The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-02-08
MANY FIRES THIS WEEK
Jas. W. Hurst & Co.'S Store Had a
Close Call thursday. Five Fires
in Leon During the Week.

The severe cold weather the past
week, has resulted in a large number
Of fires all over the country, and
of Leon since Vast Thu. day morn
lng, has kept the fire boys pretty
busy.
A few minutes after o'clock last
Thursday morning the residence oc-
cupied by Wm} Mapes on south Main
and the flanYes famed by the gale
from the MOI Fthwest had made such
progress when the smoke awakened
the family, that they barely had
time to escape from the burning
building in tlreir might clothes, and
the house, which vas asry, quickly
their household goods ,MYs. Mapes
had $500 in currency hidden under
the carpet in an upstairs Ioom, and
this was burned. viii NcKern cir
eulated a IS subscription u ion paher among
family with needed ci4thing. The
house was known as the old Gunter
place, and was owned by Loten Cas-
Sst.r Sasstr, Who has 500 insurance.
What threatened to be a serious
fire in the business district was dis
occupied by JAS. w. Hurst & c., a
few minutes after noon on Thursday.
The origin of the fire is mystery,
evidently starting close to the parti--
tion which separated small part OF
the room on the west end used as
which occupied the room below and
against this partition was the Hurst
stock of cotton batting When the
fire was discovered there we're none
of the sales force Of the store on the
second flOor and the whole room
was filled with dense smoke and
flames when discovered. Mr.; Hurst
cloing the fire proof door which sep
arates their south upstairs room
from the north one, although the
flames were coming through. and
this act undoubtedly saved the de,
struction of the Hurst store, and
square. The north room was used
lace curtain department., and Mrs.
Cox used the front part of the room
for the dressmaking and altering
department. Nothing was saved
from the north room, everything be,
ing burned or .{ damaged b by fir fire eaa1ad and
room upstairs were carried cut OF
the building, and the goods on the
north side of. the downstairs room
were also carried out. Very efficient
work on the part of the fire edpart-
ment confined the fire to the one
teS% trol aithin aaa aS Snort 1 time The los Of
;.an. ran from m " $, 900 5 to IS. 81, GO. and they
carried $4,000 insurance on the
big store and fixtures. The store is
now closed awaiting the arrival Of
the insurance adjusters, after which
sale. The damaged building is own
ed by C. e. Hurst, and his loss will
probably be at least 1900, no esti-
mate of what~it will cost to repair
the building having yet been secur-
ed. He has $4,000 insurance on the
building. The Idle t.our thea tre sui !.
through and flooding the theatre.
damaging the seats considerably, the
screen and they also had $l75.OO"
worth of music for the electric piano
burned in their store room, together
with considerable other property.
They. had insurance OF $500. Manag.
work and had the theatre all clean
ed up in time to give a matinee the
following afternoon. Mrs. Cox who
had her dressmaking establishment
in the burned room, lost considera-
Die material, ner machine was udn-S
aged and a number Of garments be-
longing to customers were Destroy
ed.
Monday morning at 1890 the
residence of Mrs. b. w. Brooke in
west Leon, caught fire, and tho fire
department were called out, but for
tunatly it was put out with slight
damage to the house. :.
Then a few minutes before 8
o'clock Monday morning the resi-
dence of A. r. Olsen on north
Church street, caught fire from a
spark which set fire to the shingle
roof, but the blaze was extlnguished
with snow, and no water used, so
the damage did not amount to any
thing.
Monday afternoon a gasoline tank
in Harry Crago's cafe caught fire
and created considerable excitement
for a few minutes, but no damage
was done. Surely enough fires for
one week.