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Show Eighteen Tons Of Hay Burn Tuesday Two small boys, playing with matches near a haystack shortly after af-ter noon Tuesday, caused a loss to Merrill Pickett, residing in the southwest south-west part of the city, of nearly $900. The fire, before it was under control, enveloped the haystack where the boys were playing, and soon leaped to adjoining stacks, swept through sheds and other buildings nearby, threatened a large chicken house and a builling where grain was stored. A pig pen, where several hogs were quartered, caught fire and five small pigs were burned. The loss of the 18 tons of hay, the results of a summer's work and coveted due to a hay shortage, short-age, will be keenly felt by Mr. Pickett. There was no insurance carried car-ried on the hay nor the buildings which were destroyed by the fire. In the absence of Mr. Pickett, who was at Dover working, and Mrs. Pickett, who was at Gunnison on a brief shopping trip, Jerry, 5 years old, and his smaller brother, Louis, 4j sons of Mr. and Mrs. Pickett, secured se-cured matches' and were playing on the west side of one of the haystacks. They lighted a match, it is reported, set fire to the dry hay and, becoming alarmed, started down the lane. Menj nearby, seeing the flaming fire, hur-; ried to the scene and then gave the alarm. The Gunnison fire engine was hurried to the scene of the blaze, and after getting the hose connected did not have force enough to create any effect. An auto was dispatched to town where additional force was secured se-cured by opening a tap near the Mar-ius Mar-ius Jensen home. The additional supply sup-ply of water aided materially in saving sav-ing a granary and the chicken houses, which were threatened. Volunteer fighters from Gunnison were quickly on hand and a group of high school students, attracted' by the blaze, did yoeman work in keeping the flames from spreading. |