Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1904 — Had a Big Bonfire. [ARTICLE]

Had a Big Bonfire.

About the finishing feature of the Fourth in Rensselaer was a bonfire so big that someone caused the fire alarm to be sounded and the fire oompany to tarn out. The soene of the fire was the blaokened shell of the old Rensselaer laundry building near Donnellys’ planing mill, and whioh has been an eyesore and lurking place for evilminded people/ ever since the original fire, several years ago. The old shell had long been condemned but for some unknown reason, it was still allowed to stand. About ten o’olook last night, it was found to be on fire, presumably from "spontaneous combustion” of a match dropped in a pile of kindling. The matoh previously having been in violent oontaoi with some dry surfaoe- Anyhow the old shell made a good fire, and the firemen made sure there would be nothing left to oall them there a third time-