Mangaiti.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43089, 7 May 1907, Page 2

Mangaiti.

NARROW ESCAPE OF POSTOFFICE FROM FIRE.

(Our Own Correspondent.) What might have proved a serious fire occurred at Mr G Smallman’s at

about midnight last night. Mr and Mrs Smallman retired at their usual

hour, leaving everything apparently safe. About midnight Mrs Smallman was awakened by smoke in the room:

she aroused Mr Smallman, and on opening the door he found that the shop was full of smoke. He quickly got Mrs Smallman and the children to safe quarters, and then proceeded to where the fire seemed to be, and before any serious damage occurred, with ths ■ aid of a few buckets of water, he managed to extinguish the flames, which were coming from under the counter. On investigating, Mr Smallman found the fire to have originated in a box of papers, and the mystery was soon solved. He discovered in the bottom of the box that a mouse had made a nest and had evidently taktn some wax matches in for supper. Fortunately there was a coat lying over the top of the box, which kept the flames back, or the damage would have been more serious.