The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-25
HOB0EEN'S FIRELADDIES
The DaysSof the Volunteer
Fire Department Are
Numbered.

The days of the old volunteer fire lad
die in Heboken are numbered. The city
has improved. rapidly WITHIN the past ten
years Large brick buildings, flats and
factories have been erected and the
population has grown. The old yolun-
teers watched these improvements and
knew it was only question of a very
few years when their days of usefulness
would be over.
While the sale of the fire house on the
corner of Sixth and Washington street
was going on yesterday several fire lad
dies gathered on the sidewalk and tears
bedfmmed their eyes. They thought as
much of the fire house as Of their homes.
OF course there is Il certain element
which always creeps into volunteer ire
company which is not of the highest re-
specJability and there were at times
drunken men in the fire house, but at a
fire the old volunteers worked like heroes
and earned the applause and esteem of
the community. Whatever faults they
might have had they were certainly re-
deemed by the gratnitous fire duty which
they rendered.
In days gone by to be popular in any OF
the waFdsin this city one would have to
join fire company. 1t mattered not how
many nominations q candidate received,
II ne Qla uOD nave lne ire ldQQl6S WlIn
him his chances were slim. They welded
Ia large influence and were the most i'm
portant factor in the local elections.
Their receptions and picnics were all very
Successful and their houses always over
flowing with good humor and hospitality.
Even today no candidate would be sHc-
ceEsful In the Fourth ward unless he had
the boys of No. 2 Truck with him. In the
other, wards, however, the political, intlu-
/ ence Welded by the fire companies is not
SO great.
But now the order of things is gradu-
ally changing. Several large fires oc-
Cured, and, although the volunteers did
good work,Sit was plain to be seen that
at large confagration their efforts
would be useless. Property owners be-
gan to protest. The insurance rate was
very high, but they did not like the in
creased tax rate which would be levied
for the establishment and maintenance Of
paid fire department. The volunteers
kicked strenously against the establish
ment of paid department.
The members of the Council after due
deliberaJion decided to establish aspaid
department., but is doing it gradually. A
little over a year ago a team of horses
driver and engineer was elected by the
company. The drivers salary was fixed
at $50 month by the Council, and the
salary of the engineer at 81, 600 year.
Shortly after this new engine and ten
der were purchased fer No / Engine
Company and three horses. A driver,
engineer and attendant were elected by
the company and salaried by the Council
About three months ago a new truck and
horses were purchased for No. Truck
Company, and three salaried men elected
by the company. The next to receive
fayors from the Council will be No.
Hose Company. They have already
elected paid membe
Thus it will be seen that while the old
volunteers in Hoboken are not vet ex-
tinct and that they practically control the
department., 1t will not be long before a
paid system will be fully established
The COMMITTEES on Fire water of the
Council have been on trip to Baltimore
and New England inspecting fire appar-
fuses, and it is probable that new truck
and chemical engine will be purchased.
BY the terms of the sale of the fire house
at Sixth and Washington streets, the
mem bers of Excelsior and Oceapa COM
panies will be compelled to vacate on
September 1.
Bitten by Bulldog.
A twelve-year-old girl was terribly
lac Grated by vicious bulldog on Four.
teenth street, Hoboken, this morning.
The child was thrown down and the brute
fastened it's teeth in the fleshy part of her
siderable difficulty, released the grip OF
the brute and before the police arrived
made rapid tracks to New York.
Manic Saunders is the name of the
child who was bitten. She is the daugh-
ter of the captain of the canal boat Mamie
B., lying of Seventeenth street This
morning she was sent for some provisions
to store near by. She had made her
purchases and was returning to the boat
when two young fellows came along
Fourteenth street leading a bulldog
by chain. The dog scented the
at the child. The child screamed and
struck the bulldog. The dog sprang at
her and broke the chain that held him.
He knocked the child1down and was soon
gnawing at the fleshy part of her,arm.
The child was screaming with terror, and
the owners of the dog were clubbing him
numerically, but he would not release
his hold. A crowd collected, and a bar
tender in g saloon near by released the
child by applying match to the bulldog g
nose
the owner of the dog picked him ur
and carried hfm with all possible haste tc
the Fourteenth street ferry, and went to
New York. The wounded child was at.
tended by DR.. Herzog, who was in the
immediate vicinity. He cauter.zed the
wound, and says no serious results are
expected.
HobolSen Notes.
Charles Mills, a seventeen-year-old
| youth of Dover, N. j., was arrested al
| the D., L. 81 w. r. Il. depot in Hoboken
| this morning by Special Policeman Har.
ney, charged with embezzIement Mills
| is q newsboy and is employed by w. +.
| Gregory, of Newark, n. j., a news agent.
| Mills is accused of having appropriated
IS of his employers money. He is held.
| Frank Bartello and Frank Sam live at
| No. 172 Madison street. Last night Sam
! visited Bartello's apartments, and the
"growler' was worked AT about mid
| night there was dispute, and Bartello
| stabbed Sam in the head with pen
| knife. Bartello was arrested by Police
man Fenton, and is held.
The Augusta Victoria, of the Hamburg
| American Packet Company sailed yes
terday. There were 152 cabin passengers
ON board.
The old engine house property at the
corner of Sixth and Washington streets
an old landmark, was sold at public auc-
tion by Minturn & McCulloch yesterday
afternoon. The bidding was spirited and
the property was finally sold to Bowes
| Bros. for S12, 200 The fire laddies will
have to vacate before September l. The
| proceeds of the sale will be deposited in
the contingent fund.
The picnic Of Elysian Council, o. U. T.,
was held at Pohlman's Pavilion last
night.
The Hoboken Drum and Fife Corps
will hold its annual excursion Sunday,
I'll