ITEM:
Fire at Fairwater [newsclipping]
SOURCE:
Brandon Times, August 1, 1901-- SHSW microfilm [Loma Klossner]

FIRE AT FAIRWATER
(From Our Correspondent)

  Last Saturday evening at about six o'clock word came up to "Bill town" that "Jimtown" was all in flames, and soon every able bodied person was at the scene of the fire and doing all in their power to help in saving stock and buildings out side of the block that was burning. By hard work the fire did not get much of a hold on the buildings across the street owned by J. W. Lyon, C. C. Cease and Tinkham Bros., although they were frame buildings and are badly charred.
  It was thought at one time that Tinkham Bros.' elevator would burn and it was saved only by hard work. It was the same with the livery stable connected with the hotel, all the contents were all taken out of the barn and some of the whips and blankets have not got back. It is thought the fellow that took them has not stopped running yet, but wants to get them in a safe place. It is reported that quite a little property was taken. A basket of silverware from the hotel and some wearing apparel belonging to Mrs. Kingsbury that were known to have been taken out of the burning building have not been found.
  The fire was discovered in the store of R. Gerth while he was at supper in the hotel, his family being at Oshkosh visiting. It was preceded by what sounded like an explosion, and on looking in at the door the whole interior seemed to [be] all in a blaze. His stock which consisted principally of dry goods was totally destroyed [and] was covered by an insurance of $3,000. He lived over the store and his household goods were lost, on these he had an insurance of $600 so that his loss is not as heavy as the others. The building occupied by him was in the middle of a block of three, two belonging to Josiah Batson. The one on the south was occupied by C. H. Kingsbury as a grocery store with living rooms overhead. The fire burned through the walls so quickly that his was almost a total loss, covered by an insurance of only $1,000. The fire gained headway so rapidly that Mrs. Kingsbury, who rain up stairs to tray and save some of her wearing apparel, was obliged to be taken out of the window.
   The building on the north was a two story brick venee[r]ed structure owned and occupied by C. C. Cease as a hotel. On him the loss falls heaviest of all as he only carried an insurance of $1,000 and practically nothing was saved. His block across the street occupied by him as a hardware store was considerably damaged and on this his policy had lapsed.
  The fire was one of those unaccountable ones and in all probability the cause will never be known. The block was built three years ago. Mr. Batson's building was insured for $2,000. It is not known whether the block will be rebuilt or not.

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