June 22, 1861

We went over to Hillsville to hear some politician speak last 
and was late gittin home.   My wifes brother come and got us 
and brought us back.  He was a little jubous of goin by his 
ownself, cause people git to drinkin at doins like that.  When 
we got home, the fire had gone out and I had to make anothern 
from scratch.  My wife said I should ought to write down how 
to make one.

The best way is to take the firepan and go to somebodys house 
and borry some glowing coals. The firepan looks like a skillet 
with a long handle and a cover on top of it. In a pinch, about 
any covered pot or kettle can be used to carry fire in.

The next best way is to use some of them Lucifer matches I heard 
tell of.  I never seen one, but they was invented about 60 years 
back by a feller in England named John Walker.  They call em 
Lucifer matches cause they stink like brimstone (sulfur) when ye 
light one.  They say that's what Hades smells like. It don't 
matter I reckon, cause I ain't got none and I reckon they cost a 
passel of money.

I use a tinder box to light a fire.  A tinder box is a little 
metal can about the size of a teacup and has got fire makin 
materials in it.  It has a pry off lid to keep it dry.  Inside is 
a flint rock, a piece of steel, some unraveled cotton cloth, some 
little dry wood shavings called tinder and sometimes a mite of 
gunpowder.

The best way to light a fire with it is to take a little wad of 
the cotton, and pile a few little pieces of tinder wood on it and 
sprinkle a little gunpowder on the cotton.  Then take the flint 
and steel and strike them together and let the sparks drop on the 
powder.  Purty soon the gunpowder will catch and flare up.  That 
leaves a little ember glowin in the cotton and ye blow on that 
right easy until ye git a flame.  That catches the tinder on fire 
and ye just keep addin bigger pieces of wood until yer fire gits 
to goin good. 

Sometimes ye ain't got no powder and then ye usually are better 
off to take most all the stuff out of the tinder box and start 
the fire in the box itself. That keeps the wind off it, but it 
usually aint necessary.

Ye can see why we keep the fire goin all the time and never let 
it go out.  We bank the fire at night, which is to cover it up 
with ashes so it don't burn completely out.  Then in the morning, 
just add wood and blow on it a little.

I seen a Indian light a fire once by rubbin two stix together.  
Didnt take him tolerable long either.  I tried it and I could have 
rubbed the sticks down to toothpix and theyd never have lit.

I'm here to tell ye, I give my wife the devil for lettin the fire 
go out.