Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-12-29
Greatest and Most Costly Fire in the City's
History Burned for Several Hours
During Friday Night.
LOSS MAY REACH $3,OOO,OOO
More Than Two Blocks in the Center of the
Town Are Destroyed by the Fierce
and Furious Flames.

kee; the Bolton block. owned by J. II
Bottom the Commercial block, owned
by Jonathan W. Brown: the Brown
block, owned by w. Z. Manley and as
sociates; the Peavey Il Nash and Dow
stores, owned by ID. Il. Gilman: the dou-
bic Schulein building and double Purslow
building, the former the property of the
Schulein estate and the latter the proper
ty of the Purslow estate.
On the side streets were the buildings
of L. S. Il j. 7. Martin occupied by J. X.
Prugh and the Higman & Skinner Com
pany: the HiGman building, occupied by
the Warfeld-P rattHOwell Company: tn.
West Hotel. owned by r. E. Purslow
and leased by Frank J. Donohue: the
Leader Hotel. owned by Paul Leader;
the Seller wholesale liquor house and sa-
loon. owned by Charles Seller
East from the Pelletier building was
the stately Toy building, the home of the
First National Bank and the Farmers
Loan and Trust Company. This build
ing. which was owned by the State Bank
Building Company, was seven stories in
height and every floor was crowded, the
tenants being mostly doctors and law.
yers. On the ground floor were the Can,
on drug store. the Toy block barber
shop, the saloon of J. w. Kennedy and
the jewelry store of Brodkey & Good.
site
All the stores across the street were
damaged, the heaviest loser being Fag-
ley 4 Co. clothers. in the Metropolitan
block, across Fourth Street. north from
the Toy building The Metropolitan
block is owned by w. T. Marley and as
sociates.
In the burned district were some of the
finest stores of the city. In addition to
the Pelletier store there were the stores
Of the Gillette Hardware Company.
Johnson & Aronson, clothiers; Orkin
Bros, cloaks; George NJ. Conway. whole
sale and retail tobaccos: the Peavey 4
Nash Furniture Company, Dow Clothing
Company, Harstad & Halseth Shoe
Company: Weld Hardware Company; !
L. Becker. haberdasher.
The West Hotel was a complete loss
and the guests sought quarters at other
houses.
The Ideal saloon and gambling house.
owned by Wagner Bros. and Carey 4
Walsh, were burned with valuable
stock of liquors. The gambling para
phernalia was removed before the flames
crossed Nebraska Street
The stores in the district which was
burned have brought the highest rentals
in Sioux City and it was a question Fri
day night in the minds of large property
holders what the effect of the fire would
be.
A miniature engine in Santa Claus
cave in the basement of the Pelletier
Dry Goods Company was the indirect
history of Sioux City.
In the cave was man made up to rep
resent St. Nick. He was entertaining Il
crowd of children by going through Il
pantomime demonstrating the action of
mechanical toys. He pointed to the lii
tie engine which was to furnish the pow
or for a toy saw mill and q grind stone.
The engine was propelled by hot air.
which was furnished by a city gas jet
4 check boy struck a match and touched
the fire to the jet 1t is said ne threw
the match into corner. 1t struck in il
pile of fimsy material and in an instant
the cave was on fire.
Santa Claus quickly tore the beard
ed mask from his face and led the way
to the door. BY this act the crowd in
the basement got out before many on the
ground floor knew there was fire
Many families were left destitute by
the fire. but only two or three persons
applied to the police department for shell
ter during the night. In the Peletier
building alone there were forty-six fam
lilies and a total of about 200 people
There were also a large number of fami-
lies in the other buildings, which were
destroyed by the fire, besides some living
in cottages on Third Street. who were
forced to leave their homes and seek
shelter from the flames.
1t is believed that many of these peo-
pie found places for the night. at least.
with friends. Many of them were too
distracted to look for shelter and stood
Watching the terrible progress of the fire
find.