Fire of unknown origin roared through the Yarrow IGA early Monday morning causing considerable damage while firemen from Yarrow and the Municipality fought the stubborn blaze.

The fire was spotted by A. R. Ewert, 995 Central Road, owner of the store shortly after 1:15 a.m. To save time Mr. Ewert ran down to the fire hall where he turned in the alarm.

Within minutes the volunteer fire department was on the scene but found it difficult to cope with the blaze.

The blaze appeared to have broken out in the rear of the store. Mr. Ewert reported checking

the store at 10 p.m. Sunday evening and at the time found everything to be OK.

Jim Brown, Yarrow fire chief, said it was the biggest fire they have had since he came to the department 11 years ago.

Three quarters of an hour after the Yarrow department arrived on the scene they called the municipal fire department who remained on the scene until the blaze had been brought under control.

Mr. Ewert told The Progress Monday morning that the loss was only partially covered by insurance.

It was proably the best baseball game at the park this season — but it didn't do the Chilliwack Monarchs any good. They were edged 10-9 by Yarrow Ocean Sprays.

The loss was Monarch's second in three days to the Sprays.

The Chilliwack club fought back froma 7-0 deficit to push the game into a ninth inning thriller.

Barney Thiessen finally broke the tie in the bottom of the ninth when he laced a two-out single down the left field line, scoring the winning run from third.

A pair of fourbaggers were blasted out of the park, in Thursday's hit and run baseball action.

Sprays' Don Smith smashed one about 300 feet over the left field wall in the second with Phil Ratzlaff aboard.

Wayne Matheson hoisted one over the right field wall in the sixth scoring Bud Goodey ahead of him.

It appeared the Yarrow club would run away with the match after Ernie Ratzlaff's triple sparked them to four runs in the first inning,

and Smith's homer made it six by the end of the second.

Sprays added the seventh run in the third when Ernie Harder scored following a single and two fielders' choice plays.

Herman Britz' Monarchs came to life in the seventh with three runs; then added three in each of the following two innings to tie it up at 9 - 9.

Norm Fatterly, who went the distance on the hill for the losers, made a fine showing at the plate where he went four for five. Fetterly lead off the seventh with a single, Ron Columbus was safe on a fielders' choice and Neil "Pop" Price crossed up the shallow outfield with a triple to deep rightcenter.

Fetterly also figured in Monarchs three eight inning runs, driving in one and later scoring.

Line Score
Monarchs ... 000 003 330    9  11 8
Yarrow   .....  421 000 201   10  8 8

Monarchs — Norm Fetterly and Wayne Metheson.
Yarrow — Pete Ratzlaff, Ernie Ratzlaff (7), Ci Coleman (8), and Bill Gilchrist.

Monarchs Lose 4-1
Don Smith pitched a one-hitter for Yarrow Ocean Sprays as the Froese-coached crew rambled to a 4-1 triumph over the Monarchs.

One hit off Smith was a single by Bugs Usher in the first—the inning Monarchs picked up their sole run. Dave Britz scored after a walk, a single and an infield error.

Jack East pitched his first game of the season for the Monarchs and it appeared the righthander had at least a tie ballgame—until the final frame.

Tied 1 - 1
Sprays tied it up in the fourth at 1-1 when Smith walked, Gilchrist's hit advanced him to second and the Yarrow pitcher came home on Ernie Harder's single to left-center.

A single by Barney Thiessen Sprays' big centerfielder, brought home the winning and insurance markers for Yarrow in the top of the sixth. Thiessen laced a single to center, scoring Harder and Wiebe.

After Thiessen had moved to second on the

outfielder's error in fielding the ball, Denny Richardson brought Yarrow's total to four by chasing Thiessen home on a lined single.

Smith's First
The victory for Smith was his first of the season. The versatile righthander has caught, played infield and outfield for Yarrow. Last night was his first starting assignment on the mound.

Smith struck out eight Monarchs with his fastball. He has worked in relief on other occasions this season.

Tuesday night's senior baseball action will see Monarchs hosting Agassiz at the park. Sunday afternoon League leading Mission and runner-up Agassiz will clash at Agassiz.

Line Score:
Yarrow   .....  000 103   4-7-3
Monarchs ... 100 009   1-1-4

Yarrow — Don Smith and Bill Gilchrist.
Monarchs — Jack East and Bugs Usher, Joe Drdul (5).

