St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-03-31

American and Union Mutual compan-
les. The loss above insurance is about
$1,000.
This fire was hard blow to the
church and society, and they have
the full sympathy of the community.
Leading men in some of the other
churches have already circulated a sub
scription paper, and will no doubt sue
coed in getting a snug little sum to aid
in rebuilding. Gov. Fairbanks has
generously rendered the church the
free use of the old North, and kind Of
fers of room were also made by the
South church and the Church of the
Messiah. The meetings will be held
for the present in the large vestry of
the old North. The society is not cast
down, but rather full of hope. AT an
informal meeting held on Monday
evening the prevailing sentiment was
in favor of rebuilding, and about $1,000
was pledged among themselves before
there will not be any difficulty in erect
ing IA building quite as good as the one
burned.
NOTES.
Considerable circulation has been
given to the story that Mr.. Streeter re-
fused to open the front doors of the
church to the firemen, and thus pre-
vented the saving of the church. The
front doors were unlocked all the
morning, and could have been opened
by anybody. But there was nothing
to be gained by opening them-the
fire could not have been reached in
that way.
The old Penniman building was
quickly vacated by the tenants, but
the fire was not allowed to touch it.
1t was pretty well dampened, howev-
er, inside and out, and will need some
reconstruction" In one of the fami
lies occupying the hOuse-that of HOr
ace Morrill-was a girl of some seven
years, i'll with the typhoid pneumonia.
She was taken over to Mr.. Laytield's,
and she was at last accounts, serious
ly ill. Kind hands quickly conveyed
the effects of the tenants to safe and
comfortable quarters.
The church and society desire to ex-
press heartfelt thanks to those
churches and individuals who have
manifested their sympathy, and to the
members of the fire department for
their efforts to save the building.
That hydrant at the corner of Church
and Main streets was in poor cOndi-
ton for service at fire, and ought to
be kept in better shape hereafter.
The fire interfered somewhat with
church services generally-especially
at st. Andrews, where the sermon was
omitted.
There was some grumbling because
certain people could not hear the
alarm. There was no trouble with
the alarm, but fifteen minutes after it
was struck, the church bells began to
ring, and were the means of mislead-
ing great many people. 1t might be
good plan to let the church bells go,
when their ringing would naturally
come so close to a fire alarm. Then
again, the fact that the whole town
! Fol t, fnr
finding fault with the present system.
The members of the fire department
are very liable to hear it, and there
are usually enough outsiders present
to hinder the work as much as is de-
sirable. The usual Sidewalk" com
mittee was present in force on this oc-
casion, with suggestions and plans
enough to put out anything but fire
This remark doesn't apply to outsid-
ers who worked like heroes and rem.
dered material aid.
By singular coincidence, Sunday
was the yearly anniversary of Rev
Mr.. LOckhart's coming, and he haC
prepared a sermon especially for the
) occasion, commenting on the progress
and prosperity of the society.
An amusing incident of the fire wal
the performance of a fireman's dog
who followed his master up ladder
and would have gone through an opel
window, where the battle was thick
r est, if he had not been pulled back.
, SummerVilIe.