The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-05-20
BIG FIRE AT GRAND RIVER.
H. Il. VanNostrand's Implement
House and j. F.. Hines Store
Burned Last Wednesday.

At one O'Clock yesterday morning
the fire bell sounded its alarm and
aWOke the entire town and upon in
vestigation it was found that the
VanNostrand implement house was
on fire and that it had gained such
headway that to save anything there
in was an utter impossibility. The
people turned their attention to the
other buildings adjacent-the BUSY
Corner store and the Farmers State
Bank. For a while it looked very
much like the entire town would
go and had the wind been a little
stronger, what is today one of the
liyliest little towns on the map
would have been in ashes. No one
can figure out anything but incendi-
arism, as there had been no fire
where the blaze was discovered since
the implement house was construct
ed. Just what the object anyone
could have is another mystery, as
ance compared with the stock he had
stored in the building, and he in
forms us if he has an enemy in the
world he does not know it. Others
think it might have been the work
of tramps, as they have found the
back door open in the morning on
several occasions. Be it as it may,
no one will perhaps ever know how
the confagration first started, as the
fire had made such headway that it
was impossible to get into the build
ing. The next building to catch on
fire was the store of Mr.. Hines. Here
a great many of the goods were re-
moved, but in bad condition, as it
seems impossible for people to keep
their heads in time of calamities of
this kind The loss will fall heaviest
on Mr.. Hines, as his building and
stock came under the same ban. The
insurance carried by Mr.. Hines and
Mr.. VanNostrand will not cover their
loss by at least fifty per cent. Mr..
SwitZer and Mr.. Baker, the owner OF
the implement house, had no insur-
ance and their loss is a total one.
The way the men, women and chill
dren turned out and worked, both in
hghting the fire and trying to save
the goods, was simply wonderful.
They seemed to be trying to see just
how much help they could render. 1t
is needless to say that Grand River
needs some kind Of fire apparatus
to fight fire with, for 1t has been said
so often since the town was incor-
porated that the little children are
even aware of the fact.
u. F. Hines loss on building and
fixtures will reach fully $1,000 with
about half the amount in insurance.
Mr.. .YanN0strand'slo 8 loss will be- III the
sneighborho0d OF II. .O0lls with only
$500 Insurance. S4ss 4sss q; n n. I !.
Mr.. Hines could not say this morn
Ing whether he would rebuild This
season or not and will not perhaps
know until he gets his insurance ad-
justed. The lots where the imple-
ment building stood are owned by
Brit Baker and he has planned to
erect thereon the garage spoken of
in our last issue We all hope to
see this corner built up again with
good substantial brick buildings,
which will mo doubt be done when
ever they are replaced.
The city we'll proved that it was
the right move in the right place,
supplying water as long as water
was. needed. There should be at
least two if not three more wells like
it in town, and then we could have
water, If nothing more.-Grand Riv-
er Local,