Newspaper Page Text
DISASTROUS FIRE
The Large Clothieg Hoase of A.
Nathan Burned-Damage Will
Be Large.
ELECTRIC POWER HOUSE FIRE
A Defective Fine Was the Cause- I
It Burns for an Hour Before
Help Arrives.
At 1 o'clock Tuesday morning as W. D. I
Benson and Jack Enright were walking
home, Mr. Benson discovered smoke is
suing from the upper story of the build- t
ing occupied by A. Nathan's clothing
house. He stepped up to the front door t
and. placing his hand on the glass, could 9
feet that the place was full of heat al- t
though the smoke was so thick that no a
flames could be seen. Sergeant Shea at
once pulled the lire alarm box on the t
corner, while Mr. Enright went to a tele
phone and called up Mr. Nathan, who d
was sleeping soundly at his residence.
The tire department was soon on the t
ground and the front door smashed in. e
The store was so full of smoke and the P
heat so intense that the firemen could ti
not get far inside the building and the ti
dummies which were taken out on the p
street from near the front door were P
about as hot as they could be handled. t'
A tire stream was also carried around to
the rear door where a lot of boxes of
gents' furnishing goods were blazing up
fiercely. The department did good work
after it got at the lire, however, and in
less than half an hour it was under con
trol and practically subdued.
Three-quarters of an hour after the i
fire was discovered it was all out. A ti
TRIBUNE reporter walked through the a
store and found that the damage was ai
very heavy, but not a total lose. Indeed,
it is surprising, considering the heat that of
so much escaped. The fire evidently to
originated either in a pile of shoe boxes,
near tne rear of the store, or in the base- P1
ment directly under it, for at this point m
a big hole is burned in the floor and the 9
whole pile of shoe boxes is a heap of as
charred fragments. When the fire de- w
partment first reached the building they w
found the fire burning in the basement ti
as well as in the main store. After put- 1n
ting out the blaze in the basement they hi
turned attention to the main store floor. ct
Mr. Kaufman stated to THE TRIBuyr gl
reporter that the stock carried by the Pt
firm would run between $75,000 and $90, t
000. Both the basement and the upper to
story were filled with goods. He did not L'
know just how much insurance was car
ried by the firm.
The cause of the fire is a mystery at
present. Mr. Kaufman locked up the be
store about 9:30 last night and no one
slept in the store. There were no ne
stoves in the building, it being h
heated by steam, and there la
was no light except one incandescent
electric light in the office left burning. ta
Under these circumstances it is difficult
to imagine how the fire started. The ci- wi
gar stub theory was the only one ad
vanced by those present, although a be
closer examination in daylight may re
veal some more plausible cause. It is va
impossible to estimate even approxi
mately the lose at this writing, but it st
will run up pretty well into the thou
sands, when smoke, tire and water dam- wi
age is taken into account. fey
Fire at the Power House.
A serious fire occurred Sunday at the
power house of the street car and elec
tric light company. which under less
favorable conditions might well have
proved a heavy disaster to the company
and a serious inconvenience to the public
generally. The power house is under
the charge of Mr. G. H. Jay, who is
thoroughly acquainted with all the
means of meeting tire. should it occur,
provided by the company, but he had
gone to dinner, leaving the place
in charge of an assistant, who has been
temporarily employed to keep the anchor I
ice from forming, as it is liable to do at f
this season of the year. This assistant,
who is Mr. George Swan, was well
enough acquainted with the machinery
at the power house to keep it running
while Mr. Jay was away. but knew very
little about the tire facilities provided for
an emergency.
The consequence was that when the
tire was discovered about I p. m. Mr.
