Now, five years later, let us look at the town of Glarus again. It lays nearly in the center of beautiful Switzerland on the Linth River. Glarus has grown into a rich, busy town of 4,000 people. A row of fine brick buildings line main street. Most of the people earn money by working in one of the many nearby factories. Steam or the strong current of the river powers the machinery in these factories. The town is in a valley with splendid green meadows that go up the slopes of the mountains on both sides of the valley. The cheerful, sunny peak of Mt. Shilt rises on the east side of the valley. From the southwest the gigantic, gloomy, rocky mass of Mt. Glarnisch looms above the town.
This beautiful spot, with all the charms and grandeur of a Swiss landscape, also bitterly experiences the terror nature can cause. The Linth River flows from south to north through the valley. Glarus is at the north end of this valley. Fierce winds often follow the same path as the river. The people dread these winds and storms which they call "Der wilde Foehn" (wild south wind). These winds give warning of their coming in several ways. Sometimes the people hear a strange roaring up among the mountains. A wild rustling moves through the forests. At last, like water bursting from a broken dam, the raging storm roars through the high valleys. Then it casts itself howling into the lower canyons. Roofs fly off the houses. The wild wind tears trees up by their roots. It tears pieces of rock from the steep mountain sides and hurls them into the canyon below. Suddenly, it will become very still. Then the storm will rage with even more force. After a few days, the storm will blow itself out. Then the north winds will bring rain.
These days of danger for our charming town of Glarus may return ten or twelve times a year. The people know the danger. For hundreds of years they have enforced very strict laws while this wild “Foehn” rages. All workmen who use fire in their business must stop working and put out their fires. Blacksmiths and locksmiths put out their fires at the first signs of a storm. The town allows no lights to burn in the factories. Steam engines sit idle. The townspeople must put out all lights and fires in their houses; no one can bake bread. In some places, no one may even cook. Shooting is forbidden. Special watchmen walk the street to see that the people obey the laws.
What had preserved Glarus for centuries from destruction by fire? Was it because the people obeyed these laws, or was it because of the merciful and kind protection of God? In the years 1299 and 1337 fire reduced Glarus to ashes. Again in 1477 they suffered much from a fire. For the last four hundred years, however, Glarus had escaped any hurt. It is no wonder then that many people thought the rules were old-fashioned and unnecessary.
On Ascension-day, May 9,1861, the town of Glarus held a "Landsgemeinde". A "Landsgemeinde" is a gathering of all the men of the land who can vote and use a gun. The meeting took place outside, and the men considered and carried out all public business for their local area.
Warm and serious debates about taxes, forest-laws, street and school matters went on at this time. Some of the men also asked about ending the fire laws. They said the laws had become old-fashioned and placed hardships on the businesses. After talking about the good and the bad affects of the fire laws, most of the men thought they should keep the old laws. Therefore, they did not make any changes in the old fire laws.