Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1906 — VALMA CHRISTIAN CHURCH BURNS [ARTICLE]

VALMA CHRISTIAN CHURCH BURNS

L.o*s About $3,000, With No Insurance.—Will Probably Not Be Rebuilt. The Barkley Christian church at Valma was totally destroyed by fire at an early hour last Friday morning. The loss was about $2,000 with no insurance. Geo. W. Infield began meetings at the church on Jan. 31 and continued them each evening up to the night the building was burned. No janitor has been employed for several years, but T. J. Richardson who lives a few rods west of the church, usually made the fires and rang the bell. On Thursday evening he made the fires as usual and after ringing the bell went home, intending to return to the services. He found his wife, who had been sick for a ew days, somewhat worse and decided to not leave her alone again, and remained at home. About 3 a. tn., Mrs. Richardson noticed a strange Ifght through the window of her room and at first attributed it to the eclipse of the moon. Mr. ' lichardson was awakened and he soon saw that the church was in dames. While Mrs. R. went to .he telephone to give the alarm, Mr. Richardson hurried to the jurning building, only to find the interior a mass of flames and the windows broken by the intense leat. A small woodhouse that stood near the southwest corner of the juilding is all that remains of be church property. The building contained a good organ and much substantial furniture. The jell was fractured in falling or jy the heat. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been from an overleated stove. One of the stoves was found to be melted, apparenty from the heat of the coal and dry hickory wood used for fuel. r . ’his stove had a defective door jelow the grate, a hinge being broken, and it was liable to fall and give an excessive draft. The Valma or Barkley Chrisian church was built during the all of 1891, by Geo. Andrus, and was dedicated by the veteran church dedicator, L. L. Carpener of Wabash, Ind., in January, ; .892. For some years the organization was strong for a rural church organization, numbering over 100 members. By removals and other causes the congregation ias scattered and weakened to such an extent that no regular services have been held for more than a year past. It is not likely that the church will be rebuilt.