Swan tried to turn on a fire stream by i
means of a pump which sends the water
up to a tank on the bluff but not under
standing its workings very well left a
valve closed which prevented any water i
from coming to the hose. Finding that I
he could not make the fire pump work,
Mr. Swan did perhaps the beat thing be
could under the circumstances and
closed up all the doors tight to prevent
any circulation of air, and then tele- 1
phoned an alarm to the central tire de
partment and to the smelter lire com
pany on the other side of the river, The
central department received the alarm
about 1:20 and immediately responded,
at the same time notifying the North
side company. The nearest hydrant is
located at the Royal Milling company's
plant, about 1,200 feet from the power
house. A hose line was laid from this hy
drant to the power house. but!ittle fe-ce
could be obtained. A hose was alsocon
nected with the street railwaycompany s
water tank on the bill and water finally
got to the seat of the fire. The copper
smelter tire company had also responded,
but being under the impression that the
central company would be short of hose
they had brought the hydrant end of
the hose across the bridge first and were
obliged to reverse the bose and hitch on
to the pump on the other side. Fortu
nately the fire burned very slowly, and
although it must have burned nearly an
hour before water was turned on
the flames it had nob made
much headway. One reason for
this was the extremely solid con
struction of the building, and another
reason was the fact that no draught
reached the fire, so that it smouldered
for a long time without bursting into
flame. After the fire was reached with
water it was soon put out.
It was found t hat considerable damage
was done after the fire was extinguished
and Superintendent Dickinson places
the lose at about $2,000, mainly in dam
age to the belting and wires. The upper
floor is also considerably charred. The
building was fully insured.
The belts connected with the electric
light machines were burned so that no
light could be had in the city and the
street cars were also stopped during the
afternoon. There was a great rush for
kerosene, candles and lampsal) over the
city, and as the stores were all closed it
diflicult to obtain them. However, the
energy of the electric light company
enabled them to get things in working
order before 6 p. m., so that no great
inconvenience was felt after all. The
tire was caused by a defective chimney.
The stovepipe had come out of the chim
ney, and sparks falling down on the pen
stock, which was boxed up, set the
planking afire. As it was only about
three feet to the floor of the second story,
this soon caught fire also.
One singular feature about the affair
was that the building contained about a
dozen chemical fire extinguishers, but
no one thought anything about using
them. Had they been promptly used
when the tire was first discovered, it is
probable that it could have been ex
tinguished without outside assistance.
The fire serves to direct attention to
the need of better protection at that
point. A fire that would destroy the
power house would be a great calamity
to the city.
ifOUsE OF HERSHFIELD.
Some Oplinions Regarding a Branch of
the Establishment.
The court of public opinion in Mon
tana, however, is an open court and one
that will not admit of perjured testi
mony. It has already tried Hershfield
and found him guilty of total depravity,
of inherent unmanliness, and of con
temptible pusillanimity.
Unfortunately, though, the court of
public opinion can impose no punish
ment adequate to the crime. In view of
this and in view of the fact that all law
is entirely deficient in the protection of
woman's virtue, The New Northwest
would suggest that Aaron be perma
nently confined in some asylum for the
insane. Temporary insanity, as it has
been visited upon him, is of a dangerous
character-entirely too dangerous to be
given the concession of liberty during
periods of lucidity, for no one can know
the day nor the hour when it will recur
to its victim in an intensified degree.
Lock him up.-New Northwest.
Lecherous Old Wretch.
The Hirshfield divorce case is now
being tried at Fargo, and one of the wit
nesses testified that the wife had been
heard to say that her husband was a
'Christ-killer." That is not very pretty
language for a wife to use, but we doubt
not that a man who would seek to bas
tardize his own child to save his money
would kill Christ or anybody else who
got in his way. Marriage is a civil con
tract, and to be legal both parties must
be mentally sound for the contract to be
valid. If we were ou that jury all the
evidence Mrs. H. would need would be
the babe in her arms. We take little
stock in the testimony of some people
when testifying in behalf of as rich a
man as Herechfield and against a de
fenseless woman. The way we size it up
is that Hiishfield was a letcherous old
wretch, who allowed his passions to get
the better of him. Let him take the
consequences. We are for the woman in
the case.-Biemarck Tribune.
An Infamou. Case.