PETER P. GIESBRECHT

A pioneer of the Yarrow district, Peter P. Giesbrecht died Sunday as the result of an accident.

Six grandsons will be pallbearers Saturday at 2 p.m., when Rev. Henry Brucks will conduct the service in Mennonite Brethren Church, Yarrow. Interment will be in Yarrow cemetery.

Mr. Giesbrecht was born in the Ukraine on July 22, 1883.

He came to B.C. 36 years ago and retired from farming in 1953. He lived at 42012 Central Road, Yarrow.

He was predeceased by his wife. He is survived by four sons, Peter, David, Cornelius' and John, all of Yarrow; six daughters: Mrs. Henry (Margaret) Derksen and Mrs. Jacob G. (Susie) Derksen, Yarrow; Mrs. Jake Dahl, Arnold, B.C.; Mrs. Abe Friesen, Aldergrove, B.C.; Mrs. John (Gertrude) Abrahams, Prince George, and Mrs. Peter Isaak, Oliver; 49 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Garden Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements

A Remembrance of Peter P. Giesbrecht
by Edwin Lenzmann

I remember Mr. Giesbrecht as a friendly senior with a zest for life. When it came to the language transition in Yarrow, he was ahead of his time. I remember how he sat in Valley Meat Market, daily it appeared, reading the Vancouver Sun. On one occasion he told my dad that he was trying to learn a new English word every day. Abe Neufeld (one of the Bible School teachers in the early '50's) told me a few years ago that at one annual meeting, when he was in charge of the Yarrow youth work, he was asked whether the work was being done in the German language. Being put on the spot, he believes that God gave him this quick reply: "Im Prinzip sind wir Deutsch, aber in der Praxis macht es sich nicht immer so aus." [In principle we operate in German, but in practice it doesn't always work out that way. ] — a subtle way of saying 'no'. Later Mr. Giesbrecht commended him for conducting the youth work in English.

The board of Yarrow Waterworks District, unofficial "council" of the area, is spearheading a move to have Yarrow quit Chilliwhack municipality and set up as a village.

In a resolution unanimously passed by the board Monday night, township council was severely criticized for its "lack of service" to the Yarrow area. The board plans to take immediate action to see what can be done about incorporation as a village. Board chairman John Martens told The Progress that the next step will probably be to call a public meeting of Yarrow residents.

"We don't expect any difficulty in getting their wholehearted support," he said.

The Yarrow resolution reads as follows: "We go on record in showing our great disappointment in the neglect shown by the municipal council in our problems such as ditches, streets, sidewalks, curbing, gutters, white lines, policing, etc., and that we take immediate steps to study incorporation as a village municipality."

Martens, a one-time member of municipal council, said that for years Yarrow Waterworks District have discussed programs with the council, listing needed improvements.

"We have received some support," he declared, "but lately things have been going from bad to worse."

He criticized the absence of sidewalk maintenance, and said that weeds were growing unchecked.

Mr. Martens said he did not wish to compare Yarrow's plight with other parts of the area. But, he insisted, "we are neglected as a community". Could Yarrow be induced to change its mind about incorporating as a village?

Municipal council, he indicated, would have to show it meant business by actions and not by words.

The Yarrow Waterworks board consists of Mr. Martens (chairman), William Schellenberg, C. H. Penner, Abram Unrau, Henry Ratzlaff and J. J. Wittenberg as secretary.

If the Yarrow Water Board wants to break away from the township and set up a village, township council should "offer them every assistance," Councillor Harold Clarke declared in a pull-no-punches statement Monday night.

"We would be well rid of them," he added.

Councillor Clarke was commenting on the water board's unanimous decision, reported in last week's Progress, to take immediate steps to investigate prospects of village status. Dissatisfaction of the township's services to Yarrow was cited as the reason for the proposed break-away.

Councillor Clarke argued that the township has done a considerable amount of work for Yarrow.

"I can't understand what they are complaining about," he said. "In the last three or four years, we have worked on every ditch down there. We have renewed a bridge or two, and we have made permanent jobs of them. We have tiled a large part of their ditches. I think every last road there is paved."

"True, their sidewalk is no great shakes, but they are the ones that built it and paid for it."

Councillor John Spencer said that every member of council tries to look after, Yarrow, since the area does not have its own representative on council.

Councillor John Kirkness suggested that the Yarrow water board, in its criticisms of township services, was acting in the hope that a "squeaky wheel gets the most grease."