Clark Wissler

“ In the days of the old flint-lock, tinder was lighted by snapping the lock of the rifle, while a little powder was put in the pan so that the flash might readily ignite the tinder.
The placing of tinder around the hole in the fire drill is not essential. What really ignites is the wood dust ground off by the friction, and from this the tinder is ignited. It is true that tinder is sometimes placed beneath the hearth of the fire drill so that the wood dust, as it is ground off, accumulates on it in a little heap, but it is the wood dust that first takes fire. ”

“ In later times, the back of an old kitchen knife was often used against the flint to produce the sparks, and another and more unusual method was to fire a rifle into the stone fireplace, where some tinder was gathered, the bullet striking sparks that set up a fire. An emery-wheel revolving against a steel would produce many more sparks than any of the above contrivances, but the mechanical fixture needed to set it up was more cumbersome and not readily carried about. ”

“ The candle was set on the box, which was then used as a candlestick. We may imagine that the big fires kindled by the settlers in the great stone fireplaces of their one-room log-cabins, were a great improvement on those made by the Indians in their tents or lodges. ”