Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-22
Firemen's Horses.

"Fire engine horses" said fireman
to New York Sun reporter the other
day, "show amazing intelligence some
times, and do remarkable things, but
it seems to me that the performance of
Chief Bates horse goes ahead of every
thing else on record. Last Sunday the
chief was away. In his absence As
sistant Chief Shay was driven down
town to the big cotton fire by Bates's
driver, behind the chiefs horse. Later
they went up again to the fire depart
ment head-quarter, in Mercer street,
and Shay and the driver jumped out
and went into the building, leaving the
horse and wagon outside. They had
just mounted the stairs when the big
gong in the hall struck 225, the horse
heard it and started on dead run
down Mercer street, without any driv-
er, at his regular gait. No. 225 is the
alarm box on the corner of Stanton and
Attorney streets, way over on the east
side. The horse rushed down Mercer
street t. Canal, swinging out of the
way for trucks and carts exactly as
though steered by his driver, and gal
loped along Canal eastward to the
Bowery. He turned Hp the Bowery
toward Stanton street, and cleared the
vehicles until, in swerving one side, he
collided with a big freight car going up
from the old depot, and the little red
wagon was caught. The horse got free,
however, and went bounding along un-
til he had nearly reached Stanton street
when battalion Chief Bresin came
down the Bowery and turned into Stan.
ton street. The chiefs horse followed
Breslin to the fire, where he was known
and taken care of.
"Had the horse been in that direc.
ton to a fire that day."
"No; he had just returned from
down town. He didn't run away, and
the only solution is that he knew the
location of No. 225."
"How long has the chief had him p
1.-TWO years. Horses learn their du.
ties just as boy learns his trade,
Some years ago 33 engine had horse
named Buckskin, on account of his
color, that had to be sold because he
was soft footed. Buckskin was bought
by a Seventh avenue feed man. He
found him good horse, and used him
well. One day he was on Seventh av-
enue with a heavy load of feed, and
was Just above Twentieth street when
there was an alarm Of fire from Thirty
seventh street. Twelve truck came
sweeping out of Twentieth street and
went bowling up the avenue with her
gong ringing. Buckskin was alone
he had big load, and he was out Of
practice but he went to that fire in
iirst-class style, jerking the load of feed
up the avenue in a way that made peo-
pie look. After that they tied him
when there was any fire under way.
"That reminds me of engine thirty's
old team. They were bought by q
truckman. One day he was carting a
heavy load of goods from a North
River steamer, when he had occasion
to pass the teams old engine house in
Spring street. When an engine team
returns from q fire the horses walk
right up on the sidewalk, are unhitched
and the engine is backed in. When
thirty's old team came to the house
they walked right up, too. The driver
might as well have tried to jump over
house as to stop them. There they
stood, waiting to be unhitched, and
they wouldn't move. Finally one Of
the fremen told the driver to get up tc
his seat and get good hold of thu
reins. Then he went in and struck th'
alarm. The horses thought it was {
fire, and away they went like shot
load and all. The truckman avoid
Spring street now"
"Very intelligent"
81 should say so. 1t reminds me o
thirty-three's tender horse Bill. Yol
know the horses have to be hitched VI