Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1898 — Celebrated With a Bonfire. [ARTICLE]

Celebrated With a Bonfire.

The final occupancy of the court house was celebrated last night with an immense and very brilliant and lasting .bonfire. About half past 7 o’clock the old frame building on the east side of the court house square, which had served a useful purpose for many years, but had survived its usefulness, took fire in some mysterious way and in an almost incredibly short time was entirely enveloped in flames that shot higher than the trees in its vicinity So quickly and so fiercely did the outside of the building burn as to suggest the idea that it had lately been exposed to an unheard of meteorological phenomenon in the shape of a shower of coal oil. The building was large enough and solid enough to burn quite a long time, too, and so large and long was the fire that many people must have seen it miles away and thought Rensselaer was having a bad fire. The building had been given to James H. Meyers, and he had already begun preparations to move it away. But the burning of the building can not be much loss to him, for the cost of moving would surely have been nearly as much as it wasworth. He proposed utilizing it as a hen house, wood shed &c. Ferguson <fc Wilson have plenty of money to make allthe loans required in Jasper county. We will give applicant choice from private funds or eastern funds. Don’t forget to call and get our terms.

Good seven room house to rent with barn, cellar, wash house, wood house and cistern.

D. S. MAKEEVER.