Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-27
FIRE IN A FRONTIER TOWN.

It was an unusually quiet night in tombstone. The church-going citizen had long since retired. The midnight hour had passed, but the rough-apd- ready resorts on Toughnut street and Can Can alley were still in full blast, for Tombstone was an all-night town. The silent gambler. his face wearing a serious and determined expression, st1ll sat in front of the faro table, While the medley of cracked pianos, guitars and violins common to west ern saloons was freely interspersed With the eager cry of the crap shooter and the whirl of the roulette ball. Diamond Dick, who was afterwards put away in Yuma for dynamiting the postoftice, had been lucky and was rapidly passing his gains back to the concern over the bar. The place had been recently Gaffneyized, and a big slA-ShOoter was in Ominous display near the bottle of "forty-rod.''
 Suddenly the sounds of hlarity were interrupted by the crack of a pistol shot Then another. and another. un- til there was a whole fusilade of banging firearms. Then denizens of the Palace rushed to the doors, weapons in hand, and joined in the general air-splitting cannonade After awhile the volunteer fire brigade con- sisting of a hoseless hose cart, three or four buckets and a half dozen trained fire eaters, dashed down the street. Before reaching the scene of the fire the cart struck big rock and capslzed. throwing the front end fire man high into the air. The accident caused d disastrous delay, for the flames were already ating their way into the most substantial part of the equipment of the Tombstone Epitaph. the leading weekly of Cochise county. The editor, who slept in his sanctum guarded by pair of Winchesters. had barely time to escape in his pajamas. leaving his wardrobe as food for the flames.
 In many frontier towns the whole population turns out to fight fire, and every sort of vessel is brought into use with which to get water to the scene. Sometimes that valuable Quan- tity Is lamentably scarce, and then the people are at the mercy of the ele- 1nent. But the fire at the Epitaph building was not allowed to spread. The people formed ill lines with their buckets, tubs, boilers and sprinkling cans and passed the water along, while some of the bravest and most active spread wet blankets upon the roofs and walls of adjoining buildings. The neighboring saloons providing plenty of stimulants, and naturally there were many willing fire fighters.
 After 1t was all over and the editor had verbally announced that he would rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes" a half-dressed individual rushed up to the returning crowd and breathlessly inquired:
 "Ha-have they gone?''
 Have who gone-what are you talk ing about?" he was asked.
 Why, the Indians?'
 ''There wuz no Injuns, ye plague goned idyit. exclaimed an old from tiersman. "What's tn matter with ye? Have ye lost yer balance wheel?"
 "Well, what did all that shooting mean? I thought it was for an Indian uprising"
 The Arizona method of giving fire alarm was explained to the tender foot. who said he had been '.hiding out' in his hotel until the danger was over, and then he was escorted to the Palace and given a taste of life in the far west.-Detroit Free Press.