On Saturday evening last,
at about half past 6 o'clock, a fire broke out
in the office of the
"MARIPOSA FREE PRESS" and destroyed the entire
business portion of
the town from 7th street, down Main and Bullion, to
the fire proof store
formerly owned by Sullivan & CASHMAN. With the
exception of Ashworth's
stable, at the corner of 7th and Bullion, there
was not a wooden building
saved west of Bullion street. The Gazette
office escaped with
a scorching. The only buildings left standing in the
burnt district are the
fire-proofs of McDermott & Co., Cook & Samuels,
Wm. Cohn, Shianfelt
& Arent. Nothing is known with certainty as to the
origin of the fire,
though it is supposed that a drunken printer in our
employ carelessly threw
a match or stump of a cigar on a pile of papers
inside. He and a boy
belonging to the office, were sitting outside in
front of the office
at the time the fire broke out, and made an effort to
get in but it was too
hot for them.- Nothing was saved from the office.
We have not the space
to give full particulars of the spread of the
flames or other incidents
of the fire. It is useless speculating, after
the thing is over, about
what might have been done, but it is but justice
to our fellow citizens
to say that, from all we can learn, they made
every effort possible
to stay the progress of the flames. At the same
time we take pleasure
in recording the fact that a generous and liberal
spirit has been shown
on the part of those who have something left, in
providing for the houseless
and homeless. Many families have been left
destitute, but nobody
is going to suffer for the necessaries of life.
The following comprises
a list of the property destroyed, commencing at
the point where the
fire originated:
J. H. LAWRENCE, "Free
Press." $4,000
E. S. TERRY, Stable
and dwelling houses 9,000
Mrs. GISCHEL, Hotel
and Bakery 5,000
BOGAN & Co., Store
and goods 18,000
Frankl, Goods, 2,000
J. BECKER, Butcher Shop
and out building, 3,000
STAHL Brothers, Bakery
4,000
F. W. MELLO, Building
and furniture 6,000
SHAINFELT & ARENTt,
Out buildings and furniture 3,000
COOK & SAMUELSs,
Outbuildings 400
A. W. JEE, Dwelling
house 600
McDERMOT & Co.,
Saloon and Outbuildings 8,000
John HESSLER, Boot and
Shoe Store 2,000
Robert COLLISON, Saloon
1,000
____ CASTOR, Tin Shop
4,000
I. W. HARRIS, Harness
Shop 3,000
FARNSWORTH & GALLISON,
Blacksmith Shop and Tools 2,000
J. W. TORNEY, Saloon,
8,000
Masonic Hall 8,000
J. R. McCREADY, Livery
Stable; 3,000
James McCREADY, Wheelwright
Shop 400
Steinberger, Boot and
Shoe Shop 500
Frank L. WURBURN, Hotel
3,000
J. A. HENRY, Buildings,
2,090
Wm. BISHOP, Tailor Shop
500
Wm. COHN, Outbuildings
2,000
S. KRAFT, Dry goods
store 19,000
H. SCHLAGETER, Hotel
and furniture 9,000
B. F. BACHMAN, Saloon
and contents 5,000
Saml. LORD, Saloon 500
Maria La FORGE, Buildings
2,000
George BERNHARD, Saloon
and contents 2,000
J. A. GRANDVOINET, Drug
Store and Buildings 8,000
Benj. GLIDDEN, Buildings
1,500
Henry RUPELT. Buildings
2,000
W. H. HILL, News Dealer,
1,000
Odd Fellows Hall 2,000
John HIGMAN, Grocery
Store 5,000
W. H. CROCKET, Carpenter's
shop and tools 500
Emma HOWARD, Building
and contents 800
DALY & BRADFORD,
Law Office 300
R. McCAFFREY, Library
and furniture 1,000
H, DAVANAY, Buildings
500
Lovejoy & Co., Concert
Hall 1,000
Total $153,900
The above probably includes
most of the losses, though it is barely
possible we may have
omitted some, and we are certain that there are many
small losses not included
in the list. The following list will show who
is insured and the several
amounts:
Mrs. GISCHEL, (policy
pledged as security for Mortgage on property)
$1,200
Bogan & Co., insured
for 12,000
John BECKER, insured
for 2,000
STAHLS Bros., insured
for 2,000
SHAINFELD & ARENT,
insured for 3,000
John HESSLER 1,000
F. L. WULBURN 2,000
S. KRAFT 12,000
J. A. GRANDVOINET, partially
insured
John HIGMAN 2,000
Total $37,200
submitted by William Disbro
May 9, 2002
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