Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1905 — BIG FIRE AT PARR. [ARTICLE]

BIG FIRE AT PARR.

W. L. Wood’s Big General «• Store Destroyed. LOSS 89,0001 INSURANCE 53,800 W. H. Meyers’ Residence Also Burns And He Has No Insurance.— Latter Loss S7OO. The little town of Parr, north of Rensselaer a few miles on the Monon, suffered a disastrous fire at an early hour Thursday morning, and as a result W. L. Wood’s big general store, office, buggy and implement business and blacksmith shop was completely destroyed and Wm. H. Myers’ residence east of the blacksmith shop was also burned. The fire was first seen by Mr. Wood and his wife at about the same time, they noticing a reflection of the fire in their bedrooms, add when the alarm was given the whole store was a mass of flames. By persistent work the Wilcox store, east of Myers’ residence was saved, but the goods were all removed in expectation that it too would go. Mr. Wood’s stock of buggies was low, but he had a large stock of harness on hand and the store stock was also large. The blacksmith shop he had owned only a short time, paying S6OO for it. He had no insurance on the latter, but on the store building and contents there was 13,800 insurance. He estimates his loss at about $5,000 over and above the insurance. Mr. Myers’ loss is about S7OO, with no insurance. All bis goods saved. '• ~ The safe of Mr. Wood’s is still too hot to handle at this writing, but be thinks his books and papers, which are very valuable, are intact. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it is supposed to have been caused from mice at work among matches in the store. While the loss is a heavy one, Mr. Wood is taking it as philosophically as possible and states that he will rebuild an office at once, but will probably not rebuild the store until spring, when he will put up a brick or cement building of the same dimensions as the one destroyed, 50x100, two story.