Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-06-03
MARTINsBuRG MUSINGS.
Correspondence Of the Ledger

Ole picnic at this place will take
place on June 18th instead Of June
18th, as reported in my last CON-
munication.
Clarence Buell. arrived home yes
terday from Hot Springs. He is
suffering from severe attack of In
fammatory rheumatism and was not
benefited by his trip.
VIM. PASTOR, "a bad black man
who carries razor" filled up on
tarantula juice few days since, and
in his effort to take in the town, was
taken into custody by Marshal Tor
reyson and placed behind the bars of
our city bastile. About 8 O'Clock
in the morning the ''coon" wanted
water, wanted it bad, and he turned
his head into battering ram and
butted hole into the gable end of
the building and made his escape,
then struck out for the woods, where,
it is earnestly hoped, he will stay.
At his residence last Monday after
noon, Father Haar united in mar
riage Mr.. Joe Kennedy and Miss
Annie Welsh, of near Laddonia.
Last Monday evening closed Mrs.
Sarah E. Taylor's first year of her
official career as postmistress. She
has served successfully, satisfactorily
and democratically.
At a meeting of the school board
last Monday night, Mr.. Burr Torrey-
son as principal and Miss Ada Over
bagh as assistant, were selected to
conduct the next term of the Martins
burg public school.
Fred Stowe, as jolly and jovial as
ever, arrived from Columbia college
Saturday and will summer at home.
Mr.. Jno. Crigler, accompanied by
his little daughter BERTHE, left for
Columbia Monday. They will re-
turn Saturday and bring with them
Miss Alma who has been at college
during the past term.
Tuesday morning at 3 O'Clock the
shrill alarm of fire was sounded
throughout the quiet little village of
Martinsburg, and people rushed to
their doors and windows only to see
Torreyson's elevator enveloped in a
wild, weird sheet of flame. The
building, upon discovery of the fire,
was so far gone that no attempt was
made TO save it. The two elevators,
Torreyson's and McDowers, lie ad-
jacent to and parallel with the Wa
bash track, about forty yards apart,
Torreyson's beng only thirty yards
from the depot. just behind the
elevator was a large hay barn, the
property of the Murray boys, which
contained several tons of hay and a
lot of machinery and farming imple-
ments. In front of the elevator was
the railroad side-track, containing
twenty empty freight cars. Agentle
breeze blew from the Southeast but
with sufficient force to carry burning
shingles to the roofs of both the
depot and hay barn. By heroic eff
forts the depot was saved, although
it caught fire several times. The
fierce flames breathed their fiery
breath across to the barn roof, and
being of light material, that building
was soon wrapped in sheet OF
lurid flame, and an attempt was made
to remove some of the machinery
but it was so bulky and the fir
spread so rapidly that nothing but('
threshing machine was saved. "A
this juncture it was discovered tina
one of the freight cars was burning
and it was recognized that unless th
line of cars, which reached from Tor
reyson's elevator to Chrisman's cross
ing, passing McDowel's elevator AM
Ovens lumber yard, could be broker
that the fire would leap from car t
car until it reached the elevator ant
next the lumber yard, and here
should the wind change, the entir
business portion of the town woul'
be in imminent peril. Several at
temps by hand force were made t
move the long line of cars, but with
out effect. At this juncture the 3: 3
t passenger hove in sight, and operate
Elder tagged her down, already hay
ing received orders to allow conducto
McLane to pull in the side-track an
remove the cars. This was not &C
r complished, however, until four G
the cars were burned. There is muc
speculation regarding the origin c
: the fire, but no positive conclusion
r there had been no fire in the elevate
! engine since Friday. 1t must hav
been accidental from tramps sleepin
:, there, or possibly it may have bee
| incendiary, as nobody can tell. III
4 following are the losses: Murra
boys. hay press, $500, corn she
:, Ter, $3.50, barn building, $500. n
, insurance. Torreyson's and Tore,
sor's elevator. $4,000, insurant
81, 900; jacob Bros. grain stored
It elevator, 5000, insurance $3.50; w
J bash Railroad, 4 freight cars, s4,00
aggregatlng loss of $500.
SENIOR.