The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-10
IN A FIRE STATION.
Horses That the Men Are Proud Of-Pas-
time for Idle Hours.

Horses That the Men Are Proud Of-Pas-
time for Idle Hours.
Philadelphia Times.I
S'The alarm strikes, the stable doors
fly open, the horses are out, Jump TO
nv seat and before you count ten the
fire engine, weighing three and half
tons. has turned the corner. That's the
way we do things here, said fireman
to a visitor at one of the fire stations.
ssOf course we couldn't make such
time If it wasn't for that ma
chine there that gives the alarm
and opens the stall doors. Then the
horses, when the alarm sounds, are al
WAYS on the lookout. Why, they often
there's odd jerry who has been here
going on eight years. 1 would trust
him to go to fire 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; 90 and get a drink" The
horse went to hydrant at the other
end of the stable and turning the faucet
with his Enose waited till enough
water had run in the pail, when
he drank freely. When he was
again in the stall the fireman said:
s'Why didn't you turn that water OFF,
TOT dn dLIoNOI JUL WL41onCA AAAo OctAA az
q troublesome fly and his master ex-
planned that he knew enough to do it,
only he was little contra ry just then.
"Those horses there, y he said, point
ing to a Well-matched team of iron
grays, s'are as smart as anything that
goes on tours. You see those harnesses
hanging from the ceiling with brides
about as high as a horses head2 Now
notice how they harness themselves.
With these words the alarm was
struck, the stable-doors few open as if
by magic, and the horses came trotting
ont. Each one seized in his mouth the
bit Of the overhanging bride and stood
quietly as the harness dropped in place
on his back. A touch of the hand to
the names and taking up the lines and
all was ready for start. 1t seemed as
if the whole action was instantaneous.
NOW I'll show you how polite they
can be. Stepping IN front of the
nearest one, he said: shake, Colonel
Immediately the horse placed one of his
fore feet in the mans extended hand.
s'Of course, they can also nod the heads
yes and no-a horse with any style al
all can do that But true etiquette in
horses, the same as in persons, is being
easy and natural when you are going
through your airs. Now being easy in
LU6t6 bu4AlkS ID MACEO lOAOO0 blu "
their breeding"
Aside from the diversion the horses
afford the fremen is always more or less
playing of games, reading and sociability
by which days of enforced idleness are
made endurabble. Often they art
not called out for days together and
then may follow fire after fire until the
strongest men are taxed almost beyond
endurance. The fireman must always
be at the station prepared to start OF
the second-he cannot wait to start or
the minute. The men in nearly all thu
stations do little of earpentering anG
cabinet work, besides in several of then
no little ingenuity has been developed
IN making cathedral clock cases and II
doing other difficult work. They also
show rare skill in the use of the scroll
saw. In each station there is usually
aside from the space for f1Ie apparatul
and stables, the sitting-room and thu
bunk room, where side by side art
twelve beds for the twelve men, Wh(
are always required to be around thu
building.
In answer to an inquiry whether by
all sleeping in this room they were no
disturbed by the snoring of some o
their number the reply was: Eyes, yol
bet we arel Do you see that big fat fel
low there9 Well, we tried everything
to stop his snoring, from pounding will
a pillow to keeping him awake all TIT
time; but it was of no use. AS las
resort we put his bed upstairs in tn,
workshop and make him sleep, OF
rather, snore there. There are lots o
old volunteer firemen who come lOafnt
herein fact, every one comes here t
loaf. Those old chaps are always telling
us what to do and how much better tn
fire department was when they wer
Running it. Not long ago we fixed on
of them who was blowing about things
One Of the boys went up stairs AM
threw a pail of water down on him. HI
didn't stay long after that"