The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-08-07
Veteran Fire n orses.



In Boston there are al ,a-, Aslf dlz
en veterans of ten years -tandlng, and
some who have served a. fir.. horses even
iobger than that. The old nDse cart 10
East Street, Of whom | have spoken Al
rea y, has a record Of a. least .eu year.
servic-. There Is another seasoned
hDuyhDhnm Of Harrison Avenue, "a dark
chestnut, Of the same heavy, low stand
ing shape, who has seen twelve winters
10 the business. AbOu. five years ago il
vas thought that he ought 70 have al
easier life, and accordingly he was trans
TERED 70 an outlaying station, where
ares seldom occur. But on the occasion
II the first alarm 70 which he responded
the old fellow bolced, and made CON-
pleted wreck Of the hose cart by dashiDg
IL against a stone wall This WAS his pro
test a. being removed from the house u
which he hsi become accustomed, and
from the society NJ his familiar friend
human and equine; and 50 be wa. put
back 10 the old place, where he -t!ll re-
mains ia foil employment. He il reckon {
cd 70 DE seventeen tear- old, and he has
contemporary 10 the Dartmouth Street
station, also hose bOrse, who entered ]
the department In the same year
Thi, is Grief" 50 named because o. /
ais melancholy aspect He has q way Of
standing with his fore legs wide apart I
his head hanging down betweeu and q /
dole!u! expression u the face. visitor /
who saw him once In his attitude, r.
marked that he would make a good lin .
age OF Grief" and the name seemed 80
Appropriate that 1t was ado, tei by com
mon consent. Grief is duly inscribed
10 large letters over his stall, and a.
'Grisf' he Is known through the depart
ment and TO all the heighbors Grief Is
a remarkable horse; in color q rich mot
tied brown, and 10 shape much re5emb'-
ing the other old horses already describ-
ed. lie has massive. weli-forned -hou-
der strong, straight fore legs. powerful
hind quarters too long 8 cannon bone,
however, good neck. slightly arched.
rather Intelligent, cleancut head, bui
mulish ears. His popularity Is philoso.
Paical, phlegmatc disposition. He has
a hearty appetite and a sound digestion.
OUT he nc Jer shows the leas. impatiepc-
Tor his meals. Olhtr horses paw AMI
neigh when they bear the premonitory
rattle of the oat-box, hut Grief never bs
trays the least sign Of curiosity or intere-.
The children Of the vicinity often com.
10 this house TO give the horses cxudy,
and the span Of bays who draw the en-
CINE al~ays recognize their benefactor-,
and will follow them about the stable. .
But Grief, though glad enough TO be fed,
never takes the slightest notice Of any 4
visitor beyond swallowing what is offered |
to him. He sleeps crest deal, ruminates |
still more, and allows nothing outside Of
business to disturb or excite him; and .
hence, no doubt, his excellent state Of
preservation.
But Grief wakes up when the alarm !
strikes. However long or steep he road.
however fas. may gallop the stout youa.
bays IL front, he always keeps up with /
the engine. The strength and nervous
force that he aocumulates in the stable !
Grief expends lavishiy on the way 70 I
fire. His eye is then full Of spirit his |
expanded nostlls display tbs red glow
within his neck curves to the task his /
splendid shoulder straines agsins: the /
collar. He looks twice the size Of the /
horse tina. was doing in his stall few
minutes before. Arrived at thu scene O
action, be draws up as close as possible /
to the engine. Grief likes TO get where Z
the sparks fall in showers about him, al.
there he Will stand, shaking his head II |
dirlodge the burning particles, pleased /
With the shreks and roar OF the engine. /
.wt-h the shouts OF the men. with the /
the fire In Boston on Thanksgiving Dag /
Of last year, the engine which he follow |
ed was burned within twenty-five minutes |
after it left the house; but Grief stood /
by 1t, firm as rock, till the flames came
near and he was led away.
The patriarch of the department is
however. not Grief, but another hors-,
stationed 10 East Boston, and called Old
Joe. His age is varou>ly estim3ted, bu.
| gather that Il is al least twenty wears.
and possibly TWEEN y-fonr. Joe is not 50
impressive as Grief; he is more like the
rest of US, being snayed by clriositv
touched by social affections. and Deepen
dent upon society. He has s. gentle. In
telligent courageous eye and s good hoei
and ears. His great age IS indicated by
al extremely hollow back, but otherwise |
he is still good looking horse. He, too. |
is notified bay or brown, and not unlike |
Grief, except that he is even larger. In I
fact, the four old IRE horses whom | !
have particularly described would have |
made great team in their youth. -
broad chested, deep-lunged. rather low.
standing, short-backei fellows, with in /
mense shoulders, rooIny s,omachs. anu /
strong hind quarters Joe Is now an /
engine horse.
His mate, though in comparison with /
him mere cult, is, in truth, al oldish /
reast; and the two agreed some TINE ago /
that they would trot out no more from /
their stalls when the alarm sounded (hav- |
ing, as it seemed t. them, done that sort |
Of thing quite long enough, but would |
proceed from the stable to the pole at a |
dignited walk. This resolution has been |
kept. The hremen have tried TO hurry |
them. but without success. Rattan rods
(such as school-hoys used to he whipped I
with are hung behind their stalls, ard !
descend automatically whes the alarm |
strikes; but the old horses lsugh at thi- !
gentle fagelstion; they refuse to hurry
their pace. and, alone among the Are
horses of Boston, they advance with slow
and measured step from the stable TO the
engine house.
itldHtic