Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-24
Telegraph and Telephone-The QuicE
Work Of the Fire Boys-The
Road Wagon, Etc.


| ing barnes, and others who have a knowl-
edge OF blscksmi,hlDg are at work repairing
| the engines"
"Where de they sleep"
| "At the engioehouse. A very nice dormi-
| tory is fitted up On the second floor of each
one Of them. When the last one leaves his
| bed for the day, which ia about 10 o'clock in
| the morning. one of them knows what he has
| to do, and spreads up the beds in the best
| ehambermsid fashion. But it was not al
| waya 30. l can remember when l used to
| sleep by the side of my engine month after
| month. You see, when
GAN ALARM SOUNDS,
| all the engines in that portion Of the city
| turn out and 90 their level best to reach il
| first. For one engine TO pass another before
| il gels ont Of the house is considered by the
| company of the latter to be a dIsgrsce. 10
| order to avoid THE, in times past, we slept
| BY cur engines-th5t is, the most enterprit-
| Jog. Now, however, We have the sliding
| pos. and can 20 TO bed in the second story
| iu't az we'll as not"
| ."Do you remember where the pole was first
| usedP
| SLIDING POLES.
| "The very frs! was used by the Cbicsgo
| Salvage Cores, but the first in any steam
| eugineheuse was used right here in Mem
| phis When l was captain Of No. 8 got 8
| piece Of six-5y-eighl scautling, and we worked
four days rounding it of, ssnd-papering and
| smoothing it. A hole was cut in the ceiling
and We put it up. After little practice We
became expert, and quit using the stair.
| The boys from Ne. l bet US once that they
could 90 down from the dormitory, by the
stairway, and hitch up the engine as quick
as we could do it. They came down one
night, and at given signal, bolted for the
| stairway, while we went down the pole. Be
| fore they reached the floor we had hicheC
up and were out OF the house. This con
WINGED them, and the pole is not only in USE
now at every euginehouse in Memphis, but al
over the whole country"
| OUT IN NINE SECONDS.
"Whst kind Of time do you makeW
sIn the daytime, when we are all on the
| alert, we get out in seven 20 eight seconds
| At night, when we are asleep in bed, il
takes about pine to eleven seconds"
''Do you count from the tap OF the bell?'
Certainty. The boys dresp, hitch up ano
get out of the house in that time"
"How do they manage il?"
"By having their pauts and boots 20 fxec
| that they eau literally jump into them
There are no buttons and button-holts used,
| OF course"
(which one of the companies are you
proudest Of ?"
81 have no choice. They are all good
There is considerable rivalry between com
panies Nos. 2 and 8. When an alarm sound
they IN Ike dead run for the corner Of MAIN
| aid Besle, from which point they are abou
equally distant. For one OF them to resct
that point fret is to crow for a week. The
boys all take great deal of interest in theil
work, and run
ALL SORTS OF RISKS
| to best each others time. None of then
ever think of stopping to pick up hat OIL
any other article they may drop. 1t is
dull life when there are no fires; but ex
citeme3t enough is crowded into ons con
| fagration to make up tor 1t all. The IRE
| men have families in many cases, take on
an accident policy and go at it with a reck
less daring that is something fearful TO con
| template"
"Does any danger attach 10 the working o
the new Babcock?"
considerable. The pressure from tht
fermentation in the boilers is very great, anc
the liquid is bad for the eyes. Whenevel
| they are much used from three to five mel
are laid up every week with blindness. 4
| single drop is enough 10 destroy the sight TO
days, and fireman has no time 10 be care
full. They are of the greatest benefit, how
I
ing Of water would do more dsmag
Than good. Each of the boilers hold
enough to last six minutes, and il
twelve minutes any small fire can be pu
out"
In answer to a question as to the COS
Of going to FIRE, Chief Cleary said it wa
from $40 10 SOS. A false alarm costs iron
$40 to $40, and many are given by the crosF
ing of wires. This. naturally brings up
THE TELEPHONE COMPANY.
The leading event last week was the trans
fer Of the Memphis Telephone and Electri
Light Company to parties wht sc aim is I
connect the city with all the largest towns i
the surrounding country. In a conversation
yesterday, one OF the members OF the ne'
company said ii had arranged for a numbe
of superior worknen, who were trained i
the business, and who would make
a positive. delight instead Of an ar
noysnce to talk through one OF thei
Instruments The wires will be put u
in such manner that they will be lutte al
fected by ordinary storms, and by means G
an improved switch connections vii
be made almost ins antly aud with the greal
eet accuracy. The stretching of lines to tn
surrounding TOWNS will be commenced at a
early day. Rates have not yet been al
ranged, but they will be cheap enough I
allow the lines 10 ne used freely in all kind
Of business. All classes of messages may b
sent at the same rate per hour, and no extr
charge will be made in the cases of courtin
couples.
ELECTRIC LIGHT WIRES
are accumulating very fast, and separat
poles for them will soon become necessary
A number of new lights have recently bee
| put in, and several of the private boarding
houses are about 10 make arrangements 70
them. A few of the fashionable up-tow
houses will have at least one lamp in III
hallway. The light is stesdier now than
ever has been before, the only objection bein
the swarms OF insects they attract. Tn
agents of one or two new patents, who hav
visited the city lately, arranged with one O
two hotels to put in private lamps, 10 be ru
by machinery in the cellars of the hotel
the latter are as popular as any at the
VARIOUS SPRINGS
now, so far as Memphiaus are concerned
The ticket agents of three lines leading 10 th
| principal summer resorts have not average
two tickets day during the past week.
think we will do something in day or TIVE
surely" said leading agent TO an APPEA
man last Monday, "this hot weather will ru
them out. Next day, however, when the n
porter called, no sales had been made, an
yesterday evening the entire number c
tickets sold for watering places for the Who'll
wesk, from all offices, did not exceed
dozen. The agent alluded to above meppe
great beads OF psrspiration from his bro
| and gave it up. He reckoued nobody ir
tended going away this summer, and calle
attention to the fact that the number of al
rivals e9usled the number of departure
speaking exclusively of Memphians.
/ Oua elasa of trims hOuavar this rir =,
people do take-rides out the boulevard
which is crowded every evening. A goo
opportunity Is thus given to observe
THE STYLE OF VEHICLES
. | In use, and 1t is remarked that the new roa
wagon which wss all the rage there last wiz
ter is going rapidly out of date. When the
first came In an old dealer remarked: "Bs
fore very long you will see more of thos
things lying about back yards than you ca
shake stick at. They are new and chea,
and will take at FIST, but they are poori
made, and will not last" His prediction b,
been verified, and numerous road wagon
which were purchased when the racing feve
was at its hight, have been thrown aside fo
the buggy, and are now offered for less tina
half their cost. Like other novelties, it wa
the fashion to have road wagon, as it will
THE FASHION
TO wear one OF the resu' citated grandma
bonnets TO church tomorrow. No NOR
miserable creature will retire tonight tina
the wouid-be fashionable woman who know
she must wear her old bonner, or stay 8
home. "The thea.ers are closed now," re
marked an observer, a day or two ago, "an
there are 20 other places in which to displa
handsome costume. This idea has COR
further, and chureb-goers now demand fash
ienable preachers, who will emile at the
little weaknesses and speak in the prevailin
fashionable idiom OF fashionable things
There is another fashion which is beln
revived. The military idea, which has bee
draggy for several month";, has been renews
in the past lew weeks, sua, by the arrival
the Macon Volunteers, hiss reached poil
from which it will not soon be dislodged.