The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-11-14
II Nte,l ahi9
ELKToN, NOVEMBER IL, lsGs.
THE WING

THE WING
Again makes its appearance, after week
unavoidable absence, Ph1nix- like, from its
ashes, in an entire new dress. when
newspaper appears in this guise, it is Gus
tonary to receive congratulations from all
sides on account of the spirit, enterprise
etc, of its proprietor but when it has been
forced into fine sui, by villainous incen-
diary, the case is scarcely admissible OF
congratulation. But, be this as it may,
Tie Wing office was entirely burned out,
and every article belonging to it had to be
renewed, except the large cylinder press,
and it was only put up last July.
And now word as to the origin of the
fire. About four o'clock on Friday morn
ing, 9th of November, the building occu-
pied as the printing office of The Wing was
discovered to be on fire, by one of our citi-
zens, who was starting, at this early hour,
to Harvey's rolling mill, where he was en-
ployed. The fire, when first discovered,
was breaking out through the weather.
boarding, near the southeast corner of the
building, a little below the roof. Soon sew
eral persons We're on the ground and had
ladder of sufficient length been procurable,
they all agree that the fire could have easily
been extinguished but our Town Commits
sioners have provided neither ladder, hooks
nor axes for such emergencies. A couple
of old engines stand in an old shed, always
sure to be out of order when needed, is their
provision against fire. The hose, in this
case, were eaten up by rats, which shows
how much attention is paid to the engines,
although the property of the corporation is
taxed forty cents on the hundred dollars to
keep such things always in order.
None of the employees had been in the
office since 81 o'clock the night before the
fire occurred, and those who succeeded in
first entering the building, after the fire
was discovered found no fire in the inside,
except in the spot where it was seen burn
ing through the Notwithstanding. The
coal stoves were standing with draft shut
off, comparatively cool, the fire originating
not within ten feet of the stove in the sec
ond story, and in the corner opposite to
that in which the chimney stood.
The hour of the morning when there was
no person likely to be astir, after the 1.27
AM. train had passed, and those who met
the train had gone to rest, which is gener-
ally about ? o'clock, the unusually calm
morning, the location of the fire, all point
to the work of an incendiary. 1t is the
duty of every good citizen to use every
means to discover and bring to punishment
such scoundrels, and by way of stimulating
investigation, we offer Two HUNDRED Doll
LARS as a reward, payable to the person or
persons, who will produce information that
will lead to the arrest and conviction of the
scoundrel who fired The Wing Office. 1t
is the interest of the Insurance Company to
offer reward for the same, and we hope
they will increase the reward. We may
say here that the belief is universal that
the fire was the work of an incendiary.
One word to the Commissioners. Do you
mean to leave the town still in it's present
helpless condition, exposed to the ravages
of fire, without any other means of extin-
gushing it, except those old, useless ell
gines, with their rat-eaten hose, which an
experience Of seven years has proved, to
our satisfaction, are not of one-half the
use that two good ladders, of sufficient
length to reach the roof of buildings, with
three or four axes and some buckets would
be. These things would always be in order
if they were kept in some spot where the
citizens could get them Immediately on the
alarm of fire. One hundred dollars would
buy all that is sufficient to secure our houses
against fire, and many hundreds have been
literally thrown away, this season, from
which our taxpayers have not received one
cents worth of benefit.
With new type Of the latest and hand
soonest styles, and our presses all thoroughly
repaired or renewed, we are again prepared
to receive orders for all kinds of work
We have procured the handsomest and
most fashionable styles of type for card,
circular, and other fine work, as well as a
full line of poster and hand-bill type, and
invite our old patrons and the public gen.
orally to give us call, and we will guar
antee to give satisfaction. By executing
the handsomest work at moderate prices,
we hope, by a liberal patronage, to be able
to make up part of the heavy loss we have
sustained by fire. We may again be found
at the old quarters, built and formerly oc-
cupied by P. C. Ricketts,, Esq.