Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-17

IOr the frst regular meeting OF the COM
pany, on Friday, the 9Th day of June, at
2 o'clock p. NJ, when the company took
the engine to the creek, exercised it and
were dismissed. Thus ended the COM
plete organization of the company.
1t will be seen that a larger part of the
business men were enrolled, and saw the
Importance and necessity of well Or
gained fire company, and were willing
to sacrifice time and muscle to make it
success. And as far as size and strength
of its members was concerned, it was
far above any company in the State.
Among the first efforts of the company
was the saving of the railroad bridge
across the creek south of the village, af-
ter the fire had filled the entire south end
with fire and smoke-the wind being
strong in the south. BY timely and cor
rect efforts the bridge was saved. The
Rutland railroad company duly appre-
ciated the work, and gave each member
of the company a free pass over the road
to any point on their line.
At another date, later, fire occurred
at the depot, the company were quickly
on hand and by well-directed efforts
saved the passenger depot. The mana
gers of the railroad company generously
presented the fire company with $50,
CdSi. Az sui dHOllltT lIle
of the fire company were rewarded for
saving the property of the railroad COM
pany by the presentation, through one of
their officials-one of our former towns
men, o. Wooster, Esq.-with a very nice
and valuable speaking trumpet costing
$50. which is now carefully kept among
other precious reuembrances of the past
| in their hall.
Other parties, whose property has been
saved and protected by the efforts of the
fire company, have appreciated their eff
forts and generously called the company
together to partake of an oyster supper
among them may be mentioned the
late Gen. VIM. Nash and Swiney & Bur-
rows, for the miraculous saving of their
large door factory-filled, as it was, with
shavings and all sorts of infammabe
matter, while on every side burning
buildings were being destroyed
But the last and most remarkable effort
Of the company was in saving the Union
| block of stores on the south end of the
bridge about two years ago. The fire
started in Nichols printing office over
Bonds store, at the extreme south end of
the block, by the breaking of a kerosene
lamp, and quickly found the empty space
under the roof, and in fifteen minutes ran
across the whole upper story and was
pressing out of the east end of the build
ing over Tupper's Office. The firemen
were on hand, and the water-powcr was
soon set in motion, so that a deluge Of
water was thrown from the fire steam
engine, the engine at the bakery and the
mill pump, which so deadened the fire
that the main flames were confined be-
tween the roof and the upper story, thus
| nxrit, th, 81,
injury except from smoke and water.
Other and numerous cases might be re-
ferred to, but these, perhaps, are enough
to show that the citizens confidence in
the efficiency of the fire company has not
been misplaced. And we will now say,
in closing this article, that the original
members are nearly all dead, but all
through these forty long years of change
the ranks have been kept full, by men
who felt the Importance of maintaining
an efficient fire company in town.
The trustees have generally been liber-
al in furnishing the needed apparatus to
be used at a fire and now, with a good
company of willing, active and vigorous
working men, aided by steam, water aud
hand power to be applied, we believe our
citizens rest easier, and sleep sounder
feeling that all will be done in case fire
should break out in the village that hu
man agency can do. At the formation
of the first fire company all classes o.
citizens joined-business men as well a.
day laborers volunteered. But now tn,
company is largely made up from thu
ranks of the laboring class. forming
body of men who feel that to do the worl
of good fireman requires courage
strength and well-regulated effort to figh
an element that when kept under cOntro
: is necessary, useful, gentle and pleasant
but when control is lost is savage. un
Welding and destructive