbish they burn and see that 
no fire escapes. 
Considering all the sources of fire, it is evident that there is much 
ignorance and there are many errors of judgment as to when a fire is 
liable to spread. There is also much wilful and deliberate setting 
of fire when it is intended to spread. 
The work of prevention will have to be done by those who have 
intelligence and love of country and who see friends in the trees 
that are devoting their lives to the service of men. The ignorant 
must be kindly instructed, the vicious must be compelled to use 
caution. 
