M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-01-29
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.
THURSDAY, JANUARY rao, 1887.
"ANO on NOE OF PREVENTION WORTH

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION WORTH
A Pound OF CuRE."-The several
alarms Of fire which have occurred in
this place, recently, ought to excite
some thought and discussion as to the
best means of preventing conHagra'
tons in the future. 1t is not to be ex.
pected hat aplace like Macarthur can
provide a regular fire department, nor
anything like one. The citizens would
think the tax entirely too onerous
even if the benefits derived from it
should be great in proportion. A fire
engine would cost about $1,000 ; a
house to put it in would cost several
hundred more and it would be worth
nothing afterall, without cisterns from
which o supply of water could be OBJ
tanned. Still something might be
done to secure the property of our citi-
gems from the destructive and merci-
less element. We presume that the
Town Council has the right to compel
owners Of houses to secure their prop
erty in such a manner that it shall not
endanger the property of Others, and
this right should be exercised. The
Council might, also, with a slight ex-
pense to the town, purchase a number
of hooks and ladders and provide a
central and convenient point for their
keeping. This is an expense to which
very few places likethis have not been
subject. Past experience has demon
strated, in fact the present state ofthe
wells in our own neighborhood, proves
that they cannot be relied upon in
very dry seasons for a supply of wa
ter adequate to ordinary purposes,
much less for the supply always ne.
cessary in cases of fire. VIZ suggest,
therefore, that steps should be taken
to procure the construction of a sufi-
cient number of cisterns to meet the
emergency of fire during a drouth.
Atsuch q time they would be found
Invaluable, and at any other, very SER
viceable and convenient. The Court
House caves alone would fill a very
large cistern in a short time and keep
It always well supplied with water.
Whatever our citizens may think Of
the above hints and suggestions just
pow, the time will come when they
will be forced TO not only think Of the
subject, but provide some measures for
the prevention Of the destruction of
property by fire; and then persons
whomaynow clutch their pocket-books
tighter at the very mention ofaddition-
al taxation, will only regret that some
thing had not been done before. Our
town is growing rapidly, and, as tim
Der is still plentiful, people prefer to
build frame houses, which are always
more liable to loss by fire than any
other kind. In large cities they are
prohibited from certain bounds, in
which the most valuable property is
located, on that account. We need
not expect, therefore, that the alarm
offire has been heard in Macarthur
for Che last time, aud the only thing
We can do as a sensible people is to
provide means for preventing, or rem
dering harmless as possible, future
confagrations.
UWedon'tlike to poke fun at our
own " peculiar institutions" but we
have had a sight at one of the build
ings in this place ye!pt a school
house" We have seen many noble
edifices, both cast and west, in which
the 6 young idea" was taught to
Z shoot, but for conyfortin cold or hot
weather, pictures4uetteas of location,
good repair and cleanliness, We are
bound to saythat this Sehool-house'
beats all Z We shall procure a guide,
some of these days, to aid US in find
ing the other school buildings, andil
they prove to be- equsily perfect, in.
ternally and externally we shall give
our readers an account Of our interest.
ing antiquarian investigations. p,
THon. E. +. BINeHAM, will &C;
rcpt onr thanks for numerous public