The Neighborhood Vigilance of 1886

Sunday morning, at 8:30, a small building located on South Sixth street, between Mill and Washington, was discovered to be on fire. An alarm was sounded and the department responded, but there being no water available in that vicinity, the engines were not used. The firemen bent their efforts in protecting and saving adjoining property, and confining the flames to the structure where they originated. The building destroyed had just been moved on the lot where it stood at the time of the fire, by the Long Ye Chung Company, who owned the land, and fitted up the house for a wash house, to be occupied by Hop Sing. The residents of that neighborhood did not like the idea of having a Chinese wash house stuck under their noses, and were were getting up a protest against it to be presented to the City Council. However, during the night some one entered the place and after saturating it well with oil, set fire to it, and it will never be used as a wash house. The residence of Jake Wahl, only fifteen or twenty feet distant, was in danger, and probably would have burned had not the wind been in the opposite direction. The only loss was the Chinese wash house, valued at $250, and its contents, valued at $100. No insurance.