The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-10-20
From Room iagdaiT.
Oct. 10, 1871.

of fire for two days past Fire in the
'front.' fire in the rear, and fire on both
sides. Sunday night portion of the
citizens were called away from town on
the east, and afterward on the west, at
Bear Lake station, but soon returned
from that point, reporting it all safe.
The next morning intelligence came that
Grand Junction was entirely swept
away, and also Browns Mills one mile
to the west. The call for help on the
evening previous was for help at the
Junction instead of Bear Lake station.
One small building is all that is left at
the Junction, even the ties being burned
from under the rails, Columbia was
saved by great labor. Bear Lake
station was threatened early in the day
Yesterday, and in the afternoon the
alarm was sounded at that point calling
for assistance. BY this time matters
were looking decidedly fiery about this
place, line of the citizens being at
work fighting fire for the distance of
three-fourths of mile along the south
side Of the village, at one place the fire
was within 900 feet of the houses.
During the day teams had been coming
in for he p on the east, and hand cars
on the railroad from the west, Team
sters reported houses burning or burned
and more in danger. The train came in
from Bear Lake about 4 o'clock with
the goods from the station, the superin.
tendent stating that it was hardly posi-
BILE to save the station, and adjoining
buildings. Citizens were now to be seen
packing trunks-or would have been
had you looked in-some carrying water,
others adjusting ladders to the houses,
some making preparations for burying
their wares in their gardens. Extensive
fires were approaching from the south
east and as darkness approac he'd, cries
for more help in the country were heard,
and if it did not look like the portentious
times Josh Billings speaks of, III his
prognostications of the weather, y
when dogs howl, and old maids refuse
their tea" we do not know what it did
look like AS darkness came on the
horizon was lit up with fire in all direc.
tions, and your correspondent began to
think that the Internal regions were
rising to the surface Soon the train
from Kalamazoo arrived reporting Chi
cago in ashes, then he began to think
that Satan had claimed his pet and was
after US sure On consultation it was
decided to fight it out on that line, and
we kept the fires already close upon the
town at bay, and the fires in the distance
which threatened us, gradually subsidized
so that at . o'clock we considered our
selves out of danger above ground, but
from the little holes in the turf, that
had been continually showing fire all
day, we did not know how it was below
This morning finds US safe after a
beautiful shower. O. didn't it pattel
on the roof gloriously, aye, just glori
ously, when we opened our ears this
morning about 6 o'clock If a shower
bath feels good to fellow that occupies
two By six, how good it must feel tC
one that occupies all out doors wher
literally burning up with fever. W.
will just remark right here, that W.
didn't care whether school kept or not
Raining, why we have been peerins
through the smoke so long, looking fo
signs of rain that we were near sighted
and could see no signs of rain till i
came Ike the old Indian sign raining
all around the outside and pouring dow
the middle"
On summing up the statements o
disasters of yesterday, we find it as fol
lows:
Four houses and barns burnt on tn
east, Burnap's mill on the south an
Bear Lake station on the west. Thi
afternoon the counties have all bee
heard from again and with the singl
exception of the 4 houses and barns an
and Burnap's mill and Bear Lake sts
ton, the statements received last evenin
were correct.
Considerable damage has been don
to fences and timber, but this is the ca
tent of the damage in this vicinit,
though the excitement of yesterday wa
not without reason for it was only b