When Ira Schaeffer, farmer, (pictured here in better times), living three and a half miles west on the Erie-Cordova road, saw the glow of fire on snow outside his window soon after he went to bed shortly before midnight, he pulled on some clothes and a pair of galoshes over his bare feet.

The overshoes were lost in deep snow as he ran to his blazing cattle adn hay barn, but he hurried on and led two milk cows to safety and drove some pigs out of the ccrackling structure. Four milk cows, two brood sows, and 15 pigs perished in the fire.

Also lost when the 40 x 60 ft barn was destroyed were 1000 bales of hay and straw, a large amount of feed, a nearly new combine and other equipment. Erie firemen, who made a quick response to the alarm despite snow-covered roads, remained for three hours whiel teh bales burned to prevent spread of the flames to other buildings. The loss is partly covered by insurance. Mr. Schaeffer apparently suffered no ill effects from working in the snow barefoot.

Second Article

Livestock, feed and farm equipment was destroyed in a fire Tuesday night which burned a 40 by 60 foot barn on the Wilder farm three and on-half miles west of Erie. The Ira Schaeffer family tenants the place. Four milk coews, two brook sows and 15 little pigs, about 1000 bales of straw and a large amount of commercial feed and a combine which had been used only during the last season were lost in the fire. The property was protected by insurance. Cause of the fire is not known. The Erie fire department was called about 11 p.m. yesterday and worked more than three hours helping protect other buildings on the farm. Shaeffer is worthy patron of the Erie chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and was in Erie Tuesday night attending an OES meeting. He arrived at his home about half an hour before the fire was discovered. The fire apparently was burning inside the barn when he drove into the yard. Schaeffer's attention was attracted by the red glare reflected by the snow after he had retired. Pulling his overshoes on his bare feet, he rushed to the barn and rescued two cows. In the confusion he l ost his overshoes and worked in his bare feet in the snow for some time. Value of the property destroyed has not been determined.