Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-17
The Firemen's Convent ON The
Object Sought 10 be Accom-

The Firemen's Convent ON The
Object Sought 10 be Accom-
plished.
The Convention of Firemen which met
in this city on Tuesday, had for its object
the memorializing of the Legislature to
exempt Firemen from working the roads
and performing military duty in time OF
peace, and exemption from serving on
luries. During the days OF hand engines,
when all fire companies were composed of
volunteers-young men whose patriotism
impelled them to incur danger and fatigue
without hope of fee or reward, to save
their neighbours property-a law similar to
that demanded by the Firemen was passed
and remained for many years on the stat
ute books. The Immediate cause of its
passage occurred in this city in the winter
of 1928.
Late in the fall of 1912 a series of incen-
diary fires in Columbus, fairly startled the
city fro its propriety. Scarce single night
passed without the alarm of fire being
heard. The firing of stables and detached
buildings seemed to be the favorite amuse-
ment. Patrols of citizens, armed with
rifles, pledged to shoot the incendiaries,
kept guard all night, yet without being
able to make any discovery that would lead
even to a well founded suspicion of the per-
petrators of the act. liyr ,tttF/ /.- 5 "a
During the month of December, 1912, or
of January. 1S43, on one of the coldest
nights, the alarm was given, and the fine
|tannery owned by ISAAC TAYLER, between
Long and Gay and Front and Water
streets, was discovered to be in flames, and
was consumed. The firemen were promptly
On hand, and; as usual. did excellent SER
vice in saving property. But the night
was so intensely cold that the water troze
in the hose, and they soon became mass
of ice. als.# -. -.v - ei.tl. IEuF y "a
The Legislature of Ohio was then in ses-
sion, and JOSEPH RIDGwAY, jr, then repre-
senting this District in the Senate, intro
duced bill to exempt FiIemen from work
Ing on the roads, and the performance OF
military and jury duty. In the debate on
the bill, MIR. RIDGwAY stated the fact, that
it took the services of ten men, working
day and night. four full days, equal to forty
days toll, to thaw out the hose and to
make them fit for duty. The men who per-
formed this hard labor, received no pay for
their toll and expected none, save that
received in consciousness of having per-
formed their duty. The bill passed with
out opposition, and as we before said, re-
NAMED a law for many years on the statute
book. s.-sf- dtia .vtng-J a.
The Firemen's Convention now seek its
re-enactment. In all the smaller cities of
the State, and in the villages, the unpaid
Firemen still toll to save the property of
the citizen from being consumed, and we
see no just reason why the law of 1S42-'43
for their benefit, should not be re-enacted.
After the burning of TAYLER's Tannery,
suspicion of the burning of that and other
buildings fastened upon couple of boys,
children of old and respected citizens, but
before this event, or the accumulation of
proof sufficient to convict, they were sent
to sea by their parents, and the incendiary
fires came to speedy end. The object had
in view by the youngsters, if indeed they
were the guilty ones, was the fun of seeing
the buildings burn. .v