The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1895-08-02

or less extent
On the treasurer side, a number Of
the tax deed records, running over sew
era years, suffered the most, one Of them
being completely DESTROYED and several
others beng partially burned On this
side OF the vault also the papers and
books were all more or less burned,
though the more valuable records, in
cluding the tax records of 1894 were
saved, but all in more or less burned
condition
In the auditors and county judges
and states attorneys ro1ms there was
no safe. and Of course tho contents of
the rooms We're entirely lost, Mr.. Owen,
the county judge, losing his library and
personal property to the value of $4Oo,
and States Attorney Lock hart also suffers
a personal loss of all his law books, and
neither of whom had any insurance.
Mr.. Lockhart is also secretary OF the
board of education, and many of the
books and papers of the board were IN the
office and consumed. E. NJ. Bennett bad
removed his large law library from this
room to Big Stone but feH days be-
fore, aud was thereby saved heavy loss.
In the clerk OF courts office the large
safe contained most of the probate
books, but in consequence of the safe
not beng large enough to hold them all,
nF ~. rlc
were the entire mass of court filings,
which were stored in pigeon holes and
cases IN this office, besides some person
al effects and papers Of Clerk OF Courts
Prevey Everything in the safe
came through the fire without the slight
est injury.
All OF the papers, books and property
OF the county superintendent were of
course destroyed the Office being up
stairs. Mr.. Aldrich also suffers Il
personal loss ia books and his entomo-
logical exhibit which he priced very
highly. The jury room on the south
west corner contained the property of
Humphrey post, G., A. r., consisting Of
banners, guns, and sabers, and dishes and
other property Of the relief corps,
amounting in the aggregate TO probably
over 5000 in value, an all Of which was
DESTROYED.
just how the fire 0 riginated is abso-
lutely unknown. 1t had got SO well over
the building when discovered that it was
almost impossible 10 even tell at what
point it started, and its origin will prob
ably always remaic mystery. II the
vault doors were closed and locked the
night before, as both treasurer and reg
ster assert was the case, the fact that
would indicate incendiarism, while the
fact that the entrance 10 the hallway
was always open, gives rise to the theory
that the place may have Leen taken pos
session Of by tramps, who accidently or
maliciou sly set the fire. These ere but
theories, with little substantial to base q
conclusion upon.
The experience OF last Tuesday morn
ing would suggest the necessity OF
more thorough organization OF the fire
company and the advlsabili,y Of procur-
ing new hose and keeping the appara-
tus in as perfect condition as possible
for all emerg gencies. A more thorough
organization should at once be lnstitut-
ed, and citizens interested should mako
an effort to this end.
hundred dollars worth of uncollected
fees by the fire, and among his personal
effects destroyed was the old bass horn,
belonging TO the hand, and the large flag
OF that organization.
For temporary quarters the county Of
ficials are located in the Berkin building
on Main street, where the auditor, treas-
urer and register OF deeds have their
books, and all the officers will hold forth
there until other arrangements are made.
The loss of all the court files will
prove serious and annoying feature 10
all litigants in the circuit court.
Sheriff Williams, Register Of Deeds
Mor,e.l and Clerk Of Courts Prevey hau
been spending the past week ut the lake,
intending 10 come home on Tuesday
which they did in little more hurri. a.
manner than they expected to.
One Of the important records lost in
the FIRE was the record Of the commls-
sioners proceedings tor the early years
Of the eighties, which happened to be in
the Office os,i ,ithAteoSDty. judge Az tbs,
tinss