The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-16
FIRE DESTROYS
STARK PROPERTY
Cedar Street Blaze Early
This Morning Causes
$4,000 Loss
TWO FAMILIES
MADE HOMELESS
House. Barn, Live Stock, Furniture,
Clothing, Produce LOst-FamiIies OF
George NJ. Stark and George LeBarrOn
Save Little-0rigin Unknown.

save A4ltlic-OAISm 1HhuUAus
George NJ Starks house at 81 Cedar
street and practically all of it's furnish
ings and barn with live stock, feed and
tools were destroyed by fire early this
| morning and the family of George Lee
Baron, who lived in the upstairs tene-
ment, narrowly escaped saving but
Iscanty supply of clothing.
There was a noticeable lack of water
pressure, which Chief Engineer Streeter
says was due to low water in the Pleasant
Valley reservoir.
The origin of the fire is unknown as
everything was all right when the family
retired. When Mrs Stark arose about
, o'clock this morning to care for her
son, Claude Burpee, who was i'll, she saw
the bright light and aroused the rest of the
! household. The roofs of the house and
barn were then iL flames. A telephone
call was sent to the fire department from
the home of Mr.. and Mrs G. w. Cushman
across the street. and after the fremen
arrived Fire Chief F. c. Streeter tele-
phoned to his home to have the general
alarm sounded from box ~ on Western
avenue. The fire had made such headway
! that it was impossible to enter the barn
/ to remove the stock or tools or to save the
house. Some of the furnishings on the
| first floor were taken out.
The live stock burned to death in
cluded a fivp-year-old driving horse and
a six-year-Old work horse. a COW and a
Guernsey heifer All were fine animals
I Mr.. Stark SAYS that he would not have
/ taken S4OO for his driving horse and he
I would not have sold his heifer for 5000
About - bushels of corn and some hay
and other feed were destroyed. Among
the equipment lost We're several harness.
| including pair of silver-mounted driv-
ing harness which Mr.. Stark bought of
4 the I1olbrook estate. also 4 wood saving
outfit. sleigh and other articles. \ good
supply of new lumber and new window
frames stored in the barn. which Mr..
Stark had bought of Holden 4 Martin
4 Lumber Go. for use in building an addi-
tion to his house. as well as some house
hold goods stored there We're destroyed
also.
8 Everything on the third floor of the
house. where household goods were stored.
was destroyed and the furnishings of the
LeBaron tenement We're total loss.
Mrs. IeBarOn saved one dress and a
handful of other clothing. Furniture be-
, longing to Mr.. and Mrs Stark. who lived
on the first floor was carried out. but
many pieces were broken. as were many
of the dishes, and everything was thor
oUghly Water-SOaIed. The IeBaTon fam
lily lost their winter supply of vegetables
Mr.. Stark'S winter vegetables, including
30 bushels Of potatoes, were in the cellar
and it has been impossible to determine
how much can be salVaged.
| The occupants of the house consisted
Of Mr.. Stark's daughter. Mrs. LeBaron.
and her husband and son, Mr. and Mrs.
Stark and the latter's SON. Claude Burpee.
and daughter. Elizabeth Dicey They
were given shelter in the Cushman house
last night and viii remain there until
other arrangements can be made. Mr.
and Mrs. Stark were married Sunday
! Mr.. Stark, who has been in the wood
business and has done farming also.
bought the place about eight years ago.
At that time the barn was the only build
ing there. That was built about 20 years
ago. He raised the barn. putting a stone
| foundation underneath. built a cement
foundation for a house. and a house which
he bought was moved there. He had made
several additions so that his place was
valued at $4,000 or more. He carried in
/ surance of $4,000 through George NJ.
Clay's agency. Mr.. Stark said this
morning that he could not give an esti-
mate of the value of all the property de-
stroyed. 1t probably was in excess of
$4,000.
A still alarm was sent in shortly be-
| fore Z o'clock this morning and was re-
/ sponded to by the fire truck. which also
went there again about 1.30 o'clock this
| afternoon on the second still alarm call.