Willmar tribune., 1900-05-09
~. ~. 81
A Million Dollar Fire
BY n L. Dawes.
'7E9SS7S S7E7S7 ~ 7ISNS7 7NSNETl

NHEN Thomas Proctor entered
w my Office one October morning
ten years ago little thought the day
would prove to be the most eventful
in the lives of three men.
1 had aided Proctor financially in
several promising business ventures,
and they all wound up in disaster,
which was not due to any misman-
agement on his part, but to a COM
bination of unfortunate circum-
stances.
After the last collapse Proctor OBJ
tanned situation at a salary which
barely supported his family. This
went on for about two years, when
his employer failed and Tom was
again stranded. He had been with
out employment about month, when
he called at my Office that October
morning.
gave him some good advice and
encouragement, and what to him was
more substantial, some dollars to re-
lieve his immediate necessities.
Proctor expressed his gratitude in
his blunt, homely fashion, and added,
earnestly: 'Perhaps this is the turn
ing of the tide, Mr.. Burrows and I
replied: Il hope so with all my
heart
At that time I was director in a
large transportation company, and
thinking that possibly I might secure
position there for my young friend
we started on a search at once.
On the way downtown we stopped
at a wholesale house to buy a ham,
mock to send to friend in Florida.
The clerk informed us that as the
hammock season was over all their
stock had been packed away on the
top floor, so we ascended to the fifth
floor in the elevator and then climbed
two flights of stairs. entering a room
occupying the whole area of the build
ing.
A clerk was busily engaged with a
gentleman whom recognized as Hon.
Moses Oglethorpe, multi-millionaire,
the richest man in the state. The
clerk went downstairs for something,
leaving us alone-a millionaire, mer-
chant and a poor man.
Suddenly we were startled by the
changing of gongs, a footing of bugles
and commotion in the street.
We all rushed to the window, drawn
thither by the natural desire inherent
in the breast of the average American
to witness the rush of the fire en-
gines.
"Great Scott! gentlemen" ex-
claimed Tom, excitedly, "the fire is in
this building! I smell smoke! We
must get out!''
We all rushed to the door, Proctor
reaching it first. AS he swung it
open he was driven back by sheet
of flame and smoke.
"No chance to escape by the stairs,"
said he; perhaps there's a fire es-
cape; you stay here while I take a
look" and with that he ran to the
front, side and rear windows. When
he rejoined our little group the an
swer was plainly written on his face.
In that time of awful peril and
danger Tom Procter was cool and
collected, so we naturally looked to
him to find some avenue of escape
Ten minutes before he was the most
insignificant person in the room, a
penniless bankrupt, realizing his own
insignifcance more keenly because of
the presence of a modern Croesus.
A few moments had changed the
standing of the two extremes of our
trio, and Proctor had jumped to the
head of the class, for we were in a
situation where brains were of more
account than dollars.
' He carefully examined the room,
hoping to find skylight, but was
unsuccessful. Then he sought, the
windows again, thinking he might
discover a coping or cornice by which
we could reach some adjoining build
ing, but with the same hopeless re-
suit.
Then we ran to the windows to see
If there was any chance of help from
the firemen. A cry of horror reached
our ears as the crowd in the street
caught sight of us.
The fremen raised ladders against
the side OF the building, but our
hearts sank, for the ladders reached
only the window of the fourth floor.
One cry reached our ears, but it
sounded like death sentence. Some
one, evidently a. fire chief, roared
through trumpet: Jump! it's your
only rhance!" at the same time point !.
ing to a@group of men holding a large
Blanket directly beneath us. .=
s$'.My God!" Sgroaned Oglethorpe:
"it's suicide to jump from this height.
It makes me dizzy to think of it.
Proctor was as cool as the proverb-
fal cucumber, and talked to us as calm
II as if discussing a business scheme in
my private Office. 0
''It's a case Of roast or jump said
lie, as we came together for a final con-
ference, that's the whole thing in a
nutshell. The only redeeming feature
ii. the case is that each Of us can choose
the way It suits him best to die. Per-
sonally il t.makes little difference to me-
Death BY fire ism e really SO b horrible as,