The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-10-29
VERMONT FIRES AND F1REnEN.
How the Descendants of Eihrn Allen
Put Ont a fire.

How the Descendants of Eihnn Allen
Put Ont n fire.
Correspondence OF the panbury News
1passed the last week in July in q
town in Vermont. You may remem-
Der how hot it was. Well, Sunday we
had service in the village church as
usual; aud if anything will make a
man sleepy. it is to walk TO church
under a pelting hot sun, on dusty
road, aud then, overcome with the
hest. listen to dry sermon delivered in
9 monotonous tone. That Sunday all
these conditions were favorable and
nearly the whole congregation were
gently snoring before the second HYMN
was sung. 80 that when the minister
commenced to read that hymn which
began "Sleepers awake II many
OF the now awakened sleepers thought
to themselves, of course, they
all aaid they hadn't slept a minute, that
he was rather personal. But during
the sermon they were all slumbering
peacefully, and their nasal organs were
all sending forth joyful noise unto
tue air" when suddenly the church
bell wss rung, and voice in the entry
cried out Joe Robinson woods aare !"
Instantly every sleeper was awake. and
in a moment the preacher was before
an empty house Now the young men
of that church being of a literary turn
OF mind, had read all about the Chi
cago and Boston, and other great fires,
aud were bound their own should not
burn il they could prevent it. So about
twenty Of them, all dressed in their
Sunday clio hes, set out Tor H, nine
miles sway, which owned the nearest
fire engine. They made pretty
good time, got there in
about two hours; and PERI
spring. dusty, tired and foot-sore,
sought the ensine>house. But they
couldn't get in, and learned from the
neighbors that the man who had the
key lived about mile away. Des'
patching one o! their number to get the
kew, the nineteen weary oLes sat down
TO swear and brush their clothes, and
wonder why That tool ola jim" didn't
come. Meanwhile Jim went TO the key
holders house and asked for the key.
The lady who came to the door inform
ed him that her husband had gone fish,
ing and taken the key with him; Why
he had taken it, or when be would be
back she did not know; he was fishing
IN a river about 8 halt mile beyond the
eDgine-house. Jim uttered q remark
Inappropriate to the Sabbath day, and
quietly asked tor drink Of water. Re-
joining his companions, re sent one OF
them 10 the fisherman to get the key
He got it, and the gallant but now hun-
CRY twenty poured into the engine
house, but tie rope by which the engine
was drawn was gone. However, they
learned from the people near by. that
the man who held the key had that
morning lent the rope 10 Dir. AbIah
Beals, who wished 10 haul stone on the
morrow. Fortunately Mr.. Beales lived
near by, and man was sent tor the
rope Immediately.
But while lie was returning, another
discovery WAS made. at which the pro-
iauity became terrific. This was, that
the handles by which the machine was
worked were gone One of the lockers.
on said he had borrowed the handles TO
"poIe his hay" with, and that they were
on his meadows five miles away. But.
III hitch up my team and get them Tor
you for two dollars" he generously add
ed. His offer was accepted, and
in abouttwo hoursand halt he brought
back the handles, saying, ats a warm
day and | didn't want 10 hurry the
horses" Profanity was too mid-they
kept silent. At last they started for
home with that engine at about three
o'clock in the afternoon. Better late
than never" said they. Maniully they
toiIed homeward with that burden; only
dropping one companion, who Tell and
broke his arm, another who was de-
tailed 20 assist him, and third who
spraiued his ankle; and when at "a
p. NJ. they arrived home to find the fire
bad been entirely subdued by half a
dozen men in about as many minutes;
perhaps they were polite in their express
sion. And when they went to put the
engine in barn for the night, they ran
it against a tree and damaged it, and it
cost them $50 to get it repaired. Also,
it cost each young man the value OF
,,;t ~ olo,bes GA bis Sunday onea Unrp
ruined; aud many OF them couldn't 60
to work the next week, aud lost several
days waves; and now it is beautiful to
hear stranger mention fire TO one OF
tbose twenty young men, and what q
splendid style OF hitting each young
gentleman has. They keep themselves
in training by just practicing on people
who wiN talk on disagreesble subjects.
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