The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-12-24


down. Mr.. Stephen Evans rents the
farm for which Mr.. Slaughter traded his
residence west OF the city, to MIR. Stew |
art. 1t Is fine bottom farm, with a large |
barn and good house. The fire got into |
the west 40, and burned or hay stacks, |
and in fighting the flames to save the barn |
Mr.. Evans was very badly though not IA |
tally burned, In his hands, arms and face. |
North of him and Griflith's pastures are
the farms OF BeDtly and Abel Hiatt. |
The fire jumped the well travelled road IN |
a moment and took four OF u. HATS hay
stacks, two ricks of hay, 200 bushels of
corn, a lot OF fodder, and worst of all, de- |
strOyed his fine young grove OF all kinds |
OF trees, covering some two acres, and = |
an acre of blackberry vines. This he
considers a severe loss. The fire came al |
most TO his barn. but was stopped there.
Abel Hiatt lost all his hay and his young |
orchard is believed TO be killed, as the |
fire swept through that. This, We be-
lIeYe, covers all the losses Of any impor- |
tanee in the Welsh settlement. The total
Of hay burned there is about 800 tons,
nearly 2iI good bottom hay, The pasture
fields where it was stacked are large, and
were all very closely moyn, and clean,
but the stubble was so dry that it made Il
big fire, and the fields are as clean and
black as stove top, piles of ashes only
marking the places where the hay stacks
reared their friendly heads until the fire
1iend leaped upon and destroyed them.
Going on toward Phenis creek we found
that larger fire had ragged in that vicini-
ty. 1t came, IL is thought, from Verdi
girls creek, Monday, at fearful tate of
speed, and near the head of Jacobs
creek struck the farm of a widow
lady, Mrs. Stephens, and burned her hay,
rough feed, shcds aEi stables. She saved
her corn. Next came w. V. Phillips,
who lost considerable hay and feed.
Mr.. Hollingsworth lost hay, feed, and
horse. Another hcFse was seen by trav-
eler on the prairie, in great agony, NOV
ing his head from side to side, and unable
to walk. The men had no pistol or he
would have put an end to the poor ami
mails suffering.
On the divide between Jacobs and
Phenis creeks there was good deal of
damage. Thos. Spellman, the water
wheel inventor, had 100 tons of extra
good hay put up, and lost 1t all, and his |
horse was badly burned. This hay was
Mr.. Spellman's man dependen ce for run |
ming expenses this winter, and he feels |
the loss severely. Mark Patty lost large |
quantity of hay, AS also did Chittenden. |
The latter had very wide fire guards, but |
the wind seemed to jump the burning |
grass over everything. Mr.. Blandin had |
500 sheep feeding in that locality, but his |
man gathered up the hay with horse |
rake rs soon as they saw the SIN Ike of the |
fire, and his stacks are so well guarded |
that they all escaped. He drove out Mt
full speed to look after the sheep, but |
found them all safe.
Clinton Watson lost 30 tons of hay, and |
+. Miles 100 tons. A Scotchman named |
Frasier also lost several stacks of hay. |
Mr.. IIaYworth lost his large new barn, |
containing 500 bushels of wheat and oats, |
besides some hay and fencing. His loss is |
quite severe. Mr.. Marllley lost his house |
and nearly all his furniture, hay, feed, |
ect. lie saved his wife. child, himself. |
and some clothing, his barn and team. |
This fire left him very little property to
begin with again.
Il
bottom south of Paity's mill, there was |
much damage. Mr.. Buck lost all his hay |
stacks. Andrew Baker lost 100 tons Of |
hay, stables, COW she'd, corn cribs, and i'm |
fact about all his crops aud buildings, eX-
cept his house and team. w. +. Baker
lost 100 tons of hay, wagon, harnes, shed,
plows, reaper, cultivator, and a large fat
sow, and his house caught fire three |
times, but was saved. When the pig pen |
caught he tore it partly down, and burn |
ell his eye in doing so, TO get out the SOW, |
and drove her out. Then his house |
caught fire and he had to run to that, and |
meantime the sow waddled back into her |
burning pen and roasted herself to death
Jake ShOeck lost his hay stacks, barn, and |
wagon. Jasper Pickett was a heavy |
loser. The fire took his hay, corn, barn,
all the corn he had gathered, and eonsid- |
cradle fence. He saved his house, wagon |
shed, horses, harness, oats, wheat, and II
to IL acres OF shocked corn. Morgan |
Thomas last five stacks of hay and con-
siderable fence. Mr.. Gilbert lost several
hay stacks and about mile of fence.
Elisha Moon lost 10 to Is tons of hay. |
Jake Shock had his hay wagon All loaded |
up, and lost it. Mr.. Funk lost 10 tons of
hay. w. c. Workman was just reached |
by the fire, but was so we'll guarded on
that side that he escaped loss. We are
obliged to this gentleman for information. |
1t was impossible Tuesday to get close
statements Of the number of tons which
were lost on jacobs and Phenis creeks
and vicinity. but we estimate that there
must have been about 100 tons burned. The
two fires destroyed, we calculate,
!, 800 tons OF good hay, worth At
least $4,000, besides doing much more
damage, as described. A few more such
fires will begin to make hay scarce.
The 10 sses we have described are quite
large to the parties concerned. They are
all industrious farmers, and could lily
afford to lose so much of q successful
years labor. We sympathize most heart
lily with them, and trust thar they will be
able by a succession OF good crops to soon
make up their losses. They are not to
blame, and generally had their property
guarded fully as we'll as is generally the
! case In Kansas. But drive over the