Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-26
FIRE
Town Trustees to Take Action To-
night.

The question that now agitates fire cir
cles is the election Of q Chief, and although
it does not take place until May 18th. the
different candidates are quietly preparing
for the event, are counting noses, and cal
culating their chances Of success. But
two nvowed candidates, Tommy Douglas
and Billy Billy masiSs, have as YET appeared,
while o. l.. Scott, Judge Harmon, Dick
toned as probable a~spirants. From the
present outlook, the fight will be between
the two first named, and promises to be an
exciting and hotly-contested one. The
number of voting members TO which the
various companies are entitled, is now a
matter OF considerable interest, SO we hunt
ed up the law covering the case Yesterday.
BY the Act passed by the Territorial Legis-
lature, and approved February 90, 1864,
aud which has never been repealed, the
number of certificate members Of hook
aud ladder and engine companies is linn
tied to 80, and Of hose companies to rs.
The object in thus fixing the number by
statute was owing to the fact that one-half
Of the members Of a company, together
with its officers, were exempted from jury
duty, and unless some limit had been fixed
upon, all that would have been necessary
for a man to do who was anxious to avoid
Jury service would have been to have en-
rolled his name on the roll of some COM
pany. Eureka has never came within the
provisions Of this law until recently, as no
organized department has ever been in ex-
istence except since the incorporation Of
the town. The bylaws Of the different
hose companies place their Number
OF members at forty, or fifteen
more than are allowed by the law of 1864,
and the question now arises whether in the
coming election for Chief. the votes cast
shall be regulated according to the by laws
Of the companies or the laws of the State.
Under the bylaws the Hook and Ladder
Company would cast so votes, the Knicks,
Rescues Richmond and Mob Hill 40 each,
or 240 in all, making III votes necessary to
elect. Under the law of the State the
Hook and Ladder Company would cast so
votes, and the hose companies 20 each, or
1870 in all, making 81 votes necessary for a
choice. The Mob Hill Company, recently
organized, applied for a charter as a hose
and engine company, but this was refused
by the Trustees, and they were designated
as a hose company. This depriyes them
Of SIS votes, and it has been claimed in
some quarters that their wish to be incor-
porated as a hose and engine company was
due to a desire to secure that number OF
additional votes, but in whose interest has
not been stated. II is more than probable,
however, that the gentlemen connected
with the new company have more interest
in the preservation of their property than
in the election # a Chief.
1t is also claimed that the law under
which the tow was incorporated empow-
ers the Trustees TO regulate the number Of
firemen as well as the number OF COM
p~anies, and the Board proposes to sift the
matter this evening, at a meeting to be
held in the Clerks Office at 7 o'clock. The
Presidents and Foremen Of the different
companies are invited to be present al the
meeting, and will be given an opportunity
of ventilating their views. Some s~atisfac-
tory conclusion will no doubt be reached,
for "what is fair for the goose, etc."
and the number of members will be fixed
Inv nVdfpan.a