Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1909 — A $75,000 FIRE AT KNOX. [ARTICLE]

A $75,000 FIRE AT KNOX.

Knox suffered a big fire loss Sunday night, which started ifrom an explosion of some kind in Dr. H. S. Stoddard’s dental office. Six modern brick blocks and the Commercial hotel, an old frame landmark, were entirely consumed with most of their -tents. The loss is placed at $75,Knox is said to be the only county seat town in the state without water works, and in case of fire the inhabitants are practically helpless. Through the combined efforts of the local and North Judson fire departments, the flames were stopped at the Fltz hotel before that structure was damaged. Water was taken from the tanks of Nickel Plate reight engines, which were hurried to the scene by the railroad company. During the progress of the fire several persons were overcome by the intense heat or injured by falling walls. Henry F. Schricker, editor of the Knox Democrat, had a narrow escape from death when the Lundin block collapsed. He was on the roof of the building when it gave way, but clung to a fire wall until rescued and was not seriously hurt. The following firms lost all or a part of their stock: Truby & Pettis, barbers; A. L. McKinney, real esEdgell, shoe store; Charles Wlndiseh, grocer; J. A . Arnsdorff A Co., department store; William Slidinger, tailor; Pierson & Lundin. geueral store; J. P. Leslie, restaurant, with the total loss $75,000. There is insurance of about $50,600.

Mrs. Howard Gould’s own character witnesses gave “saweiety” women of the gay metropolis a severe Jolt in swearing that Mrs. Gould drank no more than the average society women of the millloniare class, when the evidence was that she had an appetite on her for strong drink that would put to shame a traveling selesman for a wholesale liquoi* t house.

“Cholly” Landis, ex-congresman from the Ninth Indiana district—to the credit of the voters of that district be it said —attended the banquet at Washington a day or two ago given by the ship-subsidy promotors. Cholly always voted for every subsidy that came his way when in congress, and he still has a very friendly feeling for every crowd that Is trying to work your Uncle Samuel.

Poor Mrs. Gould. The court has granted her a separation from her husband, Howard Gould, but instead of $1 40,000 a year alimony she is to have but $36,000, a paltry SIOO per day. And this, too, after she had testified that it cost $40,000 a year for a women to dress decently. She will either have to go looking shabby or cut out some of her favorite beverage, Manhattan cockteils, for which she seems to have had an abnormal appetite. The court was even cruel enough to intimate that if she returned to pink tights or other wage-earning occulvations it would be proper to revise this allowance downward. The only hope left for the poor Woman seems to be in marrying some other rich ‘ mutt" who will gratify her taste for loud dress and iced whiskies.