Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-02


state that the trustees of the village of
Blgewater and three companies of the
fire ladies are not on good terms. The /
trustees and these fremen dislike each
other very much indeed, and as Mr..
Teeter is trustee it is said that his loss
is much greater than it would have been
had his name even been Dennis instead
of Cicero. The fire companies are all
composed of volunteers, and as they pay
dues and fines and put out fires at their
own expense they feel rather independ-
ent about where they will show the
most zeal.
The trustees have an appropriation
which they handle each year according
to the dictates Of their own consciences,
which is supposed to so to the fire de-
partment, but this year they do not
hand it over without the duly receipted
bills of the department to show that the
money has not been misappropriated.
This makes the fire laddies hot, for they
own their machines and board them
selves A fire laddie hates to have his
whiskers singed off and his nose frozen
so stiff that in blowing it the whole for
ward part of the nose may crack and
fall off, but still worse he hates on top
of all this to have his motives impugned
The fire laddie suffers, but he never
weeps. He says to the trustees of the
village of Bilgewater: 1--WE, especially
members of Unparalleled Squirt No. /,
have put up with about all we care to
| stand, and 50 we shall soon offer orr
nice red trucks and blue ladders for sale
If you are afraid that we will fool away
your appropriation on axle grease for
our engine or rat poison for our engine
house, and you dare not trust US out Of
sight, we will pause before we rescue
your abnormally plain hired girl from
the blazing rafters of your burning
buildings. You have asked US for our
ultimatun, and we inclose one herewith
which we have never used. 1t is nice,
bright, new ultimatum, with a snapper
on the end of it. Use it carefully and it
will last you long time"
Then the trustees appealed to the pa
triotisn of the fire laddies, saying: Sure
ly you will not go and sell your bright
red trucks and things to a comparative
stranger, and then on the Fourth of July
have no machine to haul around past the
Dutch pond and along the Fingerbowl
road. Come, now, boys, don't act that
way!"
| With this state of affairs, which has
been unchanged for several weeks, it is
not strange that when the shrill cry of
fire burst forth from the massive throat
of Mr.. Teeter, at 147 on the above
night, several volunteer fremen, coyly
looked out at window and then went
back to bed again.
Help! heIp!! will no one save me?'
cried the naughty official as he stepped
on cold, toy rubber ball with his bare
foot, and shrieked again till the alright
ed night caught up the refrain, and two
men who were passing by on their way
to catch boat almost stopped to see
what the matter was.
By this time the forked flames began
to lick their chops and reach out fer
combustible material. The fire ferI
soon discovered, for it was but the work
of a moment, that the building was fire.
proof, SO there would be nothing to pre-
vent not only quitting it but actually
wiping it from the face Of the earth.
Sending the hired man (after tipping
him) to the nearest drug store to tele-
phone the fire department, Mr.. Teeter
began to twist the tail of the fire ferd
alone, meantime only pausing long
enough to shrek or take sip of mince
pie favoring which stood on the escri-
toire.
Just then some neighbors came by on
their way home from the city where
they had held theatre party CONVEX
sazziony. the ladies were in full dress,
and the full orbed moon came out, took
good square look at them and hastily
retired behind large, cool cloud. The
gents wore, also, each a bran pneumonia
suit of full dress, and all remained sew
eral moments watching the fire.
who lives here?' asked one gent who
had taught himself not to show any
emotion.
II think Teeter lives here" said one
of the party, "but do not know them.
We have never called on them, for we
cannot really find out whether they came
here first or we"