That is a very dirty divorce case at
Fargo, and one of its most mnfamous
episodes was the admission of the wit- I
ness, Anderson, that he was paid $100 1
and expenses to give testimony to i
blacken the character of Mrs. Hirshfield. t
Human nature gets down pretty low, but i
hardly much lower in ignominy than in
this case. This witness has evidently
through his had satanic associations, c
evaporated what little decency he ever t
had. The crowd, disgusted with this i
shameful admission, would have dealt f
severely with the scoundrel bad be not s
been protected. Such a man should be c
shunned as aleper-Minneapolis Journal. r
A Social Study.
A more expressive satire on our entire
social plan has rarely been presented
than is involved in the divorce case now e
pending in the courts of North Dakota. V
If it did not involve elements of tragedy c
it would approach the comic in many of
its aspects. Whatever may be the out- s
come of the case matters very little. It r
is an expression of one of the phases of
life which are more numerous in Ameri
can society than elsewhere. It is a satire t
not only upon our social, but upon our c
political plan, and its lesson will be read I
at least by the few quietly observant
people at home and abroad, who under
stand how far away we are from the t
realization of the possibilities of a wholly
civilized and cultured people.-St. Paul 1
Dispatch.
Awarded
Highest Honors-World's Fair
CREAM
BAKING
POWDR
MOST PERFECT MADE.
A pure Grape Cream of Tartar Powder. Free
from Ammonia, Alum or any otheradulterant.
40 YEARS THE STANDARD.
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
r
The Electric Lights Will Shine in
r the Streets Again-The Price
Reduced.
Four More Lights Will Be Added-A
IGasoline Proposition-Telephone
License Raised.
The city fathers met Wednesday in
special session to wrestle with the ques
tion of street lighting and other matters.
A full board of aldermen were present.
The names of the city parks as reported
by the committee and heretofore printed
in THE TIuBuNE were confirmed. The
question of releasing the Sun River
park to the present lessee for $100 a year
was left open till the next meeting. The
clerk then read a proposition from
Harry Ringwald to light the city with
100 or more gasoline lamps at $25 per
lamp per annum. The communication
stated that 3,000 such lamps were in use
in St. Paul and that it was the most
economical method of lighting the city.
The council then went into the commit
tee of the whole to consider the ques
tion of lighting the streets.
Superintendent Dickinson of the elec
tric light company addressed the coun
cil, giving the substance of the confer
ence between himself and the special
council committee appointed at the re
quest of Paris Gibson. He finished by
making three propositions to the coun
cil, as follows: First, he would furnish
38 lights to the city, as'the company
had done heretofore, for $1250 per light
per month, taking in payment warrants
on the general fund; second, he would
furnish 42 lights, four more than the old
contract, at 812 per month per light,
taking in payment warrants on the
general fund; third, if any of these offers
were accepted he would agree at any
time when outstanding general fund
warrants had been called in and cashed
up to within a year of the time of issuing
a warrant i5 payment for the lights he
would reduce the price of the lights to
$11.50. In other words, he was willing
to call warrants which would be paid
within a year cash.
At the present time he said the gen.
eral fund warrants were outstanding for
about nineteen months, and only about
$15,000 would be available from this
year's taxation to reduce them with.
The figures he gave on the lights were
on the basis of a year's contract to date I
from December 1.
A long discussion followed and a peti
tion was finally read, signed by nearly all
the business houses in the city, repre
senting that the lack of street lights was
detrimental to their business and re- I
questing the council to take steps to have i
the streets lighted again. 1
The council finally resolved itself into
regular session again, and on motion of
Aid. Roberts, supported by Aid. Young,
it was decided to accept the proposi
tion of the electric light company for 42
lights at $12 per month for each light.
The city attorney was ordered to draw
up a contract to this effect to be signed
next Monday, and Supt. Dickinson an
nounced that he would turn on the 1
lights at once, cemmencing tonight, and
adding as fast as his men could put them
up again. On the motion to put in the
arc lights again all voted in favor of the
measure except Aid. Joscelyn who fav
ored waiting to see what the gasoline
proposition amounted to, and who there
fore voted no.
