Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-06-13

1t 1.-THE Rosy Tinted Existence that we ima9-
inc Tito Three Hours For Meals and Twen-
y-One on Duty DaiIy-A Weekly Visit at Home,
Wet Clothes. and Rheumatism his Chief Pleas.
ures.
IFrom the Detroit Free Press
q wish l was a fireman." exclaimed
a reporter as he paused at the door OF
an engine house yesterday morning and
allowed his eye to run adOwn the row OF
powerful men in handsome uniforms and
brass buttons who were tipped back In
department chairs, listening to veter-
ans recital Of an unusually interesting
force fight in the days when the fire lad
dies not only ran with, but dragged the
g masheen.' The reporter lied like the
average abb witness, for he would far
rather be the third assistant engineer of
a treadmill than ride in red wagon and
wear the fore~and after leather and iron
hat in a parade on the Fourth of July,
but he knew how to turn on the flood
gates of conversation.
You would, hey! !" growled broad
shouldered pipeman who, beside listen
ing to the yarn, was poking around III
his left eye with the corner of bis hand
kerchief drawn over the end Of his fore
finger searching for what he called g q
single off that old shanty On Kentuck
Street "You'd like to be fireman,
would We! / never saw a tarnal fool
who wouldn't, and it's surprisin' the
number of them there is these days.
Did you ever hear of a man who wanted
to be hung? Well, them fellows is fire
men,"
Easy times you have here" said
the reporter, inserting the probe a trlhe
deeper.
Eyes. and SO does them fellows in soil
taTy confinement out in jackson. Say, l
presume you've swindled woman,
haint YEP"
Cant say that I ever did,
Thought you was a married man p
$50 I am"
IS WelI?'
= / tumblei What about it?"
well, most of US is married, too, and
we have to carry photograph of our
wives around with us, or we'd fergit how
she looks. Ny children wouldn't know
me if it wasn't for the uniform. If any
other fireman was to go up to my house,
they'd 60 and climb up into his lap and
think twas me, and I'm hanged if I'm
sure but the old woman would go and
shake hands with him and say -'I'm
glad you come home, Jake. [ want
some money to buy the children some
shoes Now, don't you be fool enough
to join the fire department. The stairs
leading up to the secretary's office is
worn hollow by applicants already"
'sJust give me an outline of what you
have to do in week, commencing with
Monday morning ?'
SIT don't make no difference when
YOU commence. There's 365 days all
alike in year. We are allowed one
hour three times a day to go to our
meals: 40 more than that, no matter
where you live. It makes fellow with
a big appetite hump around lively to
get back on time. That's all. Three
hours a day to eat, and the rest of the
time we're on duty ~
Are there not certain hours at youl
disposal p
eyes, each man is allowed twenty
hours in a week-ten hours IN the day time
and ten hours in the night time. You car
have it all in the day time if you wish.
but you can, only have ten of 1t at night
That meanE one night n week with
your family end six here III the engine
house. 1t looks nice TO be fireman,
doesn't If, vixen you come along here
and see US sitting here telling stories
and reading the papers2 We'll, that's
the hardest dut7 we have to do. Ii there
was only a workshop here TO keep Us
busy the days wouldn't seem half sc
long. In the morning we scrub the
floors, wipe off the paint, clean the
horses, sweep out the stalls, polish uE
the engine, sponge the harnesses; dc
everything that wecan think of, and tnen
set around here just a-hopin' that there
viii be fire. OF course, we don't want
anybody's buildings 90 burn up, but it's
a big relief Vhen the gong strikes. tell
you I would rather be on LADDER hold
IN nozzle IN January then a~sittdn'
around here doing nothing. It amt SO
pleasant. but it's change. Two or three
times a day the gong STRIKES, and we
hitch up. That breaks the monotony,
even If we don't have to go out. The
trouble is, even that gets moEotonous,
specially at night.
q YOu see. when we 60 to bed, we push