The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-07-11

the fireworks. The stores had all done
a big business during the day and every
one was tired out when they closed up
and went to bed between twelve and
one o'clock, little dreaming that before
morning the entire north side of the
square, nearly the entire business part
of the town would be destroyed by fire.
The fire which started in the Yellow
Front restaurant, owned by Corrington
& Walker, was discovered about 2:40
o'clock by Harl Coffin, who had taken a
young lady to her hone several miles in
the country after the celebration was
over, and when he drove into town he
saw that fierce fire was burning in
the restaurant, and Immediately gave
the alarm, which was taken up by
Frank Euritt at the telephone office
who commenced ringing everyone who
had phone connections. The restaurant
was closed and locked up by MIR.
Walker about half past twelve and
everything was all right when he left.
How the fire originated will never be
known, but smouldering cigar stump,
or gasoline stove left burning is sup
posed to have been the cause. At once
it was seen that nothing could be saved
from the restaurant building and the
tried in vain to confine the flames to
were all frame and the fire had gained
soon spread to the adjoining buildings
on the east and west and soon it was
apparent that the whole north side was
doomed. So rapidly did the flames
spread that scarcely anything could be
saved from W. S. Bears drug store on
the east or Shields Bros. implement
store on the west. The drug store was
soon licked up and the postoffice east
of it was gone in a few minutes, the
fire being so hot that nothing could be
saved from the Office, and all the mail,
and everything the Office contained was
destroyed. Mr.. Bear managed to save
his books from the drug store, but the
postoffice was not even entered
by anyone. The next building east of
the postoffice was O. B. Creal & Sons
hardware store and it was soon mass
of flames, only small part of the stock
being saved. Then came the new brick
Masonic hall in course of construction,
and this was the east end of the fire, as
it was stopped here, but not until the
joists of the second floor were burned
with the temporary flooring and the
west wall of the building so badly dam
aged that it will have to be torn down
and rebuilt.
While the fire had been spreading to
the east it was also busy on the west.
The first building west of where the fire
started was occupied by Shields Bros.
with a big stock of implements, wagons
and buggies, and all that was saved
were few buggies which were stand
ing near the front, everything else be-
ing destroyed. Their loss falls very
heavy on them, their stock invoicing
about $4,000 and not penny of insur-
ance. Lake & Lloyd's restaurant fol-
lowed, part of the contents being car
ried out. The fire then jumped across
the alley to the building owned by Mrs.
Win Cash and occupied by Mrs. Mary
Osborn with her millinery store and DIR.
Camps office. Most of the contents
of both were carried out, but consider
ably damaged. In the meantime willing
hands removed the stock of general
merchandise owned by G. NJ. Corrington,
and also the Racket store of A. 7. Ross,
the buildings occupied by them being
worth Of wagons and all were burned.