186 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



or by mattock and plow was both slow and brutal. The 

 ordinary custom of allowing nature to work six years at the 

 stumps and gradually eliminate them by decay was not to 

 be thought of. 



Dynamiter Kissam, a Long Island expert, arrived and 

 set to work, using fuses for small stumps up to two feet in 

 diameter. 



With the advent of the Italians work began in earnest; 

 they cleared out every useless tree, cutting cord wood where 

 any could be obtained and burning the branches and charred 

 trees as they went. They also cleared out all underbrush 

 thoroughly. 



The dynamiter with his helper followed them up. This 

 is the most exciting and interesting part of clearing land by 

 modern methods. 



The dynamite is put up in half-pound sticks. They are 

 a little larger than an ordinary candle and are wrapped in 

 heavy yellow paraffined paper. One folded end of this 

 paper is opened up and a hole made by a wooden skewer into 

 the dynamite stick, which is plastic and resembles graham 

 bread in color and consistency. 



For magneto-battery work where several charges are re- 

 quired, a copper cap in which is a minute quantity of ful- 

 minate of mercury, and which is exploded by a spark, is at- 

 tached to fine electric wires and sealed by sulphur. This 

 cap is placed in holes in the sticks of dynamite, and then 

 securely tied by drawing string tightly around the paper 

 which is raised to admit the cap. 



In preparing a charge for fuse ignition, the cap is crimped 

 to the end of a piece of mining fuse and this is inserted 

 in the dynamite stick and securely fastened as previously 

 described. 



