Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-05-07
GAe Gsse$ County glfrala.
leland POND. MAY 2, 1850.
THE NEEDS OF THE HOUR.

THE NEEDS OF THE HOUR.
That kind of apathy and indiffcr-
ence that so permeates, saturates
and waterlogs men that they will
stand idly and drcamily by amid
the destruction of property, and the
moment the danger is over, and the
fire goes down, as quick as the
smoulderlng embers do their cares
in the matter die, is surprising. We
suppose there is no particular man
in fault in this matter, but this
drowsY, sleepy Indifference to dan
ger, and that kind of danger, too,
which puts in jeopardy the very
lives of our wives and children is
simply ignoble and contemplate:
No village in New England pos
sesses more brave, muscular, and ac-
tive men, according to its popula-
tion than does ours, and we have
men of ample capacity to organize
them for effective use. On the
other hand, from the location of our
village, the materials of which the
buildings are made, the nature of
the business causing large deposits
of inflammable material, with en-
gines passing to and fro around it,
necessarily splitting fire, exposes us
to the most imminent danger Of fire,
which from the circumstances is cas-
lily controlled if quickly got at, but
which, if permitted to get Roadway,
would be as uncomfortable as the
winds, and nothing would stay its
fury until it had licked up the
homes of a great portion Of our vii
lage people. Just now we have had
another occasion to thank Provi.
dence for the salvation of the vii
lage, and 3for being permitted to
stand almost helplcssly by and see q
residence burn up right in the midst
of a great quantity of inhammable
matter, while nothing saved large
group of buildings, and perhaps tho
entire fiat, but the almost entire alb
sence Of any wind. Now from thi,
fire we seem to be going right on il
the same supincness and crimina
negligence, foolishlY thinking thai
providential circumstances will al
ways help those who do not hell
themselves, and will always care fo
those who have no care for them
selves. We have already tempted
Providence too far. We have raised
money to procure the means of ex
tinguishing fires. A large crowd O.
men is always quickly on hand at ;
fire. But take this instance for ex
ample;-Strong men rushed to tn,
fire; dragged out the engine ant
other apparatus; pulled and yankee
unanimously the engine down
among the buildings with hardly al
idea of where they were going, ex
cept that they were going toward
the water in the pond, and b,
chance barely got through b,
knocking off a corner board, anc
then discovered that another part,
had gone in different directions will
different portions of the hose. TIL,
fire wasn't confused. 1t was sys
tematic, progressive, and suffered
no Interruptions. Now if the vii
or purpose of one man, even if no
the best man, had been exercised
the efforts of the men would hav,
been directed to some point, but a
1T was it was splendid exhibition
of diffusive confusion. Now, W,
don't know what to do; we dom
claim to be an expert in such mat
ters, but III the name of a decen
regard for the safety of our prop
erty, the security of our homes, ant
the sacred lives of those whom W,
pretend to hold5 most dear, let tn
guardians Of our town, with othe
competent men, goodly number o
which we have, do something a
once.
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VHYTy