accidents that usually cause such disast-
ers been the reason, it would be easier
to understand, But that so much damage
could be authored by a mere spark on a
shingle makes one suddenly realize how
very easily a fire could start and how
important it is to have a proper chimney
and maybe a cast-iron roof as well. If
you'd like a "bird's-eye view' descript-
ion of how it looked from up on the
school hill, read the following article
written by one of my students, who was,
as were the rest of the students, watch-
ing the proceedings with great interest
from start to finish.

If you've ever lived in, or visited
Telegraph Creek, you can imagine just
how close this community came to being -
wiped out. One day earlier or later
and we would all have been homeless, but
luckily for us, Monday, May 7th was not
one of our usually blustery days.

There must be a dozen or more once-
inhabitable buildings in this historic
old village that are now so decrepit and
damaged that a self-respecting packrat
would refuse to den in them, Some of these
structures were masterpieces of the cabin
builder's art; built to last, merely by
being lived in and maintained, for many
generations. Yet, with so mény derelict
old firetraps all ready to co-operate, it
seems ironic that three of the better
houses in Telegraph Creek should end up
as ashes, The only heartening thing
about the whole affair was the amazing
speed with which everv able-bodied man in
the entire region rushed to save what they
could from the burning buildings, then
work themselves like horses to keep the
fire-from spreading to the rest of the
village. The thought of it makes you glad
you chose this community to live in.

May 9th - The intermediate class
and I have just returned from a Social
Studies field trip (P.S. and I.S., please
take note!) around Telegraph Creek. Here
are some of our findings, carefully
checked for accuracy:

Total number of buildings in Telegraph
OPEC 3S oh: hoe os. oo baa a ed 6 wie ale ee 60

Number of inhabited dwellings....... 14
Number of uninhabited dwellings..... 27

Number of storage sheds or warehouses,
used or NOC ie dio ond 64. ob ie7e O16 oreraecersid etele 13

Number of churches active.....esee-. 1
Active BCOTCS:: oo 0: 0ie 02 e-0 is 6 6 digs eles eevee 2

*Number of miscellaneous buildings... 3
(*post office,police station, power house)

Houses destroyed by fire during last
Cae MOCKS oss we a edie d Parle orca ee 11

Inhabited dwellings in Drytown...... 3

Uninhabited dwellings in Drytown.... 1*
(*had been 8 before the fire last year)

These figures do not include "White
Casca" (4 unoccupied, 2 cccupied) or the
Casca Indian Village, which is much more
efficiently organized than Telegraph
Creek, and in which there are only a
couple of small cabins not being lived in,
due to their being used as storare build-
ings by families who have moved from them
into bigger and better homes.

Depending on how finicky one is about
what constitutes an "inhabitable'" dwell-
ing, the figures indicate close to twice
as many houses empty as are being lived
in. Aside from such phenomenons as "ghost"!
mining or companv towns, could there exist
in all of Canada a community with such
alarming statistics? And what is the
chief reason for this incredible situation
in which only one house in three is lived
in? Absentee landlordism is the answer.
Even if we discount the several fine
houses left unoccupied bv the deaths of
our old friends and neighbours (which
houses are often rented to persons having
temporary business in this area), and
the many others that would still be
habitable if kect in repair by their
sometimes unknown owners, there is still
a frustrating ratio of houses unoccupied.
Frustrating because there are quite a
few people who have been unable to settle
in the-village because there just aren't
any houses for them to rent or buy.

Finallv, and in case vou folks who

feel your neiehbouring Cassiarites are

hemming you in are interested, we measured
the distances hetween some of the houses
down on the lower road. Between houses
one and two, 7: feet; between two and
three, 24"; between three and four, 24";
between four and five, 75 feet. A pretty
cosv situation! And since the-onlv
occupants of this row of buildings are
Mike and Dora “lilliams (did you see them
on TV?) whose house is nicelv centered
among all these firetraps, there seems
little justification for our local, ex-
cellent fire derartment not tearing all
the other houses down. FExcent mavbe a
lawsuit, Eventually the Chamber of Comm-
erce will be able to do something about