effort is being made to prevent the fire from getting a start on the
Minnesota side of the boundary, but it is feared that it will be
impossible to do so.

Settlers have been fighting the flames day and night for over a week,
but have made little progress.

Some two thousand Canadians have been rendered homeless and ten persons
have been burned to death. In their advance the terrible flames have
destroyed the towns and villages that lay in their path, and the report
from Ontario alone states that farms, dwellings, stores, churches, and
schools have been swept away by this dreadful scourge.

The fall of the year is always the time when forest fires are to be
dreaded. In dry seasons like the present, there is always a danger that
some chance spark may light on the fallen leaves and the grass dried out
by the heat of summer, and thus set the forests on fire.

The latter part of this year has been particularly dry. In the Western
and Middle States they say that rain has not been so badly needed in
years. In many sections of the country there has been no rain for
months. Water-courses and wells are reported as dried up, and many of
the live stock are dying, for want of water.

The grass has become so parched and dry that the farmers are having to
feed their stock two months ahead of the usual time, and drive them
miles to water. It is feared that later in the year there will be a
fodder famine.

As a regular thing, the cattle graze in the fields and feed themselves