Chapter 05 - The Business Grows; Disaster Strikes

12

It was in early March of 1906 when Mr. Cheseboro, the restaurant man disclosed that his health was failing, and, having made a pretty good "stake", he wished to lease his business and go to California. The log restaurant building, next west of Strong's building had an oversized attic which provided ample living quarters for a small family. The rooming house building was next west of that, and the old bunk house where the Strongs had first lived was just across the street. All of these buildings with furnishings and equipment were included in the property. What an opportunity for the Strongs to diversify and expand into a going business in a growing economy! It made no difference that they knew little or nothing about the business! Good meals served to them in the restaurant! Living accommodations right on the job! And only half as far for Junior to walk to the one room school which he was now attending!

Mr. Cheseboro had leased his hotel establishment to the Strongs, and had moved to San Francisco.
(About 1907)

The deal was consummated as of March 15, 1906. Cheseboro, after a few days for briefing the new lease holders, departed for California. The Strongs immediately moved into the attic apartment, that is, everything except the beautiful organ, which would have to wait until a space could be found for it. Though housed in a collection of four non-de-script log and lumber buildings, it was now a complete enterprise, as such enterprises were advertised in the cities; "Hotel - Bar in Connection". Daisy assumed direct supervision over the boarding house and rooming houses, including such employees as the chinese cook, a waiter, a dishwasher, a flunkee and other workers, while Lee handled the over all management. And the boy? With such busy parents, he assumed, when not in school,the unaccustomed freedom to roam the meadows and nearby woods, alone or with the few other children in his age bracket.

It was a period of great mining excitement throughout the West. Everyone was familiar with the Klondike and Cripple Creek, and there were miners and prospectors and "experts" who had been to Goldfield, or Tonopah, or Rhyolite, or Bodie or Skidoo. The "booms" were fading in some of these areas, and people were looking for new strikes where they might be in on the ground floor. The most promising mine at Elk City was a prospect being developed only about a half mile north of town by a man named Duster Smith and called after him, tile "Buster Mine". The sale of this mine was pending or eminent at the time. So it is not surprising that the Strongs had all the patronage they could possibly accommodate, and were really beginning to prosper.

It was a bright sunny Saturday forenoon on May 19, 1906 a little more than two months after Strongs had started their expanded venture. The boy and a couple of play-mates were out in the little meadow north of town, ostensibly headed for the fringe of woods a few hundred yards beyond. Suddenly they heard a tremendous tumult of shouting in the village, and soon were able to distinguish the "fire - fire". When they looked up, they could see the rear window of the apartment over the restaurant, a solid inferno of red flame and black smoke. The boy thought of but one possession which he could not bear to have destroyed. It was a boy-sized riding saddle which his father had recently bought for him, a beautiful piece of leather craftsmanship. He knew it was stored on a railing on the back porch of the restaurant. Leaving the other kids to scatter their separate ways, he ran from the meadow, up the and slope to the rear of the building, snatched the saddle from the railing directly under the apartment window, which was by this time belching fire and smoke. Having deposited the single possession in a safe spot down by the meadow, he skirted around to the front of the buildings on the street. The scene was one of utter confusion and shouting tumult. There was no fire protection other than a puny bucket brigade from two or three wells and pumps. The entire citizenry was on the scene, and apparently had made a mass decision that all three houses located side by side would inevitably burn, and, that nothing could be done except to save such articles as could be carried out in the remaining few minutes. So they went at it with a vim. The street for fifty feet in each direction was covered and stacked with chairs, tables, bedding, mattresses, utensils, equipment - anything and everything that anyone could tear loose and carry out. Some articles were dropped so close to the buildings in the hurry to go back in and carry out more, that they later caught fire and burned from the heat as the inferno progressed. The heat from the two log buildings was so intense that the old bunk house across the street began to smoke, so then all efforts were applied to save it from burning. Wet blankets were spread on the roof and hung over the eaves, and then all available water was dashed on these blankets. The blankets steamed and smoked and charred, but the house was saved. There were two other log structures to the west, and adjoining the three that burned; but the distance and the air currents drifting eastward kept them from igniting.

By early afternoon there remained of the Strong empire only a massive heap of glowing coals, a heterogeneous collection of old furniture and furnishings, and the old bunk house on the south side of the street with its string of small cabins trailing out to the rear. All of their personal possessions, including considerable cash,- the business receipts for many days past,- had been stored in the attic apartment. The fire had started from an over heated stove pipe which passed through the attic and roof from the kitchen cook stove. The Strongs' only remaining possessions were the clothes on their backs, the cabin on the hill with the organ and a few trinkets which remained on its ornate shelves, --and a boy's saddle. Fire insurance had never even been considered, because, with no fire protection facilities, insurance rates were prohibitive.