The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-05-08
DAILY INTELLICEN(ER.
Tuesday. May 8. 1877.
THE FIREMEN OF THE OIL
STYLE.

STYLE.
Forty year. ago the New York FIRE,
men and runners, with tbs gsEiou.
"machInes, as the oId fashioned fire.
engines were callsd. formed dI.t,ic,
class Their clothes had peculiar cut
Their coats something after tie styl.
of the Newmarket "Cu,a~ays" had a
stunning air abolt them. They were
blue. or brown. or olive green. or any
thing but black, and were usually dec
Grated with the brightest Of brigh,
buttons.
Their vests were louder even than
their Goats, and were usually If some
flaming color. while their p.ntaloori-
setting tight q; the hi, a',i a: tn knee
were id. aud flowing below --'-fJfts :
two inches around the b"t,nn. a9i
nothing less wonId s>t,sfv rhe -x.cting
taste Of 5 New York tircnisp. or ~uai
was known, gen-rsily, a. Bo~cry
Boy." when dressed IN his is.ss FIR =
Sundays ontir,g. or walk n,son N .un-
ny side Of the Eastern IIrsst euai
Bot the crowpii'g glory # To-. s,.t
side swell wAs his bat lie wru.d h,,-
disdained I" wear any but the black I
and the shInlest.
Il must not lie too high n.r > -
Not too straight nor top much t.tl.Yi.
and the rim must Toe ln~t twn Gins
and half in wIit.! AID stFai- ut -
round No graceful wave FIR him
The rim must .t-nd -tra.g a out ~ ia
righiest 81 fi"h'-anglrs from tii,. hsi.
and the slightest deviation would en-
denim - as t-ing unfit Ia br ~on by %,
.'foof,or'
Th,se who pteteni,d In f,llos TIA
oriental fashion {" .x're,u,- adj Il To-
the general effect of titeir golsoth'- II,
a narrow strip of Grape just ao,vc The
rim
Quite a. much -. tn. hat it,, Ii va,
the "a .hio,. Of wearing II
II must not be pat square uppn fh-
head. nor jaun',iy tIpp"d upon one side.
That was the Broadway stye Nhd
yonr true go~ery toy had rooted
contempt for everything west at Crosby
Street
But ii ssust he worn upon The from,
part of the heHi the wide rim tipping
over the forehead on line with the
nose. and completely shadowing tho
eyes.
The pecnliarity which distinguished
the Bowery boys in dress Was no less
marked than the fashion III which they
wore their hair. which was cat short
behind. but cut long enough in trout 10
enable them To wear two long locks
plasteref smoothly ever either temple.
aud sometimes brought slightly for
ward in a graceful wave toward the rye
These were called "snap-iocks," aud
they were objects of quite ~ much de-
votion aud attention a. ever was the
waxed mustache of a Fifth Avenue
swell.
In the height of the most excited
discussion he never forgot hts locks. ID
before knocking you down-whcn h,
was able 10 do st slight provoca'ion--
he would wet the end of his tinv rs
with his tongue and carefully sumo Il
his cherished hirsutc into sh .ps and
contour.
But clothes and spap-locks were both
OF less account than tue machine"
that was the object dearest to the ire
laddie's" heart
A pathetic story Is told Of one Of
them, who. when dying from injuries
received Mt fire. called his companions
around his bunk. aud while his eyes
were fast filming with death. ga, ped
out,
look hear. boys. I've sren the una
chine roll fnr the last time. / II never
take the butt again. Bat never mind
Promise me when | dte yolil cut NY
hear, out. and put IT in = jar e ~pirii-.
and l-t II stand IN the engine hem.,, t"r
| loved that old machine. by iinso,'
and then expired
When the fireman WAS on duty his
nobby coat gave place Ia Il rough. h,a-
Wy leajacket with pearl hnttons. under
meath which alars'd bright rel shirt.
with the number 1T the machine Ia
which he belonged cut in pa,eut leather
upon his manly breast
His head was surmounted by . heavy
fircman's cap. the eagles bill IN front
displaying a duplicate number of the
engine.
His trowsers were If thick black
cloth. the expansive bottoms of which
disappeared in the tops of has more ex-
expansive bosts
They weie = rough, uncouth. roys;er-
ing lot. sudden aud quick in quarrel
when the merits ii the machine 10
which they were attached were brought
in question. or when they imagined
their natural rights were infringei up
on: but they were brave. generous and
warm hearted. and ~ much above the
rou4hs Of to-day as the s,aid citizens of
those times were above them.
They neither carried pistols nor brass
knackles: they in,crfered with nobody
unless they were intersered with; they
were chivairoas To each other. after the
light WAS over. and rarely stopped TO in
suls the weaker sex.
Their language WAS rough. often
times coarse. and they sworc a. terribly
81 the army in Flanders. Bu. they
were gentlemen compared with the
bruses who in!es' the eity II day. and
make themselves terror - all jeccn,
and peaceAhie people,