Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
A Pair Chief Brown Purchased.

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Joe, namesaks for Chief J. O. Brown,
who purchased the two horses for the COM
pany, is a massive iron-gray Clydesdale,
weighing 1875 pounds, His running mate
is Charley, weighing 1,430 pounds. They
are nearly perfectly matched in color, and
while Joe is 8 years old, Charlie is only 4
years old.
"Myl How Huldie would enjoy seeing
them" CALCULATED Zeb.
The hook-and-ladder truck which Joe
and Charlie haul weighs Il, 900 pounds, and
owing to its cumbrous character must be
hitched only to safe horses. Mr.. Brown
had looked around in Westera Pennsylva-
MIA long tim. before he found two such
horses. Joe is learning little faster than
Charley. The way they teach them their
duties is to sound a false alarm occaslSn-
ally on the fire gong, and then lead or
chase the new horses out of their stalls to
their places in front of the apparatus. Be-
sides that they must be taught not to take
fright when the harness is dropped over
their backs from the ropes above. Many
other things happen in an engine house in
the hurry and confusion of responding to
an alarm of fire to which the horse must be-
come accustomed
4 Horse Learns IN Three Weeks
Usually within three weeks new horse
is reasonably trained to be left to himself
that is to say, to leave his stall himself
when the stable door is unlatched by cleo
tricity, and run to his place before the
apparatus. The gong was sounded several
times to demonstrate to us how it was all
done.
"How do visitors keep out of the way of
your horses if they are liable to pounce out
of their stalls any moment of the day?"
asked Zeb, who experienced great trouble
himself in keeping out of the track of the
steeds.
1--WE watch visitors usually" explained
the fireman, kindly, "and an accident seldom
occurs. Jackson Couples, who was once
stoker on Engine Company No. IA, slipped
on the floor one day when he was running
to the engine after the gong struck. He
fell, and two horses dRshing out of their
stalls leaped over him. He was not hurt.
A small colored boy couldn't get out of the
way quick enough at another of the houses,
and the heaviest horse in the place, rather
than hurt the lad, jumped clear over him
The Horses Usually Gentle.
'The fire horses are not bit vicious"
continued the fireman. 1--WE had anoth II
Joe horse here once-he's out at No. IA
now-who was q regular pet. He would let
women and children come in his stall and
fondle all over him He would rub
woman's hair, where If it was 9 man he
would be trying to pull his watch out by the
chain. He was a tobacco-chewer, too, and
had q mute way of begging tobacco from
male visitors But, as matter of fact, all
the horses in the department are remarkably
gentle when you remember the exciting
character of their work and their confne-
ment.
"0ne of the prettiest teams the depart
ment ever had was two cream-colored horses
that drew the engine for Company No. on
Highland avenue. They were marvelously
attached to their driver, Mr.. McCaulley.
One day while he was at dinner in his house
nearby an alarm sounded and he ran over
to the engine house. But the horses had
been quicker than he, and the moment the
men clapped the harness on them the horses
eagerly dashed out of the door unaware that
their drivers seat was empty. Poor Nc
Caulley was just at the curbstone as they
and they trampled him to death under their
feet
Hauled McCaulley to His Tomb.
ga few days later the hearse, in which
McCaulley's corpse was confined, was
hauled to the cemetery by the engine team.
This team was not much good after that, it
is said, and it is now doing farm work at the
City Poor Farm.
"By the way, Mr.. Morrow, if you bring
your wife into town some day, I'll be glad
to show her just what we have shown you" I"
concluded the obliging fire fighter.
"Ah," exclaimed Zeb, startled by the
suddenness of the invitation, "Yes, sir,
thank yee; but if L do bring her some time
don't you ever tell her that was here be-
fore. Understand" and he allowed an eye
lid to drop in a significant manner.
AT the handsome Neville street engine
house my friend was shown a whole stable
full of politicians. There was one horse
named 'Chris, after c. L. Magee; another
called "Bob," after Robert Elliott; third
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