Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-06-09
$4,000 FIRE AT MT. OLIVE
Only Two Buildings Left Standing on one
Whole Block.

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Only Two Buildings Left Standing on on,
Whole Block.
The thriving town of Mt. OIL
i've, fifteen miles south of here or
the w. & w. R. r., suffered
$50, ooofreM Monday night. Nth th'
exception of the brick store ane
residence of Mr.. r. j. Souther.
land, one whole block in the bust.
ness part of the city was swep'
away by the devastating flames,
which ere never suppressed, bu1
only stopped when there was
nothing else to burn.
On all this vast amount of prop
erty there was only 81, 900 insur-
ance, and that was held in the
sum of $500 each by Mr.. j.. D.
Sutherland and DIR. l.. P. Aaron.
The fire was discovered 10 an
old storehouse recently occupied
as a restaurant by a white woman
named Manda Cox. She had va
Gated the house about a week ago
and gone to Wilson. This store
vas situated about midway the
block and the fumes leaped to the
adjoining buildings and spread SO
rapidly in both directions that
nothing was saved from any of the
stores, which were all occupied.
The first store going north from
Mr.. r. j. Switzerland belonged to
Mr.. Switzerland and was occupied
by a colored merchant. The next
store belonged to Mr.. j. D.
Sutherland and was occupied by
him as a general store. The next
belonged to Mr.. J. D. Souther.-
land and was occupied by Dr.. L..
T, Aaron as a drug store. The
next was owned by Nj. G. B.
Hatch and was occupied by him.
The next was occupied as a drug
store by Mr.. J.. Il. Smith and
was owned by him. The next
building was the property of Mr..
III. Hatch and was &C.
cupied by him as a general
store. The next two buildings
belonged to Mr.. ]. d. Aaron. the
first being occupied by Messrs.
Perry Bros, aud the next being
the place where the fire origis
mated. The next building and
stock of goods was the property
of Mr.. j. r. Hatch, the Mayor
of the town. The next and last
building on that row belonged to
Mr.. O. B. Price and was occu-
pied by Messr>. Parks Bros, as
general store.
The origin of this fire is un-
known. When Mr.. Jno. r. Smith
closed his place of business
about II o'clock and started home
be saw four or five negro boys
on the steps of the build
ing where the fire started. The
was standing open. It is
surmised that these boys were in
the building shooting Craps"
and smoking cigarettes aud care
Iessly threw away a lighted
stump" which ignited some ms
matter and set the house
on fire.
As will be seen from the report
Of those who suffered loss by the
ire, the manager of the ARGUS
at Mt. Olive, Mr.. Jno.
Smith is among them-and his
loss is great, as he owned his store
and had no insurance on
store or stock.
The ARGUS sympathizes with
nim beyond expression in the
terrible calamity that has thus be-
fallen him, as well as with all the
others who suffered heavy losses
and their many friends and pa
irons throughout that section will
De panied to learn of the adversely
hat has overtaken them. In the
destruction of such a vast amount
property the town will sustain
/ heavy blow to its commercial in
but those who suffered
most are not of the kind to
sit In the midst of ashes and
smouldering ruins and count their
losses; they are cast from a mould
Of manhood that knows how to