A1d. Young called up the question of
the fire alarm to the B. & M. addition
again, and Chairman Fitzgerald of the
tire committee, said that on investigation
he found that the coat of the whole im"
provement would be about $450, which
was so much more than was expected
that he had not gone ahead with the
improvement as instructed by the
council.
, Supt. Dickinson of the electsic light
company, offered to stand a portion of I
the expense if the council would put it r
in and finally agreed to do the whole job
for $300 and take city warrants for the
amount. He also agreed to put in an- 6
other alarm box at the power house and c
connect it with the system at the ex- i
pense of the company. His proposal f
was accepted.
The subject of fire escapes on certain c
buildings was brought up, and the act- t
ing city attorney was instructed to pros. f
ecute the owners unless they complied
with city ordinance by building tire es
capes on their blocks.
The matter of putting in a tire hydrant c
at the power hones was discussed, and t
referred to a committee for report at the
next meeting.
The committee to whom was referred c
the communication of the telephone c
company asking for a reduction of the a
license of 50 cents per year on each in
strument, on the ground that it was ex
orbitant. reported a resolution raising
the city license to $1.00 per year for each
instrument, and it was unanimously
passed. and the ordinance committee in
structed to report a new ordinance to
this effect at the next meeting.
The council then adjouned. - t
IN EARLY DA VS.
How the First Settlers on the Townshte
Spent ThInkigivieg.
A Trtiurnr: reporter chanced to meet
the genial county auditor, W. P. Beachly,
yesterday and exchanged the greetings
of the season with him. "How about
the first Thanksgiving you spent in Great
Falls," asked the reporter. Mr. Beachly,
after thinking over the question a while,
fell into a reminiscent mood and related
the history of how he spent Thanksgiving
in Great Falls in the fall of 1884. The
story is about as follows:
"At that time tic-re were. as near as I
can remember, just three families living
in the present townsite of Great Falls.
They were the William Wamer family.
who had a board shack just west of
where the Milwaukee house now stands,
which they called a hotel, the Rolte
family and myself and wife. We lived
in the rear part of the building, which
stands on the northeaet corner of Central
avenue and Fourth street. At thi.t time
It was eimply boarded in and the cracke
were stuffed up with old papers and
rage to keep the cold out. Ira. Hickory
and Silas Beachly lived with us. I re
member just before Thanksgiving Mr.
Hickory and myself returned from Hel
ena with a wagon. load of provieione,
which conetituted our winter supplies.
We had an old camp stove in the house,
which Silas had used the year before
camping ont in a tent located just where
the Third street sewer enters the river
now. Outside of the stove every article
of furniture in the h.use was home
made. I had built a table which I con
sidered a masterpiece of construction
and it served a double purpose, for after
eating our Thanksgiving dinner off it, I
remember we used it to sleep under in
order to keep off the rain. For about
Thanksgiving time a cold rain set in for
about a week, and as the roof of the
shack was not shingled the rain came
through the cracks between the boards
freely, and everything in the house was
wet. That old table I have yet and in
tend to keep it as a memento of early
days in the city of Great Falls.
"The Thanksgiving dinner, as near as
I can remember, consisted of bread and
bacon and beans. Turkey was some
thing never for a moment thought of,
and even an old hen was not obtainable
for love or money. If coyottes had been
good to eat we might have had plenty,
for I remember they used to come around
the house every night and howl till
morning. I have no doubt that Mrs.
lleichly and I went to sleep that
night under the table, with a whole pack
serenading us through the hours of dark
ness. Beside the three families I named
the only other persons I can now recol
lect living here then were Dell Chowen,
Thomas Carter, Jim Walker, Howard
Criss, George Buddington, Thomas Wall
and a few men who worked for him run
ning a little sawmill.
