Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-02-04
An Incident of the
Chicago Fire
By John TURNLEE

celebrated the event by giving a din
ner. was present and have occasion
10 remember the date perfectly. The
otn OF October that year fell on Sun
DAY. How ! happen to remember this
VIII appear as | proceed with my sto-
ry. Two other events in Burroughs
life were celebrated at that dinner. 1t
was farewell to his bachelor friends,
Tor he was TO be married the next
evening. and he came into possession
OF S5OO.OOO invested in negotiable se-
curities.
The autumn of 1871 was a very dry
season. Chicago, the city in which we
were living. had experienced a series
OF hres. While we were dining fire en-
gines went changing by necessarily.
Lifting a curtain of a west window,
saw great yellow glare. In less than
an hour every one of us had left the
dinner table and gone out to witness
the beginning Of the great Chicago fire.
Burroughs wedding did not take
place the next day. for his home, the
nome of his iancee and the church he
was to have been married in were all
either in flames or In ruins. What
troubled Burroughs most was a fear
that his securities might have been de-
stroyed. They were in the keeping of
his guardian, and his guardian was
among those who were missing after
the fire 1end had satisfied its hunger.
A soon as the ruins had cooled Bur-
roughs began search for his fortune.
1t was not found at the safety de-
posit company where his lawyer, Sam
uel Coolidge. had kept valuables. The
office safe had tumbled from the
fourth story of the building. and ev-
erything in 1t had been burned to pow
der. These two incidents taken to-
gether convinced Burroughs that be
had lost his fortune, for the securities
were not of the registered kind, but In
the nature of banknote. At any rate,
If he recovered any of his inheritance
he could do so only after a long proc.
eSs.
AS soon as Burroughs was convinced
of this he went to his fancee and of.
fered to release her. She wept and
moaned and vowed that she could nev.
er love any one else, but did not give
any definite answer to his offer. But
when a month had passed and her low.
er was hard pressed for money to meet
his immediate expenses she turned
him down. We who had attended our
friends bachelor dinner felt that be
had made narrow escape. Miss Eth
erling, the lady in question. had in hel
own right something like $4,000. This
gave her an income of but $1,000 q
year, and she needed much more thar
that to enable her to keep up her po
sition In society.
One day about three months after
the fire met Burroughs on the street
He approached me with a radiant
countenance.
you've found your fortune" said.
"Guess again."
"Give it up."
"I've got new sweetheart"
"You don't mean it."
He briefly told me how q girl who
had loved him long had been grieved
at his engagement with Miss Ether.
ling and had consented to take him
with his poverty. l congratulated him
heartily, and we parted each about bis
own affairs. Burroughs new love-a
Miss Tisdale-was poor as church
mouse. and | feared that since Kim.
ball had been brought up to expect a
fortune they would have hard life.
We were all very busy after the Chi
cago fire, and l saw nothing of Bur-
roughs for some time. On returning
from business trip found on my
desk an invitation from him for an
other bachelor dinner previous to his
marriage with Miss Tisdale, to be CIV
en- at the most expensive hotel in the
city. / was too busy during the day
to learn anything further about his
affairs and went to the dinner with
no knowledge of them except what |
have stated. The guests were all seat
ed at the table when | entered, and
Burroughs stood at one end.
He beckoned me to vacant seat be-
cl06 hlh1p OuL SAuSC u0 was cIAAoAA6
with a glass of wine in his hand, as If
about to give toast, remained stand
ing. and a waiter filled my glass. 1t
was evident from Burroughs manner
and that Of his guests that something
important was to. be announced.
"My friends" he said, perhaps some
Of you have not heard of my good for
tune. SO ! will inform you. Recently
the debris left by the fire has been
cleared away for building to be erect
ed on La Sale street. Under the ruins
was found safe. the contents of
which were in perfect condition. One
bundle of papers turned out to be my
securities.
'sThe remains of man were discov-
cred also and identified as those Of my
guardian. Samuel Coolidge. He had
doubtless removed the contents of his
firms box from the safety deposit
vaults and carried them out into the
street. Driven by the fire into another
building, he had found an opportunity
to put them into safe, but. penned in