BIG FIRE IN EARLVILLE

The historic Earlville Opera House was rebuilt after the fire and opened in 1892.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 1, 1890.

BIG FIRE IN EARLVILLE.

The Village Again Almost Totally Destroyed—The Opera House Burned—Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars Worth of Property Destroyed—Its Origin a Mystery.

   EARLVILLE, N. Y., July 24.—This village was the scene of another disastrous fire early this morning. The whole business part of the village lying on the southeast corner and two of three dwellings, together with the Burdick Brothers' saloon, Jacob Acer's barber shop, and the dwelling house of Charles White, on the north side of the street, were totally destroyed, with most of the contents. Hotel Brown and the Kinney Hotel, but for the work of the firemen, would have been destroyed. Had these two buildings burned, in all probability the fire would have been much greater than four years ago. It is intimated that the loss will figure up $58,000, with an insurance of about $30,000. Sixteen of the present losers lost in the other fire.

   The origin of the fire is a mystery. It started in the rear of the Opera House near the same place where it started four years ago.

   The fire destroyed the Opera House, six stores and several dwelling houses.

Most of the buildings burned were new and costly, and had been erected on the ruins of the buildings burned four years ago.

   The village was almost totally wiped out then, and had been built up beautifully. Its present destruction is a serious blow to the residents and business men who are thus made losers again.

   The telegraph and telephone offices were burned out and communication was difficult.

   Earlville possesses as good a fire department as any town of its size in Madison county, and the boys worked with a will, but one small hand engine was not sufficient to cope with a raging fire, aided by a strong wind. All the buildings destroyed were of wood, and have been erected during the past four years on the site of the fire of 1886, when the village was practically wiped out of existence.

   It is impossible to learn the individual losses at the present time, but the total will not fall short of $55,000, with an insurance of about half that amount.

   During the fire nozzleman T. D. Newton was severely cut by falling glass, and had to be removed to his home.

   How the fire originated is not definitely known, but it is thought that it broke out either in a pile of rubbish in the rear of the Opera House Block, or in the finishing room in Estey's store.

   In all six stores were burned out, with lawyers' offices, millinery shop and opera house in the block on the corner of the main streets. To the east of the block three dwellings were consumed, and to the south one house, a saloon and pool room and adjoining sheds. Across the streets the burned buildings include barber shop and dwelling, besides damaging other residences. Both hotels on the opposite corners caught fire several times, and were only saved by hard work. Eight families were rendered homeless.

   There seems to be a popular opinion among the villagers that the fire is the work of an incendiary, but as yet nothing is definitely known.

   Among the losers were Douglass & Buell, druggists; loss $12,000 to $15,000. Clark loses his hardware store and the damage is about $4,000. Cushman's dry goods store, loss $5,000; E. E. Estey's furniture store, loss $5,000; Parker Newton's feed store, loss $1,000; C. A. Thorp's jewelry store, loss $1,500 to $2,000.

   The Opera House was owned by Parsons, Douglass & Calkins and was worth about $10,000.

Bill Nye.

Bill Nye on the "Puff."

   The newspaper puff is something that it makes a man feel bad if they don't get. The groundwork of an ordinary newspaper puff consists of moral character and a good bank account. Writing newspaper puffs is like mixing sherry cobblers and mint juleps all through the summer months for customers and quenching your own thirst with rain water. Sometimes a man is looking for a puff and don't get it, then he says the paper is going downhill, and that it is in the hands of a monopoly, and he would stop subscribing if he did not have to pay his bill first.

   Writing a newspaper puff is like taking the photograph of a homely baby. If the photograph does not represent the child with wings and halos and harps, it shows that the artist does not understand his business. So it is with the newspaper puff— if the puff doesn't stand out like a bold and fearless exponent of truth and morality it shows the puffer doesn't understand human nature.

   It is more fun to see a man read a puff of himself than to see a man slip on an orange peel. The narrow-minded man reads it over seven or eight times and then goes round to the different places where the paper is taken and steals what he can. The kind hearted family man goes home and reads it to his wife, and then pays up his bill on the paper. The successful business man who advertises and makes money starts immediately to find the newspaper man, and speaks a word of grateful acknowledgement and encouragement. Then the two men start out of the sanctum and walk thoughtfully down the street together, and the successful business man takes sugar in his, and they both eat a clove or two; and life is sweeter, and peace settles down like a turtle dove in our hearts and after a while lamp posts get more plentiful and everybody seems more or less intoxicated, but the hearts of these two men are filled with nameless joy, because they know when to stop and not to make themselves ridiculous.