The fall before Silas Beachly and
John Woods camped on the townsite,
and while Woods was absent at Benton
Silas had a visit from a party of Indians
who compelled him to cook about all the
provisions he had in his tent for them
and then stole his blankets and other
goods. They tried to get his firearms
but he managed to prevent that part of
the program being carried out. How
ever, the Indians never bothered us any. 1
One of the greatest privations we suffered
in those early days was the lack of medi
cines and medical attendance. Two
men died that winter who are buried on
Prospect bill. One of them at least
might have been saved if he had been
able to get prompt medical aid. lie got
lost on the prairie in a snow storm while
coming from Fort Benton and the chill
he received brought on pneumonia, I
believe his grave can still be seen on
Prospect bill. Yes, "remarked Mr.
Beacbly looking around his comfortable
dwelling, the pioneers of Great Falls
suffered a good many hardships, and I
believe Ihave a good deal to be thank-]
ful for to day when I compare my com- E
forte with those I possessed 10 years ego
today.
NWIS_THE TIM
For Helena to Enter an Earnest I
Protest Against Foreign
Capital.
THE COUNTRY IS IN DANGER
New Trans-Continental Railway Con
templated by an English
Syndicate.
MAUCCH CHUNK, Pa., Nov. 28.-The
Atlantic and Pacific Railway Construc
tion company, a corporation chartered in
Illinois, and behind which, it is asserted,
are powerful English syndicates, has had
a corps of sixteen engineers at work here
a week, surveying a line through Carbon
county and Mauch Chunk. The railway
is to be an air line acrors the continent
from New York to San Francisco. Chi
cago will be brought within thirteen
hours of New York and San Francisco
forty-five hours. An English syndicate,
it is said, will take $150,00C,000 worth of
bonds and have placed a bill in the bands
of Congressman Childs of Illinois, asking
the government's endorsement of the
bonds, in return for which the railway
company will turn over 51 per cent of its
capital stock to the government. The
survey is now completed to the Delaware
river. Construction is to begin next
spring and the division between New
York and Chicago finished within three
years.
PiROGRESSIVE EUCHRE PARTY
Given Last Night by Mr. and Mrs. F. Ii.
Wilcox in Honor of Their (uiest.
Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Wilcox gave a pro
gressive euchre party last night at their
residence on Fourth street and Third
avenue north in honor of their guest,Mies
Lockey of Helena. One of the most do
lightful evenings was enjoyed by all
present. A. C. Coleman won the gentle
man's prize and Miss Besesie Kingsbury
the lady's prize. Among those pres
ent were Messrs. McNair, Coleman,
Rice (2), Bruce, Lind, Atkinson (2),Wren,
Kelly, Ridgley, Fletcher, Cockrill, War
den, Smith, L. 0., Stanton, Jones, Mc
Kenzie, Gray, Wadaworth, Morrow,
Powers. and Nhiss-s Sprague, Arm
strong (2)' Connors (2), Cockrill, Perkins,
Trigg. Downing (2), Murray (2), Coleman,
Neuman. Rick, Kingsbury (3), Houliston,
Longeway, Pierce.
Dr. Price's Cream Baking Powder
World's Pair tigsbat Medal and Diploma.
Ship Your Raw Furs
Hides, Tallow, Pelts, Wool, Etc.
To JAS. McMILLAN & CO., Inc.
200-212 First Ave, North,
MINNEAPOLIS, - - MINX
Goods bought Right Out; no commis- I Shipping tags furnished free upon
sleD charged, (least. i
There is NO DUTY on Raw Fura r4
Fair selection; Immediate returns. other goods w handle O.so
gP"-WRITE FOR CIRCULAR GIVING LATEST MARKET PRICES.
HLEulNA anld AAOD
.-.b.-..lave Strulggled for the Capital,
Nevertheless the state is safe, at least so far as tne cold blastsof
winter are conerned-GALT IS HERE I and at reduced figure
defying competition. Easily ignited, burns freely and briskly, giv
an even and permanent heat. "GALT" is the domestic coal of t
period. It is a heat producer leaving very little ashes. This and
its many other excellent qualities have a soothing effect on the cook
For Cheerful Firesides and Bright Houses Use "GALT."
