Six Days to Raise a Burned Hop House: Toledo Turns Out for One of Its Own
When Homer Betty's hop house went up in flames on September 9, his neighbors did not wait for the insurance man — they had a new one standing and ready for business by the 15th.
Homer Betty, of Toledo, is fortunate in spite of his misfortune. On the night of September 9th his hop house was consumed by fire, and six days later a new hop house was completed for him and was ready for business.
Mr. Betty's misfortune consisted in having his hop house burn; he was fortunate in possessing neighbors who assisted him so heartily in rebuilding. Charles Henriot, seconded by John Wallace, took charge of the matter and everything moved like clockwork. Mr. Veness turned his mills over to the task of getting out material for the building, and in spite of the scarcity of workmen at present, there was plenty of help to complete the work in the short time of six days.
Mr. Betty says that his neighbors must think a whole lot of a hop man on general principles, or regard him as a pretty good fellow, or perhaps he has got darned good neighbors. In fact, he admits that he knows the last proposition to be true, thinks there are some grounds for believing the first to be true, and hopes in time to be able to merit the opinion expressed in the second.
Mr. Betty's crop is in prime condition and will yield about sixteen tons.
“Mr. Betty says that his neighbors must think a whole lot of a hop man on general principles, or regard him as a pretty good fellow, or perhaps he has got darned good neighbors.”
Before barn-raisings gave way to insurance adjusters, a rural fire was answered by the whole town, not a claims hotline. Toledo's six-day rebuild is the same instinct that fills Washington grange halls and fire-hall benefit auctions today when a family loses a barn or a crop shed. What has changed is the paperwork: the hops are insured now, but the neighbors still show up first.
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