Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-04-24


from the lake. 1t matters little who
owned the property; it is sufficient to
say that Mrs. Sapphira Dodge, the
widow of a down-East sea cap
tain, occupied it, and there con
Quoted a home-like but aristocratic
boarding house. The array of board
ers around Mrs. Sapphira Dodge's
tables differed little from that in
scores of other resorts of a similar
kind. The gossip was as prolific
among the ladies; the rivalry in dress
and the petty iealousies tlourished there
as they always have and always will
in boarding houses of wealth and ease.
But on the fatal night of October 8,
1871, the house was destroyed, and
Mrs. Sapphira Dodge never again
opened her establishment. Many OF
her boarders never showed up again
after that night, and quite number of
board bills are still unpaid
A romance grew from the burning of
Mrs, Dodge's boarding house, and a
confirmed bachelor became benedict.
Prominent among the boarders was
Colonel L. G. Frost, middle aged at
torney, who did little but collect rent
from half score of buildings at the
beginning of each month. And then
there was Mrs. Amos Z. Matthews, a
widow with an income and two charm
tall and willowy, while her sister, Anna,
was plump and round of figure. 1t
had long been the talk of the boarders
in general that if the Colonel had a
very little encouragement he would
have placed his future happi-
ness at the disposal of Miss
May. But the encouragement did
not come, and though the Colonel
was bold in war he was bashful in
matters of love, and had it not been for
the awful fire he had in all probability
lived and died bachelor.
The boarders were all excited on the
night Of the fire. Long before they
went to bed that night they watched
the lurid sky and in hushed whispers
wondered what was burning. No one
ever dreamed that they need fear. A
few of the young, unmarried men left
for the scene of the fire late in the
evening, but they did not return.
Whatever became of them Mrs. Dodge
never knew. Their board bills are
among the unpaid.
Every one who knows anything of
the fire of October, 1871, knows how
the flames roarcd and how the burning
brands rained over the roofs far in adj
vance of the main body of the "fery
hurricane" AS it was in scores and
hundreds of other cases, so it was with
Mrs Sapphira Dodge's household. They
went to bed that night little feeling
the danger they We're in, and slept
peacefully. Long before the food of
fire reached the old red brick, Dutch
gabled boarding house ON Congress
street, one of the treacherous brands
set fire to the roof. IT went like
typical tinder The boarders had bare
ly time to escape with their lives.
Then the streets We're crowded with
thousands of homeless and excited
people rushing III mad torrent for the
lake front. The air was sitting with
heat and smoke; the weak were pushed
aside aud trodden down by the strong.
Women chung madly to their babes, or
walled for their lost little ones.
Fathers got lost from their families,
wives were separated from their hus-
bands, but on the torrent swept. 1t
was q wild race for life. Such
was the sceHe viii h met tbs
gaze of sapphira Dodge's boarder5
They had slept til OF gh all he noise
and We're awakened to lind themselve,
i'll world of fire.
Had it not been for Colonel Frost i
is highly probable that the entir
household of boaders would hav
been burned to d ath He occupied
room on the third floor front. Th
first he knew of the fire was stro
smell of 81 oke in his room. Jumpi
out of bed, he drew on a pair @
trousers and ran out into the hall
He quickly realized that prompt nc
tion was necessary and he at once bega