CONDUCT A HOME TOUR

Autumn is here, listen to what the Stephen Messenger offered about house fire prevention in the 1940's:

Spring is a ways off, must of us will have many idle hours to dissipate while winter weather keeps us indoors. A few of those hours could be both pleasurably and profitably spent in the interest of fire prevention. And that activity might be the means of assuring that you will continue to have a door to bolt against the cold.

The next time you find the hours dragging, start out on a little tour of your home. Take the family along--it won't be an arduous trip. Begin in the attic where you have stored all those ancient magazines you meant to read and never will, all stored, along with paper cartons, your wife's collection off clothes, broken furniture which you never found time to repair and wouldn't use, even if you did fix it. Sorting out the collection may be amusing.

Perhaps you will find that forgotten picture of Aunt Hattie in her wedding dress, a kindred relic. Have your fun--and when it is all over, call the junk man.

Do this in the closets, spare room, basemen, and garage. And it's a sure bet you'll come on many a dangerous fire hazard you never knew existed. Fire likes nothing better than accumulation of rags, paper, improper stored flammable liquids, amateur electric repair jobs, etc.

The upshot will be a more comfortable and roomy home, no less than a safer home. Probably you'll find a few articles that can be used for charity to your less fortunate neighbors. Let's get going on that personal fire prevention project TODAY!

Do you remember when you were in grade school and we would get a list to take home and look for hazards in our houses and ask our parents questions?

Shirley would be the first to laugh about all of her family going to the attic when she was a little girl! No way seven people could shimmy up the ladder and find a place to park and inspect the attic!

We do have an attic here in Fargo, there is NOTHING in it. First of all the access is in a closet and you have to take the rod out to get the ladder up. We know all this because we insulated a few years ago and it was a tight fit for lanky Tom.

I am trying to think about where the attics were in the houses I lived in. Except for one, that had a pull down stair way, there is little to say about them. I do know that in the last house I shared with my parents, the attic opening was in the garage and the Christmas ornaments were stored there.

So, if you are bored some day this winter, play in the attic! Meanwhile, install a few smoke alarms!