The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-09-09
WORST IN HER HISTORY.
CONTINUED from page /.

number of other fires were prevented from
breaking out.
The loss of the furniture works entails
n total of over one hundred thousand dol.
lars upon the proprieloTs, and an almost in
calculabe loss to the city. Few people
he factory have any idea of the space
actually covered by the plant, or the great
bulk of the buildings, which was much
larger than the low plain roof of the old
shop in front, would lead one to suppose.
In the rear of the factory addition had been
built to addition until a total OF some
seventy thousand feet of floor space was
occupied. The loss is placed as follows:
On buildings, $4,000; machinery, $780,
900; finished stock, $40 900; stock in pro-
cess of construction, $4,000. The insur-
ance amounts to S64, 500.
The loss to the city is almost inestima'
BILE, and would seem to demand energetic
measures. Not only are the IT'S men who
worked in the factory thrown out of work
but the force at the lumber yard will be
necessarily reduced by from ten to fifteen
men, and thirteen or fourteen hundred dol
lars which went into circulation every week
has suddenly been stopped.
| Another hardship connected with the fire
was the loss of workmen's tools, many Of
the cabinet workers having very expensive
kits of tools, one at least worth as high as
$500, and numerous others proportionately
high.
1t must be remembered too, that there
has been but little done toward securing
new industries within the last few years,
while there have been two or three heavy
losses. The removal of the Ann ArbOr
Railway division was the first of these.
Then last spring the loss of the Estey Car
riage Co.'s plant threw some fifty men out
of work and the plant has not yet been re-
built. Add to this number the men just
returning with Co. G, and the nearly two
hundred men just thrown out of work and
the seriousness of the situation is apparent.
Mr.. l.. Z. Woodland has spoken very
doubtfully about rebuilding. AS was point
ed out two weeks ago by THE TINES when
commenting on the new Casket Works
building, MIR. Woodland has suffered two
losses before this which were enough to dis
hearten a more courageous man, and the III
health with which he has been troubled
lately makes him hesitate about placing the
load again upon his shoulders. Both he
and his sons, Frank and Fred, say that the
planning mill will probably be rebuilt and
that probably on the old site. The furni.
ture factory will probably not be rebuilt
there. If rebuilt it is likely to be on land
east of the casket factory, where advantages
and proximity to lumber yards can be Sc
cured. 1t is certainly to be hoped that Mr..
Woodland will decide to rebuild at this latter
location, and that he will not be conented
until he has again conferred an inestimable
blessing on the city by providing an oppor-
tunity for some two hundred men to earn
liviDg-and the man who does this is as
much public benefactor In so doing as is a
man who gives thousands of dollars for
public parks, libraries. and schools. Doubt
less the burden is not so light or so pleas
ant as it was in his younger years, but for
the sake of the city which, If need be. should
stand ready to help Mr.. Woodland 10 a sub
stantial way, and for the sake of the fami-
lies of his many employees 1t is to be hoped
that he will again assume the responsibility
and will rebuild.
Mueller Bros loss Is the next largest.
The brewery was fitted up in a first.class
manner with the very latest appliances and
the most expensive apparatus. The plant
cost about $4,000 and Is almost total
wreck. The insurance on 1t amounted to
but $1,000. There was stock of about
1000 barrels of beer in the cold storage and
the utmost efforts were made to save this.
There was a large amount of ice In the
building and ice was hauled In all day Sun
day to keep the beer from spelling. They
hope to save as large part of 1t, bat cannot
tell for some time yet whether they will be
able to or not. They will probably rebuild.
Grove & Payne's loss was practically COM
plete. This stock was valued at about $40,
600 on which they carried but So, 900 insur-
ance. The loss Is severe one but the firm
has already received both by mail and by
wire messages of encouragement and SYM
patty and even offers of assistance from
the manufacturers with whom they do BUSH
ness. The building which was owned by
the Calkins estate is a total loss. 1t was
valued at $4,000 with an insurance of So,
600
b. j. Evans estimates the loss to his barn,
occupied by DR.. Joplings livery stable, at
$4,000 fully covered by insurance. DR..
Jopling considered his loss as about $500
with $500 insurance.
H. r. Tooley's loss on the building occu-
pied by Convis & Carmody is estimated at
about $500 worth of stock, insured.
VIM. Sturtevants loss on stock will ap-
proximate $500, covered by insurance.
The Dean property DESTROYED was vaIued