AMERICAN FORESTRY 



541 



The fire in the Marble Creek district in Idaho, spread 

 to 15,000 acres before it was checked. At Marcus, 

 Washington, two days of continuous fire-fighting ex- 

 hausted the fighters and they had to give up the strug- 

 gle. 



The timber on the Bull Run water reserve and Port- 

 land, Oregon, water supply system, was only checked 

 after 160 men had labored to the point of exhaustion. 

 There was no rainfall in the Portland district for a 

 whole month and very little rain in the preceding month. 



The United States War Department came to the 

 rescue in Oregon by detailing a number of army flyers 

 to patrol the forests and watch the fires. 



Fires in the Chelan National Forest on the east side 

 of the Cascades in Washington inflicted extensive 

 damage. 



Literally hundreds of similar reports might be 

 quoted from the Northwest. While at present no serious 

 fires are reported in the Lake states or in the Northeast, 

 fires earlier in the season destroyed one million dollars 

 worth of timber in Pennsylvania alone. 



When the great number of different fires is considered 

 it is not surprising that statistics show that the area 

 of forest land annually burned over is about twice that 

 cleared by the ax for lumber and other purposes. 



United States foresters, lumbermen and timber own- 

 ers agree that the present costly experiences demonstrate 

 that the primary step in solving the problem of the 

 supply of forest products in the future, is adequate pro- 

 tection of the remaining stands of virgin timber and the 

 cut-over lands on which nature is attending to reforest- 

 ing. It is hoped by all of them that the disasters of 

 this season will lead to early action by Congress and 

 state legislatures, looking to vastly improved provisions 

 and arrangements for preventing and suppressing for- 

 est fires. It is pointed out that there is small chance 

 for natural reforesting to succeed and no encouragement 

 for afforestation when the probabilities are that fires 

 will sooner or later undo the work of both nature and 

 man. 



"When ivinds go organing through the pines, 

 On hill and headland, darkly gleaming, 



Meseems I hear sonorous lines 



Of Iliads that the woods are dreamiing." 



Madison Cawein- 



"P^O not rob or mar a tree unless you really need what 

 "^ it has to give you. Let it stand and grow in virgin 

 majesty, ungirdled and unscarred, while the tfunk be-' 

 comes a firm pillar of the forest temple and the branches 

 spread abroad a refuge of bright green leaves for the 

 birds of the air Henry Van Dyke. 



zA HOT TIP 



B}^ John Lewis 



In Northern Minnesota, just a month before the date 

 When the Hohenzollern Kaiser got the celebrated 'gate' 



While each railway 

 Was being cared for tenderly by McAdoo and Hines 

 Some engines using red-hot coal dropped sparks along the lines, 

 In their frail way. 



Said Quincy Adams Jefferson, a settler on the land: 



"To burn a bit of brush round here would help to beat the band 



With my clearing." 

 And likewise on that selfsame day a farmer, Angvik Mork, 

 Said: "Tenk, by yee, a leetle fire vill save me plenty vork," 



(Never fearing); 



And Victor Hokkonen and Como Muzzle 

 And Heinie Pflugendorfer got the notion, 

 And Mike Podopoulos and Vladimir Czecho 

 And Sandy Inverary and Joe Rochon. 



Thus, scattered all about, it shortly came to pass 

 That scores of hand-made fires started glowing; 

 And doubtless sev'ral more were kindled in the grass 

 By locomotives careless in their going. 



It was, of course, unfortunate, but rain had not been seen 

 Around these parts for seven weeks; and that could only mean 



They lit tinder. 

 So, when a gale roared from the West, the obvious befell. 

 For Northern Minnesita looked a proper piece of well, 

 Call it cinder. 



And nobody will ever know how many lives were cost 

 Since flu attacked the homeless ones, that reckoning is lost. 



Circumspectly, 

 I'll place the dead by smoke and flame at nigh four hundred souls, 

 While full two thousand more were left in casualty roles. 



(Please correct me). 



The lawyers had a hunch. They played it pretty fast 

 And, swiftly signing settlers up for vengeance. 

 Made Government the goat and lashed it to the mast 

 For operating spark-ejecting engines. 



So Government must hand, in squaring for its crime. 

 Some twenty-seven millions to the claimants, 

 (Whose lawyers get one-fifth, to compensate for time). 

 Now, none will grudge his taxes for the payments. 



But lest you think I only plead 'gainst Federal control 

 Of railroads, which has eased us of this tidy little roll 



My contention 

 Is that countless folks have land to clear, so there'll be fires again 

 Unless the Forest Service gets the necessary yen 



For prevention; 



And twenty-seven millions would have worked for many years 

 Protecting life and property and saving bitter tears 



Through the nation. 

 So any legislature (in any timbered state) 

 Which cramps the style of 'Forestry' deserves, for final fate, 



Just cremation! 



