Telegram-herald., 1891-12-16
PETS OF IHE FIREMAN
Noble Horses Who Run With the
Fire Machines.
HOW An ALARM Is lySSERET
The Borsss and Nss Rsspszd With Mar
selsas Rapidly some of the herse.
and their PeeaIiarsties 40 ~aa
oat OF the stables

Fire department horses never look
bigger than when they are are on a
dead run, with bells sounding. men
shouting, everybody 10 the middle OF
the street getting out Of the way, and
everybody on the sidewalk crowding 10
its edge As if they wanted 10 be III the
way. It's always a miracle TO tue on
locker that somebody IL not run down
on every run; for the machines are 50
heavy that even If the driver and the
horses wanted TO stop or turn out they
would be retarded Dy their great
weight Besides, the horses are
always under terrible excitement. They
seem 10 share with their masters
| the feeling that tins time the results
may be fearful--that this flre may ont
rank all Its predecessors III loss OF lite
| and all the other horrors OF great
| confiagation. 1t may be straw pile
| ablaze; It may be factory. 4 night
| call always brings with 1t an element
| of terror. The sudden awakening
from deep sleep by the loud clangor OF
the bell. the spring into the ready
| clio hing, the rush for the pole. the
| pole. the drop into the room where the
! painting horses are already IN their
| places before the wagon-all this takes
| so little time, that the bewildered FIRE
men are often well on the way To the
fire before they realize that they are
| out OF bed.
farming Out on Alarm.
! Before going 70 bed every thing is
! put IN readiness for a sudden call. The
trousers are put into the boot legs and
| then stripped down over them, so that
| in case of an alarm all the bows have to
| do is to jump into their boots, pull tbs
| trousers up around them. buckle them,
run 10 pole that leads to the floor be
low, slide this pole, and jump to their
| places on the wagons. where they find
| their coats and hats, and make the rest
| of their toilet after the start. The
horses. too, are all ready for the
| alarm.
When the horses are being trained for
| their work. st the moment the hell
strikes, the door in front of them flies
| open, and at the same moment n whip
behind them gives tisem n cut that soon
| teaches them they must run if they
want TO get away from it. They take
their places at the wagon. are har-
messed and unharnesstd. and then
taught TO back into their stalls. 30 ne
horses learn what is expected OF tuem
after two or three trials, and as soon a.
they understlld d what to do, the whip
| is dispensed With. The trained horses
| know q still aiarm as well as the men
| themselves do, and some of the boys
think their teams know the numbers oi
| some of the boxes.
Care OF the Horses
The Iapidity with which the horses
are made ready for the word ''go" ls
something marvellous. In the Kent
| street house, at one trial, the horses
were out of the barn in three and one
| half seconds after the alarm was sound
| ed. and at the Lagrave street house, il
was the regular thing TO get Fred
and George" ready for the ''go' M
seven seconds; and they were team
that would run from the very first step
After the fire is out, aud the return is
| made to the barn, the firer must
work long time over the pets before he
al go back to pleasant dreams. First,
he scrapes the horses 10 get all the water
off them that Is possible, then he
ruhs them with dry cloths, and finally
1 nc b.tuktIs IL u iiHlu ttic Ipl
both man and horse, and sometimes 9
! very monotonous one. horse has Il
| he specially hardy to stand the work
| Not only do the hard pavement.
pound up" the horses, but on wet
days, the strain to keep from falling
| down is something awful. Every possl.
bic care IS taken or the horses. In case
Of long run, the first duty of the
driver on arriving at the scene of the
ire, is 10 bathe the nostrils and mouth
| of his steaming companions witl
water. The horses are exercised
an hour every day. their food Is
| Of the very best; they are fed
regularly. and the age ana experience
of the horse is always taken into con
sideration in deciding the speed al
which they shall 90 on run. TO seno
young or green" team out at fui
galIop from the very first might rum
them for life. To send an old team
out at their best gait, without glving
them block or two TO "irmoer up In ,
might stffen them so they would be Ol
no further use. All these things are
consdeie by the driver. who learns tc
love his team as the Arabans love theil
horses. The horses are fed as Arabian
horses sre-their food is pu. on The
Hoor. horsemcn claiming that the posi-
on they must take to eat from th'
floor keeps the curve of the back tn.
right shape, gives freer action of tn.
head. and has tendency to keep th'
muscles and cords of the wlthers re
laxed and In proper action.
Ia Grave street Pets.
The pet of The La Grave street housi
is "Rowdy," an old fellow who begsT
service in that house twelve gears sg,
last sunday, and VINO has never lost III
hour IN all that time except when h,
MAS laid up for two or three days wit
influenza last winter. He was year
old when he frat went on duty, ans
was inclined to rear up and have ilt
tie fun with the boys At that time h,
~as called the best runner in the city
But he 10 not so timber ss he was IN IN
| younger DAYS. and now when ne is sen
out they let h.m 60 . little easy 70
can 90 with the best OF them
being very long vinded. He loves hl
work. and the minute he gets hls on,
eye-for he = blind IN the other--on
blaze, it is all his driver can DO 10 hoii
I him. Because he Is a little stiff, TIA
t,0ys help bin stretch every day, b
pulling bis bind legs for him. an erer
clse which he enjoys very much. III
present rnsts = Charlie, hig horse
years old. Who has seen two years ser
wee. and wha learned ms business u
quicker time than any other orse tna
yer came under their care, tie boy
say.