The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-13
THE OLD HOUSES AT HOME.
Through NALL

Reader, If you ever left home and went
to great city 10 seek fortune and fame,
or lodging at police headquarters, then
came home on visit after year or two,
did you notice how low the houses once
so tall in your eyes appeared5
When fifteen | went forth in the world
and found myself at the end of the second
day, four hundred miles from home in a
larger city than had ever seen. was
soon familiar with its principal points of
interest," and only lack of funds with
which to purchase postage stamps, kept
me from deluging my old school-mates
in illinois with glowing accounts of my
wonderful adventures and hair-breadth
escapes.
remember the first time the FIRE de-
partment was called out after my advent
In the city. Il was before FIRE extinguish-
ing had becore profession as it is to-
day, and the Tifin department was
volunteer affair, which hauled the old
Seneca Chief" steamer by hand, and
ran hook and-ladder truck and hand
engine by the same motive power.
was struck with the apparent inefi-
cheney OF the outfit, and yearned to right
the numerous errors | thought detected
in reducing Penner's barn to ashes. If
there is anything boy with the accumu-
lated wisdom of fifteen long and weary
years ranking in his bosom, can detect
better tkan another it is AN error in some
great enterprise like burning a house or
barn, and be is not slow in nghting the
great wrong to the best of his ability.
| thought the fellow that held the helm
of the hook-and ladder truck did not
understand his business, so walked up
to him and seized one horn of the
dilemma. | never exactly knew whether
| tainted, suffered stroke of paralysis or
was kicked by a mule but when re-
covered from my temporary indisposl-
ton, was lying on my back in the mud,
and one OF my eyes had lost its cunning.
1t was in mourning nearly two weeks
after that.
Ever since that occurrence, have
known more about the line of policy pur-
sued by accomplished 6.emer thar
ever knew before. | believe I learned
about as much concerning fires on that
occasion as ever care to know, for
wandered around after rising from the
scene of my downfall, until | collided
with a somewhat persistent stream of
water that the hoseman evidently though,
useless tor any purpose except to ex-
unguish the ardor of over-smart boys. |
have since observed that all we'll regu-
lated FIRE departments have an engine for
that express purpose. A fire has no
charms for hrst-class fireman, if there
is boy with ideas far in advance of his
years in the crowd of by-standers. have
seen whole department of 6remen let
thousands OF dollars turn to ashes right
IN front of them, while engaged in damp
ening the irrepressible ardor of youth.
In my opinion, it is the duty of every city
to pass ordinances prohibiting boys from
running to fires, in order that the fire.
men may have time to throw little
water on the fires.
With all my ipexperience and adj
vanced ideas, survived the shocks and
rebutts OF an unappreciative world and
was spared to return to my home, re-
storing light, life and comfort to the
household. When the train
pulled into my fathers post-office ad-
dress-thst is about all there was of my
native village was surprised at the
lowness of the two story brick house that
constituted its business district. had
thought it the very impersonation of ar
chitectural altitude in the good, old days,
but on my ret"in, it seemed very small
affair.
So it was with the hopes of high posi-
ton among my old school, mates, which
| had builded seven or eight stories and
a basement high before came home. Il
found that all that remained of them vas
the basement, and instead of looking up
to me as had fondly anticipated, they
slapped me on the back IN the old,
familiar way, and when | resented such
familiarity, they said was stuck up
and they were right.