Origin Of Fire In Dairy Is A Mystery

Total Damage by Matthews Blaze Not Over $2,000, Buildings Will Be At Once Replaced by Larger and Better Ones.

The cause of the disastrous fire in the Matthews Jersey dairy, north of the city Saturday night remains a mystery. No one had been about the buildings for hours as far as known, there was no stove or light about the barns and the only explanation is that the fire was the work of incendiaries or was caused by some careless tramp with a cigarette. There were three smaller barns beside the large main barn at the dairy and two of these smaller barns were destroyed with their contents. The total loss including one horse which was burned to death and a considerable quantity of feed [illegible] not amount, the proprietors say, to over $2,000. Each barn accommodates twenty-five cows, but luckily all these cows were outside when the fire started and none were lost. The other buildings were untouched and none of the cattle were injured so that the business will continue without interruption.

“Our losses are quite severe,” said L.R. Thompson, owner of the dairy, yesterday, “but they will not serve to interrupt our business and customers will be waited on regularly. The burned buildings will be rebuilt at once upon a larger scale and the result of the fire will be a considerable improvement in our establishment. Patrons will be served without interruption.

Albuquerque Morning Journal, Albuquerque, NM 7 Jan 1907
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!