The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-08-06
A LANDMARK GONE.
The Max I.,Asn Corner Burns Amid hOsan'
q uahs of Praise.
General Rejoicing over tho Destruction of
the Ratty Old italian oorner---
Loss eB, B,000-.-Insured
for ea,4OO,


streets this morning 10 a mass of ruins,
the destructive work OF fro. At 500
O'Clock this morning the building was
discovered on hre and at o o'clock, when
the fire was extinguished, the building
was a gm0ldering maas OF ruins. by the
fire an old landmark is destroyed, which
has an unwritten history which would
oil volumes.
The building was two story frame
about 4bx70 feet. IL was an old.timer,
substantially built with heavy, strong,
log framework. The fret floor con-
taIned three store rooms, The corner
room was occupied by the saloon and
billiard room Of Anthony Schiappacasee.
the center room BY q fruit and candy
store owned also by Mr.. bchiapDacasse,
and the west room by the wine and beer
ealOon OF b Ruof. The living and sleep
Ing apartments on the second door were
occupied by Mr.. S,hiappacasee aud fam.
lily. Alex. ChaImlele, James Moore and
Mrs. Burns. The building was owned
by Mrs. Catharine Neuschuler. Of Cleve-
land. widow OF the late Max Elben.
Probably no building In the city paid as
large returns for the amount OF capital
invested. The structure was not worth
over $4,000, aud the gross rent annually
amounted to about 81 800.
LOSS AND INSURANCE.
improvements amounting TO sl,EcJ
were made on the building about D year
ago. The loss, which 10 total, 10 In the
nelghborhood OF 5000. The In
surance aggregates $4,000. Mrs.
Neuschuler has $4,000 on the
building, divided equally between
the Sun Fire Insurance Company, OF
London, England, and the Westchester,
OF New York. Anthony SchiappacAese
has $1,000 In the Mechanics, OF Milwau.
kee-S800 on the billiard tables and
saloon fixtures and &400 on the liquors
and saloon stock. b. Ruef has $500 In
the Home Insurance Company, OF Ban
francisco, on his saloon stock and fix-
lures. Mr.. W. L, Alexander, the incur
ance agent Of this city, placed the In.
suranoe, the rate paid being sh per
cent.
THE FIRE.
The alarm was turned In by Rounds
man Heavener from box 81 on the public
square, TO which all the hre companies
responded. Alex. Charmiele, q French
man, who 10 employed by Schiappacasse
and sleeps back Of the candy store, was
one of the Arst 10 sec the 1re, and says II
was burning In the partition between
the candy store and Ruefs saloon. Mr..
M. Houser, who lives In the adjoining
building on the west, first saw flames
Issuing from the windows at the fear OF
Ruef's saloon. The cause OF the conila-
grafton 10 unknown, as no fire OF any
kind was burning In either the saloon
or candy store. Incendiariam 10 not eua-
pected and the Gre is supposed 10 have
resulted from some accidental cause.
FIRKMEN AT WORK.
Although the fre department reached
the scene In q few minutes after the
alarm was sounded, the hre had crept
along In the partitions, above the cell
ings and under the roof before II broke
out, and was seen by belated passerby
who ran TO the Square and notified
R0undsman Heavener, aud had made
such progress that there was no hope OF
saving the building. The inmates OF
the building were oil safely gotten out,
no trouble being experienced with any
one except the aged mother-in'law OF
MIR. Schiappacasse, who became daxed
and confused. She ran back Into the
burning building after her trunk, and
would probably have been suffocated
had not Mr.. Charles r. Frazer and her
son-in'law dragged her out.
Four streams Of water were put 10 play
on the building and protected the sur
rounding buildings aud the hremen,
while they carried out the household
effects and the ello0n fixtures. Efforts
were made TO check the flames by cut
ting holes In the roof and turning the
streams OF water Into the openings, but
they were of no avail and shortly after
o'clock the roof fell In with crash,
sending skyward q shower OF sparks and
bright, burning embers.
THE HOOKS.
The Hook and Ladder Company did
effective service. First, the burning
bulletin board, which surmounted the
roof, was torn down; then the second
story walls and shaky brick chimneys.
A few, minutes before six o'clock the
flames were all extinguished and the
companies withdrew, leaving the Italian
corner huge mass OF blachened, smok-
Ing debris.
For years the building has been o
public nuisance aud an eye sore aud
when the news went out early this
morning after the alarm OF are that the
Elben building was burning an univer'
sal hope was expressed that u burn
TO the ground. While the "Hooks" were
at work and section after section OF the
old den was torn loose and dragged In
the street the cheers Of tho assembled
crowd expressed the public approval OF
the destruction OF the building.
HIsToRY OF THE CORNER.
For long years the old corner building
was used as o tavern. AT hret II was q
small log house, additions being made
as business justified. In 1916 man
named Moore was the host, aud sue.
ceeding him was John Clarke, who was
there for years. About 1870 Jacob Flohr
bought the property and for anumber
OF yearg continued the h0tel. John ID,
5nider began the hotel business In Can,
ton there, dying years after as the host
OF the American. Intervening may have
been others for short periods expert
menting at tavern business. One or the
important features In tavern keeping In
the early days, prior TO 1851, was 7 retail, e !,
Ing whisky, for under the laws OF thai
time taverns only were l lensed 10 sell
liquor. II should not be forgotten that
when first built the structure was some
sixteen feet lower than II 10 now, the
hollow having been filled up and the
hill graded down. The corner was d
great place for loaang In the early days
and the pump at tho corner made II D
convenient stopping place for watering
horses, and by stepping In the driver
could got his dram. Tho back part oI
the lot was open for long time and The
old pile OF tan bark made Il 0 convention,
place 10 settle disputes OK wrestle fol
The drinks. or course whom the knock
down settled the question the drink