Steamboat T. D. Wilcox at Springport.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.— Horse thieves are operating in Chenango county, A. B. Merriam of McDonough having lost a team from his pasture, and Nelson Terwilliger of Greene, a three-year old bay mare.

   A close and exciting ball game was played on the grounds of the home team, Saturday afternoon, between the Greene and Norwich clubs, closing 14 to 13 in favor of Norwich.

   The examination of Frederick Baxter and wife, Rosa, charged with stealing a horse and carriage from a Guilford farmer, and selling the rig in Oxford July 4th, was concluded before Justice Bundy last week, and the parties were held for the next Grand Jury. "Dr." Lamb, the liveryman who purchased the rig, got part of the purchase money back, we understand.

   The farm owned by Dr. Blair, in McDonough, was the scene of quite a lively runaway on Tuesday. Miss Mame Bliven was raking with a span of colts, when one of them stepped into a hole, which frightened him and he commenced kicking and soon freed himself of the whiffletree. This caused the tongue of the rake to drop, throwing Miss Bliven to the ground in front of it; the colts now started at a lively gait, and ran about twelve rods before Miss Bliven could be rescued. The team soon reached the road with what remained of the rake, and started for the village, where they brought up near the Baptist church. Though Miss Bliven was badly bruised and shaken up, her injuries are not considered serious.

   David Shattuck, of Norwich, has purchased of Messrs. Spaulding & Holcomb their interest in the Eagle Hotel, in that place, and will take possession August 1st. The new proprietor, we understand, will thoroughly overhaul and place the house in first-class order. Mr. Shattuck needs no introduction to the public. From the opening of the old Midland railroad, through its changes, he was one of the most popular conductors on the line, and made hosts of friends. A short time since, he resigned his position to embark in this enterprise. As host of the Eagle, Mr. Shattuck will be remembered by many friends whose pleasure it has been to meet him in the past, and who will be sure to renew his acquaintance in the future.

   MADISON.— A Perryville chicken thief got off by returning the fowls and paying $4 and costs.

   The attendance of Cazenovia's Union School averaged over 238 per day last year.

   Five members of the Oneida Gun Club went hunting Wednesday and returned with 42 plover, found in the town of Vernon.

   The residence of the late Lester G. Wells, of Cazenovia, has been presented conditionally to Cazenovia, to be used for a public library.

   Dr. Justin's new cannon has arrived in Canastota, and the carriage for it has been completed and shipped. It is expected that the gun will be put in position in time to test it during the coming month.

   TOMPKINS.— The McLean [roller skate] rink will be open on Saturday evenings.

   The Freeville Furniture Manufacturing Company are intending to close up their affairs and discontinue business.

   The waves rose so high on Cayuga lake last Thursday night, that it was at one time thought that the "'Wilcox" would not be able to leave Frontenac Beach.

   Some of the carpenters employed by the Cornell University demanded their weekly wages, under the new law, Saturday night last, receiving checks for the same together with a discharge from further duty.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   Groton is agitating the building of a new hotel.

   The population of the Elmira reformatory is 1,130.

   An Oswego man ships 200 pounds of frog legs weekly to New York.

   Some miscreant recently poisoned Clinton Quackenbush's entire herd of cows, near Oneonta, and all are dead.

   Wallace, Idaho, the great mining camp of the Coeur D'Alene district, was destroyed by fire Sunday, leaving 1,500 people homeless.

   Lake Keuka grape growers agree that the yield of '90 will be enormous, and prices high owing to scarcity of other small fruits.

   Fires from electric wires are becoming of daily occurrence in New York city. Bad insulation where they pass through woodwork being one cause.

   The new Baptist church, to be built in Ithaca, is to be 92x122 feet. It is to be built of blue stone. The contract calls for its completion, June 15, 1891.

   A recent test of the milk being sold in Auburn by local milkmen, revealed the fact that only six of the sixteen milkmen were selling a wholesome article. The per cent of cream was very low, especially on the morning delivery.

   The richest pension attorney in Washington, it is said, is George E. Lemon, who is rated at $2,000,000. He is a bachelor, and his personal expenses cost him from $25,000 to $30,000 a year. He is noted, among other things, for possessing the most luxurious bachelor quarters in Washington. He has made his money since the war out of pensioners.