The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-15
NORTH SIDE NEWS
Loss From Fire North Of Kaw
$12,494.19.
Company AnsweredTwenty Calls
Last Nine Months.
LOSS USUALLY SMALL.
Forbes Bros. Mill Was One Ex-
ceptiOn.
Other Items of Interest on
North Side.
LOSS USUALLY SMALL.

The first annual report made by the
fire department under the commission
form of government comprising tne
last nine months shows that the loss
time is $12.494.19, ar nearly half of the
total ,408 loss for the whole city or
Topeka The total number of fires
north of the river was 20, averaging
over two fires a month. With the ex-
ception of the Forbes mills fire which
the record shows was a loss of over
$12, 900, May IA. 1910, when the mill was
destroyed, and when the James Dur
/ kin residence at 125 West Railroad
street burned october rs at a loss or
S21419, and a few other instances the
damage from the fires has been small,
| from So to $40.
| In most instances the causes have
been defective fiues. and gasoline ex-
plosions. The records show no hres
I in August, September and December.
November leads with seven cases OF
| fire. This is probably due to the fact
| that in this month winter stoves are
being put up and the making or nres
| for the first time since early spring
reveals the weak places in the fiues
which have developed since these
chimneys have been last used.
| In speaking of fires north OF the
river this morning Chief Wll1nartn
said that he hoped whoever sent IN an
alarm from that part of Topeka, IN
case the fire was on a street running
north or south, the person would al
ways prefix North before the street
number so that there would be no
confusion or delay by the department
| in getting to the scene. He said that
| it was not necessary to say that Ihe
fire was on Harrison street, North 10
pelxa. for instance, but that North
Harrison street would be better.
The fire record follows
Nav s, SIS North Kansas avenue. H.
Offin, $40.
Buren,, Forbes Brothers, $4,000.
May 10, us North Monroe James
Coughlin. trifiing.
June IS, 712 West Ra1lroao street.
| A. Porter, trifing.
June 81. 1928 North Quincy street,
Caroline Ehrhart. So
June &c, GA West Gordon street. M.
Inv 4. s42 North Kansas avenue,
! George Knoll, $65.
Juiv 10, 1903 North Quincy street,
]. r. Fitzgerald, trifling-
| Linke,- trifiing.
July 30, 1910 North Monroe street,
/ S. X Sarber, trif1ing.
october 21, SOC North Kansas ave-
nue.. Charles 81 aeyT Tss vest yset Railroad
street. James Durkin. $214
october 81. 534 North Kansas ave-
| nue., J. B. Billiard. trifiing.
November 8. s13 North Jackson
street, w. E. Pomeroy, trifiing- Mi.
| false alarm.
November IL, Jackson and Norris,
Central Sash & Door company
November &c, SIS z North kansas
avenue Walter Curtis, tr1f1ng.
November 26, 1434 North Kansas
avenue, William Wimms, 500.
November 81. 500 North Kansas
avenue, rubbish pile.
November so, 829 North Van Buren
street, George Miller, trif1ing.
r. N. Wellman, a North side man
who lives at the Adams house, left to-
day for Cheyenne, Wyo., to settle a
mining claim. His story follows: He
and three others discovered a copper
mine near Cheyenne by accident in
1901. They lacked capital to develop
the find although it looked promising
| A rich brother of one of the discoveries
| took hold of it, and made extensive
operations in the field
| Later after Wellman had returned to
Topeka he was offered $1,000 for his
share in the mine. About the same
| time he learned that $1,000 had been Of
| fered for a share of another original
discoverer of the property and went to
| Cheyenne to investigate before relin-
gushing his hold on the mine.
| Following the Four men took the
matter into court The Certain Rich
| Nam finally compromised by giving
| his note for 81 800 to each of the share
holders in the mine. But the notes
were due January 2, 1910, but Dives
died November "a 1909. His estate was
valued at $50, 500, and Mr. Wellman's
prospects looked good. But a New
| York firm, to whom 1t is claimed the
deceased owed $500, 900, Immediately at
| tached all of the estate and the min
ers' claims have remained unsettled.
- l. ~s1r1v, oI tic
coverers of the copper deposit have
died and one has disappeared
| Mr. Wellman has been notified to
/ appear before the court at Cheyenne
as the heir which the dead man left
| has become of age and it is thought
| another settlement is pending to all OF
his fathers creditors.
/ This morning MI. Wellman'S story of
| the discovery of the mine and the sub
seouent events was like a Brete Hart
romance.
/ One afternoon in the fall OF 1901 four
men were sitting Giear a railroad grade
near Munson, or Tie Siding not far
from Cheyenne. They were employed
on a grade for the Union Pacific but
had knocked off work. Mr.. Weilman
was one of them. The others were
named Jones, Smith and Bailey. Bailey
was a professional prospector. Smith
and Jones were soldiers of fortune.
Wellman was idly pecking at the
earth with his pocket knife Suddenly
he struck a hard substance about as
big as the end of his thumb. He
picked it up Bailey glanced at it and
exclaimed:
Copper You've struck something"
The men then all began to scoop up
the barren soil and found quantities of
native copper. When it became too
dark to see Bailey said:
Let's cover up the marks of our
work and keep still about it. We can
form a company among ourselves and
develop this mine.'
This was agreed to and carried out.
It happened that the copper deposit
was far enough removed from the
grading camp that none but the four
men suspected anything unusual After
the graders had moved on, the men
giving various reasons for their action