Mexico Missouri message., 1918-04-25

Mexico suffered one of the great
est fires in her history early last
Friday morning. AT 500 o'clock
the Ringo Hotel was discovered to
be on fire. Dad" jennings, the
colored fireman, ran thru the halls
crying, Fire, fire, get out o here!"
Everybody was aroused and all es-
capped easily, tho the air was very
cold and it was hard on some of the
thinly clad babies and some of the
grownups who hastened out not
waiting to throw on all of their gar
ments.
The fire is thought to have origin
ated in the laundry, in the south
west part of the building. Within
half hour there was dense smoke in
every room of the great old build
ing and the flames had spread so that
it was soon seen that the Fire De-
partment's efforts to save the build
ing would be in vain.
Efforts were then centered on saw
ing the buildings adjoining on the
west. A high northeast wind made
the task a most difficult one. The
flames swept on to the two French
Buildings which have now suffered
the second fire in recent months,
one the fire of w. H. Upham and
the other the Good Luck Store" in
January. But two buildings now
stand-on the northwest corner of
the block-unscathed by the fire.
Within 80 minutes after the fire
was discovered the Ringo was
pile of ruins. Worrelps Jewelry
Store, con the Corner" was one of
the great losses. An organized squad
of men, acting with military precs-
ion, quietly gathered the valuables
into boxes and carried and stored
them in the Court House. Furniture
and valuables from other business
places were also carried to the Court
House. Sheriff ]. G. Ford stood
guard till the doors were ready to be
closed Most of Mr.. Worrell's stock
was saved. All his fixtures and some
valuable papers were lost. He had
one of the most noted jewelry stores
of any town in the State.
The Jurgensen Millinery Store, on
the west, was destroyed. There was
$1,000 insurance. C. B. Morris
White Kitchen Cafe was also lost.
The South Side Drug Store and the
| Busy Bee Candy Shop were also
ruined. The Busy Bee had $1,000
insurance. DR.. T. D. Moore, DR.. Hal
Daniel, dentists, and ]. w. Daniel,
real estate, lost their office fixtures.
G.. A. Witherspoon, abstracter, saved
his valuable papers but lost his Of
fee fixtures.
H. A. Foster, proprietor of the
/ Ringo, had $4,000 insurance on his
furniture, valued at $1,000 The
hotel building was owned by the
Robert Johnson heirs and was val
ued at $4,000 There was $685.
600 insurance.
G. B. Null lost his cigar stand in
the hotel; total loss, no insurance.
Part of the fixtures of the two
barber shops in the building, Holmes
and Pitts, were saved. Holmes had
5000 insurance and Pitts $500.
The Western Union Telegraph
Co. lost all its fine equipment. Frank
McCord saved the contents of his
electric shoe shop.
H. E. C. Tucker, insurance and
real estate, lost his desk and other
furniture.
Other Comment.
r. ID. Worrell will be ION the
Corner" again in the wilkins Build
ing, just across the street north OF
the City Hall.
C. A, Witherspoon is with Harri-
son over the Savings Bank.
S. p. Emmons recalls the year the
Ringo was built-1866, one year af-
ter the close of the Civil War. A
r. Ringo was the owner, and jim
Sullinger was the builder. During
the progress of the work Emmon'
was hurried one day down to Mont
gomery City to hasten up the ship
ment of the lime and cement.
Miss Jurgensen will be in the
building one door east of Ragsdale'i
Cash Store.
If 1t had not been for dad" Jen
ninpa, discoYarY Of the fire jus