The Columbus Journal

Nephew's Logical Deduction That Somehow Displeased Uncle.

Dr. W. J. McGee of the geological survey said in Washington, after a visit to the Adirondacks, that the forest fires had cost, at a conservative estimate, $1,000,000 a day.

"It seems," said Dr. McGee, "rather foolish to make laws against timber cutting so as to preserve our forests, and to make no laws to preserve them against these terrible fires, which destroy more trees in a day than the ax could destroy in a year.

"The trouble is carelessness. The hunter is careless, the inhabitant is careless, the railroad is careless, and the hunter's fire, the inhabitant's match, the railroad's sparks, burn up every autumn an untold wealth of timber.

"If every one would but take home this lesson of carelessness! We, none of us, though, care to take home lessons. It is like old Jacob Grimes.

"Jacob was an Illinois farmer, and one summer his nephew from Chicago came to work on the farm for him. Jacob told the boy that the first principle of farming was to use up and wear out the old things first.

"'Don't touch this year's fodder,' he would say, 'till last year's has been consumed. Don't use the new harness while the old holds out. The new red cart runs better, but we will keep it in the barn till the old gray one breaks down.'

"Jacob sounded this principle of his till the boy got tired of it. He would get especially tired when he would be obliged to eat last week's bread and so forth, according to the principle.

"Jacob one stormy night said to his nephew:

"'William, I've got to go to the village. Fetch up and harness one of the horses from the four-acre field.'

"'Which shall I fetch,' said William, 'the old horse or the young one?'

"'The old one, of course,' said Jacob. 'Always wear out the old ones first, you know.'

"William paused in drawing on his rubber boots.

"'In that case, uncle,' he said, 'hadn't you better go and fetch the horse?'