The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 9, 1906

The Cigar Band Craze.

Bids Fair to Equal the Post Card Collection.

The craze for collecting cigar bands is at its heighth (sic). Where many people used to collect postage stamps, and later picture postals now they are after new kinds of cigar bands. They use them to paste on glass ash trays and other unique means of decorating as well as to paste them in a book in the effort to make a large collection of strange and unique designs. A Fort Dodge cigar clerk says crowds of boys haunt the cigar stores and every band that is dropped on the floor is eagerly picked up. The craze is equal to that of collecting tobacco rags or other things on which premiums were formerly paid.

■ ■ ■

Street Cars Not ‘Till Jan. 1.

New Cars Will not be Put on Streets Here Until Then.

There has been much comment and speculation in the city regarding the time at which the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern would put new cars on the city street railway system. H.S. Holm the representative of the interurban road in Fort Dodge stated yesterday that new cars would not be put on the street system until the entire line was similarly equipped and in working order, which will be Jan. 1, 1907. This will be a long wait but there is consolation in the knowledge that the system will be well equipped when the change is finally made.

■ ■ ■

Gilmore City Carnival.

Band Carnival and Street Fair There On August 15.

Gilmore City, Ia., Aug. 9 – (Special to the Messenger- Gilmore City will hold a special band carnival and street fair August 15th. The committee in charge of the affair have made extensive preparations and large crowds are expected. The amusements of the day will consist of two ball games, horse races, athletic contests, music, a bowery dance and other entertainments. A low excursion rate will be given on the M. & St. L. from all points between Fort Dodge and Ruthven.

■ ■ ■

Is Seriously Ill.

L.D. Senf Dangerously Sick at His Home in the City.

L.D. Senf the well known harness maker and proprietor of a shop on the north side of the public square is dangerously ill at his home at 1408 4th Avenue South. It is reported that there are but slight hopes for his recovery. The nature of his ailment has not been reported.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 24, 1903

$15,000 Fire at Gilmore City

Four Business Houses are Burned to the Ground on Monday Night

Volunteers Put Out Flames

Fire Was Fanned by High Winds and Was Controlled Only After Prolonged Fight

Gilmore City, March 24 – Four business buildings were destroyed and loss aggregating $15,000 was caused by fire at his place on Monday evening. In the face of a blinding snow storm, the volunteer fire department of the city pluckily fought the flames, which at first leaped with resistless force from one building to another, and finally, after an all night’s battle, brought the fire under control.

Following are the buildings destroyed, with losses:

Cobb, general store, loss $7,000, partly covered by insurance.

C.M. Warn, hardware and general merchandise, loss between $5,000 and $6,000, insured.

George Burns, grocery store, stock saved but badly damaged, building partly burned, loss about $1,000.

Emery Ebersole, Independent Telephone Exchange, loss about $700, no insurance.

The fire started in the rear of the Warn store building at about 8:15. By the time the alarm could be given and the department summoned, the building was in a blaze and beyond saving. The flames sped quickly to the other doomed structures.

It is suspected that the fire was set by careless boys, who were seen in the rear of the Warn building a few moments before the flames started. Who the boys were, has not yet been learned.

Telephone service with Gilmore was for a time cut off this morning, on account of the burning of the excahnge but the line was repaire by 11 o’clock this morning.