Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

WING IN modest mousse In WASH
ington, away from the hum OF
the business world and far from
IL the haunts that are so familiar to
him. is one who claims to have
conducted the only newspaper published
in Chicago during the famous fire. He is
q man who now holds an humble position
in the government printing Office, and he
is little known in America, despite the
fact that different times he has promul-
gated and advocated movements with
which the most prominent of American
reformers have been connected.
This man is Andrew ]. Boyer. sixty-nine
years old, of SIT Taylor street, man
who in his life has started seventeen
daily. weekly and monthly periodicals,
and who in his day knew well such per-
sons as Col. A. X. Mcclure, Susan b.
Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Amelia Bloomer (the originator of the
"Bioomer" costume for women).
In his home is a little cabinet contain
ing all sorts Of unique relics. most Of
them charred and burned. These are the
only tokens that Mr.. Boyer was the news
paperman who furnished to Chtcagoans
during the terrible fire of 1871 the news
of the devastating progress Of the con-
fagration.
A souvenir of the flames which was
saved by Mr.. Boyer is a small stick Of
wood taken from the town council house
shortly before that building was de-
stroyed. There is nothing unusually re-
markable in the appearance of the wood.
and it requires reminiscent touch from
Mr. Boyer to make one understand that
this is all that remains of the original
seat of the law In the largest metropolis
west of New York.
On the day of the terrible fire Mr..
known as the Chicago Ledger, visited
the conf1agration several times and saw
that the course Of the flames led directly
to his plant. Realizing that 1t would ne
impossible to save the building, he took
what he could from the office and print
ing room and hurried to a small job
printing plant on the west side of the
city owned by friend 1t subsequently
turned out that in this shop was the only
small type available for use in the entire
city. As the flames roared on and news
paper after newspaper was consumed as
so much coal in a furnace. Mr. Boyer,
with the assistance of X. f. Hoyt, the
city editor of his paper and several re-
porters. put a little daily paper on the
street that was printed the hand
presses OF a job office. This was the
only paper that was published in Chi
cago during the fire. The copies sold as
long as they lasted and were so cents
apiece On the third day of the fire. as the
last form of the little paper lay on the
press, another newspaper man entered the
office and. 1t is said, made a liberal offer
for the purchase of the paper. His offer
was accepted. and, reaching in his pocket
Tor small type form, he withdrew the
word Ledger" from the headings of Mr.
Boyers paper and substituted Post. y
This man. 1t is asserted, was A. X. Brad
ley, and In this manner one of Chicago
most famous newspapers originated
Though he is an old man in years Mr.
Boyer Is still young. His step is as
light. his eye as keen and his Judgment
as clear in all respects as a man ten
years his junior. He speaks with a clear.
strong enunciation and force of gesture
that Is usual with man who has been
leading men all OF his life. He is proud
OF the paper that he issued during the
Chicago fire. However, he admits, il he
had another chance, he sees no reason
why his edition could not be made as
good as that of any ordinary paper He
was young in experience, he said, and
the terrible embarrassment 1t cost him to
charge citizens of Chicago so cents apiece
for a four-pase paper scarcely more than
eighteen inches square. His "reminiscences
of the fire are largely based upon per-
sonal experience.
Fighting the Flames.
With the firemen and police he Tough,
in the hopeless battle against the flames
for two days. stopping only long enough
TO send his reporters to the office with
his copy" and to see that his little edi-
ton was getting out regularly. He saw
the fire sweep from the poorer sections
OF the town to the very heart Of the bust
ness section. and, with its venomous
tongues of red. destroy large buildings. az
II destroyed small ones. eliminating brick
structures as easily as it did the little
wooden shanty in which Mrs. O'Leary s
COW resided.
The paper which he issued during the