Peel, John

Lindsay, July 5th, 1880. To the Editor of the Fenelon Falls Gazette. Sir:-- I have just received a copy of the Fenelon Falls Gazette of May 15th, 1880, in which my name appears as if in some way unduly interested in or connected with the disastrous fire at Fenelon Falls, and I hasten to make a correction of some of the facts stated in the account of the said fire. In the first place, my insurance on the machinery and planing mill and factory was only $1,200 in all, instead of being $1,000 on the machinery ; the buildings belonged to me, as I have documents in my possession to show, and I am advised that Mr. McArthur, though having an insurance on the buildings, had no insurable interest whatever in them. In the next place, I have had possession of the property for more than a year, and during that time kept my insurance up constantly with the exception of a few days, and had the fire occurred at that time would have been a heavy loser, and in fact even now am a loser to the extent of some $500 over and above all claims for insurance. That the fire was the work of an incendiary no one doubts, and some interesting revelations may be expected if an investigation is held, as I trust will be the case. Trusting that you will make this explanation as public as you did the account of the fire, I am, Yours &c., John Peel.