Good, bad news connected in early Gazette stories

Sometimes a story about how the community successfully came together to solve a serious shortcoming was preceded and followed by horrific tragedies.
The deadly fire of the packed dance hall in November 1919 caused city leaders to start planning to form a fire fighting organization. Nearly 30 people died of burns, suffocation or were trampled to death, mostly in the narrow stairway leading up to the second story dance hall.
The Weekly Gazette reported on August 6, 1927, that the city had plans drawn up for a new city hall on Main Street --- the current chamber of commerce and Acadiana Works offices -- that would have a paved garage behind it where the city’s new fire truck would be kept.
The newspaper reported on August 27, that same year that “the ladies of the town” were planning a box lunch auction to help fund the city’s fire fighting crew.
The auction would be held at Soileau’s Hall and would be followed by a “big dance” with Martell’s Orchestra providing the music. Gussie Garland was the auctioneer.
There were no names on the boxes, so bidders did not know who had prepared any particular box lunch. As it turned out, the woman who prepared the box lunch that attracted the highest bid was Ethel Reed, the fire chief’s daughter, according to the article.
The auction raised $60.50, which, according to the DollarTimes web site, would have a value of $796.58 in today’s dollars.
One of the young men attending the auction and dance was J. Marion Vidrine, who had graduated from high school in Ville Platte the year before. He had brought a young woman from Grand Prairie.
After he dropped off the woman at her home there, he drove back to Ville Platte, where, according to the September 3, 1927 Gazette, “what might be the saddest accident that have ever occurred in Evangeline Parish,” took place.
It was 3:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning. A wagon loaded with cotton was being driven down Main Street from the west, pulled by two mules. The driver saw the Ford touring car Vidrine was driving, approaching the wagon from the east on Main Street, veer from the right and strike the wagon. Vidrine “is thought to have fallen asleep at the wheel,” according to the newspaper report, based on the wagon driver’s statement.
Vidrine was killed instantly, but the wagon driver was not injured. One of the mules died in the accident and the other was injured seriously enough to be shot and killed.
Vidrine, 19, the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Vidrine, left behind four brothers.