Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 181, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1917 — BARN DESTROYED BY LIGHTNING [ARTICLE]

BARN DESTROYED BY LIGHTNING

JOSEPH BORNTRAGER SUFFERS LOSS OF LARGE BARN AND CONTENTS. Thursday afternoon during the rain and storm lightning struck the large barn belonging to Joseph Borntrager and completely destroyed it and its contents except on> wagon, which was the only article saved out of the burning building. The barn was a very large One and was worth at least $1,500. It was insured for SI,OOO, but it will take about twice that amount to replace it under the present prices of material and labor. ( ■ There was hay and straw m the barn to the value of S3OO, on which there was about S2OO insurance. He also had about SI,OOO worth of wheat with SSOO insurance. A good S6OO sitb iff practically ruined and on it~ the insurance is only S3OO. Harness and vehicles to the amount of S3OO were burned and there was only S2OO insurance on these The. value of farm implements is placed at S4OO, with S3OO insurance. Mr. Borntrager was very fortunate in having as much insurance as he had and under ordinary conditions his loss would be very small. But the extraordinary high prices make _his_loss very, much greater. For example, a gang plow that cost S6O last fall will cost s|2o this fall. A wagon that, a short time ago cost SBO. will cost $l2O now and this* is the relative advance in almost everything the farmer has to buy. Mr. Borntrager’s loss will be at least $3,500, and on this he has insurance to the amount of $2,200. The insurance was written by Geo. H. McLain and with the Continental Insurance Co. Not long ago Mr. Borntrager suffered quite a. loss to his property on account of a severe windstorm.