The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-02-28

ne won Cne commence ana eegeem
of q great many people. His
business in 1906 surpassed any
previous year.
Years ago he suffered q loss BY
fire which left him without q
dollar. He did not get discour-
aged and it was but q short time
before he started in anew. This
time be was running 8 bakery.
he soon went into the clothing
business and has been successful.
Mr.. Wilson was seen BY an In
dependent representative today
and he states that he is not pre-
pared at this time to say just
what his future plans are. That
he will conclude to rebuild i'm
mediatelY is almost g certainty
and that he will engage in bust
ness is the earnest desire Of all
Of his friends. Regarding the fire
Mr.. Wilson said: u
81 was awakened in my room
by the smoke and was at first be-
wildered. ran out in the Kit
chen and secured q coat that
hnng on q chair and after fumbl-
ing around, found my shoes
which l slipped on. I then grab
bed a few Of the clothes belong
ing to my little boy, and got my
family out safely aad took them
down stairs. 1 was unable TO
go back into the room, on. sac-
count Of the smoke. l managed
to reach the closet and get q few
of the clothes belonging to my
wife. l took my wife to the Da-
cotah hotel right away and saw
that the children were all right.
then ran back to the store l
entered the building thru the
back way, and thought perhaps
l might save my fur lined OVER
coat which was hanging in the
rear of the store. l got down on
my hands and knees to avoid the
smoke and would have secured
the coat but for the heat Of the
floor.
81 have not the least idea how
the fire started, for my building
was heated from the Central
heating plant and there was no
fire of any kind, evidently IN the
store, when l closed up"
Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson feel very
badly over the loss of their house
hold goods, many OF which can
never be replaced. A fine piano
was burned. The household
goods were insured for 81, 900,
but there will be g loss Of per.
haps $500 on them.
It appeared for q time as tho
the fire would spread and many
in that neighborhood began to
move out. The Office Of the Re.
porter is located just to the
north and for an hour and g h4lf
Editor Clark watched the battle
with the flames and would not
allow any Of the type to be re.
moved. He was Thea advised
that the building would likely
not be saved, and willing hands
moved all the type, job stock and
presses, with the exception oftAe
newspaper press into the street.
The building was saved, but n
moving, q good deal of damage
was done to the Office. Themost
damage was done to the legal
blanks, which were scattered to
the four winds Of heaven. The
Reporter came out on time that
morning, the Optic kindly Gl.
lowing Mr.. Clark to use it's press.
The Independent feels sorry
for Mr.. Clark that he was COM
PEELED to suffer airy loss, but is
glad that the fire terminated as
luckily as it did for him.
The fire laddies worked like
Turks, but it seemed impossible
for them to save Mr.. Wilson's
store. The fire evidently started
in the basement, or close to the
first floor. The flames wereslow
in showing themselves, and the
smoke was one dense mass.
About the only thing that could
be done was to turn the hose m
to the building, and run chances
on striking the fire.
A telephone ought to be in
stalled in the pumping plant 10
mediately. It was necessary fSf
the fire chief to send q businea
man across the river halt q nj
to see if the pumps were working
properly. Pumper Knudson had
eyerothing working like clock.
work and there was plenty OF
water. It looked for q time O.
tho the whole block was doomed