Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1914 — GENERAL ANU STATE NEWS [ARTICLE]

GENERAL ANU STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in Distant and Nearby Cities and Towns.—-Matters of -Minor Mention From Many Places. BisiXEss district burns. Lightning Causes $30,000 Fire at Freeland Park, Benton Co. Lafayette, Ind., May 12.—Lightning early yesterday morning struck the Watson restaurant at Freeland Park, a town of 400 population, west of Fowler, in Benton county, and the entire business part of the place wag destroyed by fire. The property loss is estimated at $30,000. The village had no means of fighting the fire except a volunteer bucket brigade, and before the blaze w’as extinguished the Watson restaurant, John Grogan’s store, Beatty's drug store and the Modern Woodmen lodgeroom over Grogan’s store were burned. The postofllce was in Grogan’s store. Henry Thiese, who owned one of the burned buildings, lost $12,000. Grogan lost $7,000. Little insurance was carried by the owners of the property.