The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-07-22
MArss STATION.
Horses mat the aisn Are Proud of-Fas-
time for Idle Hnurl

lPhlAdelpah Ttme4
THE alarm strikes, TIE stale doors
ly open, the horses are out, | Jump to
my scat and before you count len the
IRE engine weigh ng three aud a half
ions, has turned the corner. That's the
WI wo do things here, said a fireman
70 visitor AZ one Of the Gro stations.
'Of course We couldn't make such
time Il Il wasn't for that ma.
chime there that gives the alarm
and opens the stall doors. Then the
horses, when the alarm sounds, arc al.
ways on tbs lookout. WIZ, Ihey often
show more sense than man. Now,
there old cry WAC has been here
going on eight years. | would trust
him to go to fro By himself, only he
might have trouble In climbing the lad.
ders. Just look here" and the
speaker stepped aside and said: "Back
up, Jerry 20 and get a drink Tho
horse went to a hydrant at the other
end Of the stable and turning the faucet
with his noe waited till enough
water had run in the pail, when
he drank freely. When he was
again in the stall tho brennan said:
why didn't you turn that water or
For an answer JerrJ whlsked bis tail at
a troublesome hy and his master ex-
planned that he knew enough 10 do it,
only he was u little contra ~ iust then.
Those horses there, = no said, point.
ing 10 wellmatched team Of iron
grays, ARE as smart as anything that
goes OIL tOurs. You see those harnesses
hansing from tho ceiling with !ridlcs
atout as high as a horse head Now
nOtite how they harness themselves
With these words tho alalm was
struck, the siable.doors few open MS if
by magic, and the horses came trotting
ont. Lach one sei,ed IN his mouth tie
Bit Of tho oserhanging bride and stood
quietly as the harness dropped in place
on his back, A touch OF tho hand to
the names and taking up the lines and
all was ady for u start, II seemed as
II the whole action was instantaneous.
now Il show you how polite they
can te.' Stepping in front Of the
nearest one, he said. "shake, olonel
ediately the horse placed one Of his
fore feet in the mans extended hand.
"Of course, they can also nod tho heads
yes and no-a horse with any style at
all can do that. But true etiquette in
horses, the same as in persons, is being
easy and natural when you arc going
through your airs, now being easy in
these things is where nj horses show
their breeding"
Aside from the diversion the horses
afford the fremcn is always more or less
playing Ofgames, reading aud sociability
by which days Of enforced dleuess are
made endurabble. Cften thoy are
not called out for DAYS together and
then may follow FIRE after ire until the
strongest men are taxed almost beyond
endurance. The fireman must always
10 at the station prepared to stirt on
the second-he cannot wait to start on
the minute The men in nearly all the |
stations do little of carpentering and
cabinet work, BESIDES in several of them
no little ingenuity has been developed
in making cathedral clock cases and in
doing other di cult work. They also
show rare skill in the use Of the scroll
saw. In each station there Is usually,
aside from the space for fire apparatus
and stables, the sitting-room and the
bunk room, where side by side are
twelve beds for tho twelve men, who
are always required to 10 around the
building.
In answer to an inquiry whether by
all sleeping In this room they were not
disturbed by the snoring Of some Of
their number the reply was: "Yes, you
bet We arc! DO you see that big fat fel-
low there. Well, We tried everything
to stop bis snoring, from pounding with
q PILLOW to keeping him awake all the
time; Int 1t was Of no use. As a last
resort We put his bed up stairs in the
workshop and make him sleep, or
rather, snore there. There are lots of
old volunteer fircmen who come lOarng
herein fact, every ono comes here to
loaf Those old chaps realwuys telling
Us what 10 do and how mich letter the
fire department was when they were
1t, Not long AGO we fised one
Of them who was blowing about things.
ne of tho boys went up stairs and
threw pail OF water down on him. lie
lidn't stay long alter that"