The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-07-07
Tribute to Jack Lyons.
Continued from page one.

i hltu street ana west on idIu Nti''
1t took fire in the kitchen about one
o'clock IA. M, Friday, March 18th, 1850.
The hotel was totally destroyed and IN
it a man by name of j. J. llalb bin was
burned to death. East Of the hotel
facing north ON Third street. was WAL
ter KEYS saloon, totally destroyed.
Smith Bros ,,-story frame store build
ing, situate on the northeast corner OF
the block. on ground now partly occu-
pied 10y Friend * Flynn, barber shop,
was saved by the hardest kind of work.
South of the hotel, facing west ON Nam
street the New England Hotel, Bloom
twists beer hall and Lyons saloon and
dwelling were all burned. Jacob
Becker's blacksmith shop north OF
Third street was also burned.
In thi, fire Jack lost his buildings,
his saloon and dwelling house, and his
entire stock of liquors and cigars, and
or some little time after was ont OF
business. He next formed partner
ship with @. b. Castle. Their place of
bushes, was in frame building just
north of pearson's saloon, facing west
on Main street, on ground now vacant.
and was called the keg House. They
afterward moved up on the corner row
occupied by O. Peterson. The partner
ship was dissolved on Tuesday, August
9th, l>S1, Jack selling his interest TO
Castle for $1,000. ON the 9TH day of
October. lsS-. Jack bought the corner
where his brick building now stands,
of Matthias Becker and went into bust
ness again. His wooden building there
was destroyed in the big fire July 4th,
1889. and be afterward built the two
story brick in it, place that stands
there now. This became his home, his
castle. his world. He con,cientiously
believed any meGdling with his occu-
pancy of this place, even by the officers
of the law. was a grave invasion OF his
rights. His life had been SO environed
that be never had a thought but that
the business he was engaged in was
lust a. honorable calling for him "a
any business was to any other man.
He was man of naturally bright
mind, quick to discern and weigh a
business proposition. and the life he
had led rendered him Self-reliant and
courageous. He always accumulated
but at the same time never became
parsimonouS nor selfish. He was gen
erous and public spirited, ever ready
TO contribute of his substance to public
enterprises. He was loyal in the eX
IRENE. both to his friends and locality.
Nothing gave him more pride than to
see his community 90 ahead.
Jack was full of humor as the many
Jokes he spruns fully attest. briefly
relate an instance: Adjoining his place
of business on Main street was a cloth
ing store kept by jew by name of
Caro-. whose family resided in San
Francisco. Caro- was fond of picking
M curios to send to his family. Jack
had some pieces of brass that had been
melted in a fire. which be carried in
his pocket and called his nuggets.
Caro- saw them and thinking of course
they were gold. was anxious to buy
them to send to hi, wife and daughters
10 san Francisco Jack, in Obliging
voice and manner, said ''sure wouldn't
think OF selling thin, I'll iist make
YOU a present of thim." Caro- received
them with IA glad heart and felt so good
that he ordered the champagne for us
all at a cost of sixteen dollars. He
then took the nuggets up to Rehmke
to have them properly boxed and sent
to San Francisco, when he was informed
and finally convinced they were moth
ing but brass. Mark Twain's old Jim
Baker says blne-jay can out swear
any living thing. He never saw Caro-
else he would have excepted him. For
about an hour after he made the brass
discovery the atmosphere in and around
Ellensburg was col ,red with a deep
purple tinge, and Jack had business
away from his saloon to avoid the
storm. Jack never quit laughing over