Price List:
Galt Lump Coal, per carload at our yard..........$4.00 per too
Galf Lump Coal, retail delivered.................. 5.00 per to
Nut Coal, per carload at our yard................ 2.50 per toi
Nut Coal, retail delivered..................... 3.50 per ton
Slack, retail delivered........................ 2.25 per ton
For points in the 1. & M. addition 25 cents additional per ton will be charged.
Telephone 34.... G alt C oal Co.
N. B.-The public are cautioned to see that their orders for "GALT" are
filled with the genuine article. Any efforts by delivery wagons to mix "Galt" with
other coals will be severely dealt with, and the company will be obliged for any
advice respecting same.
Thanksgiving
Proclamation
Governor Ritckardo baa set apart Thursday.
November 29th, as the lay when we shall eat
turkey and be thankful. Now, then, in order
to get up a nice Thanksgiving dinner you
moat have fine groceries. If yon want thenm at
low pricee juet remember that we bny for CASHi
and sell for CASH. We can sell cheaper then
those who have their money tied up in book
atcounts.
Our Jap Tea, good value at 3 lbe for $1.00
We sell 3 lbs good M. J. Coffee for 1.00
We still sell 10 lbe Sugar for....... 1.00
17 lbe Golden C for........... 1.00 I
We sell 3 lbe Gunpowder Tea for.. 1.00
3 lbe E. B. Tea for.....(try it)..... 1.00
We carry a full line of Souder's Ele
gant Flavoring Extracts and quote:
2 oz. Lemon.................... 15 cts
4 oz. Lemon.................... 25 cts
8 oz. Lemon.................... 50 Cta
2 oz. Vanilla.................... 20 ct.
4 oz. Vanilla.................... 30 ct.
8 oz. Vanilla.................... 60 cta
Ellendale Flour, 98 lb sack....... $2.50
Ellendale Flour, 49 lb sack....... 1.25
White Lilly Flour, 49 lb sack..... 1.00
We haudle Coburn's Spices; these are
pure goods
Pepper ...................25 tt per lb
Alepice ...............2 c2ts per lb
Clove................25 ct per lb
Cinnamon ...............25 cte per lb
J. H. COPEL1JN & CO.
Fourth Street and First Avenue South,
WILCOX BLOCK.
GREAT FALLS
REAL ESTATE AGENCY.
C. C. COCHRAN & CO.
Collecting a Specialty.
OFFICE-Room 3. Vaughn Building
Central Avenue.
Houees and lots in all parts of the city for
sale.
Farms for sale and rent. Houses fur rent.
Rlents collected and property looked after.
Horses, cattle and cheep for oale.
EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.
Persons wanting employment and those need
ing hired help nrc requested to call.
Orders received for Lethbridge Coal.
Suprenaut & Desilets,
PAINTERS
AND....
DECORATORS
Sign Writing and Paper Hanging
Spedulariess.
Shut: In Alley itear of i'oCtotlfee.
Telephone 231.
A HAT
FOR r7
A DOLLAR!
We picked up a job Iot O'
HATS the other day. Derbys in
black, Derbys in brown, Derbvs
in drab and gray. Many of them
are as good hats as you ever woe,
some cheaper grades, but nor,
worth less than $2.oo; but they.
only a dollar each!
See Display In
East Window.
Who'd be without a new HAT
when they're so cheap? Remem
ber, though, the sale last only te,
days from date-Nov. ij.
THE HU
"Sells Cheapest" as this adver
tisement proves.
"May I have the pleasure of the
next dance?"
"Oh! I'm so sorry but I do not
dance."
"What! Really, when Professor
Wallace gives one private lesson
FREE and a course of three
months to Ladies for $14.00 and
Gents for $18.oo."
Paw'. (. R. WAI.rLAca--Er.iKs' HAi.L.
Arrangements can be made for
private les'oinis at your own .co
veience, Evening classes every
Mondas i Wed iesd-y and Satur
day. 'he hall has been renovated
and can be had for balls, parties,
club dances, etc.
