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The Destructive Prairie Fires

Anonymous. November 2, 1894. The destructive prairie fires. Alliance Pioneer Grip 9(27): 2.

Gordon dispatch: The prairie fires now sweeping over the sand hills in this vicinity are doing immense damage. The fire broke out in the south sand hills about fifty miles south of this place, and has burned over already a strip of country 100 miles long by forty miles wide. The flames burned all the range slick and clean on the Spade ranch belonging to Richards & Cairnes and about 3,000 tons of hay, leaving about 1,000 tons of hay. The next ranch to burn was Stanbires [Stansbie] brothers, burning all their hay, about 2,500 tons, and all of their range. This ranch had 2,200 head of cattle. The next was Len Osborne's, burning all his range and all his hay, about 400 tons, and his barn and out-buildings. The next was Myner's [Minor] ranch, burning all his hay, about 300 tons. His range was feeding about 200 head of cattle. The next ranch to go was Woodruff's, burning all his hay, about 400 tons, and all his range. he had about 300 head of cattle in his barns, corrals, and sheds. The next in line of the fire was Baugh's. He lost all his hay, 400 tons, and all his range. He had about 400 head of cattle.

The next was Mason's burning him out of about 1,000 tons of hay. He was the postmaster and had a store, carrying a stock of goods of $3,009, with very little or no insurance. he had 700 head of cattle. The next was Davis'. He lost all of his hay, 1,200 tons, but none of his buildings. he had about 600 head of cattle. This is as far as the fire had gone at noon.

There are quite a number of small ranchers burned down on the B. & M. railroad. The loss from this fire will run up into the millions., besides the trouble of moving all the stock, especially this year, for hay is scarcer this fall than it has been for years.