.jpg)
July 16, 1925
RANDOLPH - Fire of unknown origin, discovered by E. M. Shirts shortly before 2 a.m. Friday morning, destroyed the old post office building at Sholes that has been a landmark there for over twenty years.
Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Fritzson, who had rooms in the rear of the building and who were asleep at the time, were awakened by Shirts and escaped without injury.
The building which was the old hotel building erected in Sholes by Robert Claussen about twenty three years ago, was razed to the ground and the post office records and a china closet with a few dishes were the only articles saved.
The fire apparently started in a lean-to on the rear of the building which was used by Mrs. Fritzson as a summer kitchen.
It had gained considerable headway when Mr. Shirts discovered it and the back of the building was already in flames. Harry Sellon, Randolph fire chief, was immediately called and together with Milo Brown made a record run in the fire truck arriving in time to save the pool hall building just south and not more than ten feet away from the burning structure.
The building burned furiously for over an hour and the flames could be seen ten miles away.
A light breeze from the south carried the flying sparks from the building but no harm was done by them.
So intense was the heat that the north wall of the pool hall and the window casings of the Wayne State bank just north of the post office building burst into flames but a “shot” of chemical from the fire truck prevented the fire from spreading.
Three of the four windows in the south wall of the bank were cracked by the heat.
July 16, 1925
RANDOLPH — Six thousand pounds of ice were delivered to Randolph patrons last Monday, this amount being the most that has been delivered to ice consumers on any one day this summer. It was 600 pounds more than it took to satisfy the demand on June 22, figures show. When one considers that June 22 was the longest day in the year and it would naturally require more ice to last over that space of time, one can get an idea of the extreme heat that caused such a heavy demand last Monday.
The ice plant is selling about two tons more ice per day than can be produced says Harvey Sherwood, local manager. Last Saturday was the biggest day for sales this year 21,900 pounds of ice being sold. Of this amount 16,200 pounds went to supply out-oftown trade.
Tuesday was a light day only about 14,000 pounds being sold. Wednesday 16,800 pounds or 56 cakes were needed to supply sweltering Randolph and vicinity.
July 16, 1925
RANDOLPH — Gasoline prices went up a cent Wednesday at Randolph gas stations as the result of the raising of the price all over the state by the Standard Oil company. Gasoline now sells for 24c at the pumps and 22½ cents off the wagon in Randolph.
Standard Oil of Indiana announced a cent increase in price on gasoline for the 10 states in their territory. Gasoline is at present 21 cents in Illinois and from 1 to 2 cents higher in the other nine states. Increased crude oil prices caused the increased price to the consumer, the Standard Oil company stated.
July 16, 1925
RANDOLPH — Maudie Schmidt, aged 7, was instantly killed and her father Carl Schmidt sustained a badly dislocated shoulder when the automobile in which they were riding collided with a car driven by Ed Mohr of Pierce and turned over on the road one mile west of McLean shortly after 9 o’clock Sunday evening.
The other occupants of the two cars were badly shaken up and scratched but were not seriously hurt. Maudie suffered a broken neck and injuries about the face and head and death is believed to have been instantaneous.
