The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-23
HE likes TO SEE FIRES.
A Young Man Who Responds
to Every Alarm.
HOW HE REACHES THE SPOT.
Description Of the Quarters in Which the
Amateur Fireman and His Horse
Live.
HOW HE REACHES THE SPOT.

Everybody who has read the famous
Legend of Sleepy Hollow" recollects the
authors vivid description of the headless
horseman.
How the decaptated Hessian trooper and
his famous steed frightened the inhabitants
of the locality by tearing down the road
way with a gathering of hoofs at the mid
night hour and furnished the sage house
wives with material for many ghostly
tale
And how happy, rollicking, Brom Bones,
the handsome admirer Of the pretty farmers
daughter, was the cause Of their perturba-
ton.
San Francisco has modern Brom Bones.
He dashes through the streets at all hours
of the night in much the same way as his
gbostly ancestors did.
He is no specter, however. but IS real
flesh and blood, and has weil-deveioped
head firmly adjusted to his shoulders.
In all other respects he resembles his
ghostly prototype and has caused many
good citizen to turn over in his bed at an
uuseemly hour to wonder what the trouble
was"
His name is Alexander George. He is
familiar figure to police officers and men,
beers of the Fire Department, among whom
he is generally known by the sobTiquet OF
the fire horseman."
Nobody is so fond of Witnessing fire and
of the consequent excitement and inevitable
drenehing as the average San Franciscan.
With some it amounts to almost mania
and with young George it is fully developed.
No alarm of fire is sounded but that he
responds with the promptitude OF any MEN,
Der in the department
He rides small sorrel horse at reckless
speed through the streets, at the imminent
risk of breaking his neck.
Not infreQuenty he arrives at the scene
of the eonfiagration in advance of the de-
partment.
Young George is the son of the late Julius
George, a prominent lawyer In this city in
the early days.
He is rather prep0sSesSlDg In appearance
and is "a years of age.
About three years ago the young man ar
rived at his majority and inherited consid-
cradle property from his fathers estate.
Ills father. Julius George, a member Of
the well-known law firm of George & Lock
burg, intended his son to inherit his flourish
ing law business on his DEATH and had him
educated for the bar.
At an early age the lad showed an ire
sistlble inclination to attend fires.
While at school pursuing his studies,
whenever an alarm was sounded, young
George would throw his books aside to the
ehagrin of bis tutor, and gleefully run to
the scene of the conflagration. which he
watched with the greatest interest.
Every movement of the fremen in fight
ing the dread element was carefully noted
by him, and he soon became conversant
with the methods employed by them TO SUBJ
due their enemy.
In this way the lad became acquainted
with ChiefiScannell and other subordinate
officers of the department, among whom he
became great fayorlte, and who hundred
his odd fancy.
When the lads father died six years ago.
his induigent mother allowed him to do
much as he pleased.
The family resided at III Suffer street,
and when young George reached his major
ity, he changed the family residence into a
miniature eDgine-house.
His room Is on the first floor in the rear of
the house. and contains all modern appli-
ances for telegraphing the alarms.
A regulation gong and Taper such as are
used in engine-houses hang on the wall
above the head of his bed.
They are connected by a special wire
with the local fire telegraph system. and
when the alarm flashes over the wires the
instruments indicate 1t simultaneously with
others on the line. On a chair beside the
bed lie his clothes. The pants are neatly
tucked into the waterproof boots in regula-
tlon fireman's style. ready to jump into at a
moments notice.
To the right of the bed, within reach of
BY an intricate system of wires, cords and
pulleys, the lever controls the gates in front
OF the house and the doors OF the stable in
which the horse is quartered, and with a
single pull all are opened or closed at will
In small stable back of the house, in the
southern corner Of the place. which was
built especially for the purpose. the faithful
little animal lives.
Like its owners room the place is mass
Of wires ana pulleys.
1t also contains all modern appliances for
the ''quick hitch" used in the engine houses
for Harvesting horses.
The little sorrel stallion stands in its stall
day and night, always ready for call.
Above the animals back, suspended from
cords running over pulleyS attached to the
ceiling. is saddle.
When the amateur fireman pulls the lever
which opens the doors and front gates the
saddle drops on the animals back and is
securely fastened with patent catch.
Young George then jumps upon the
horse and dashes up the graveled driveway
10 the street with clatter of hoofs.
He daShes along the streets at reckless
speed and turns the corners dangerously
short, but being an easy and graceful rider
has so far managed to escape accident.
Not ipfrequently he arrives at the scene
of the confiagration in advance of the de-
partment.
Through the influence OF his friends he
has been given a regular fire badge and is
never molested by any Of the regular fire.
men.
lie jumps from the back of his horse,
which has been trained to stand where he
leaves 1t, and looks over the fire.
At a glance he can tell what steps are
necessary to fight the dread element. and
can estimate a loss with as much exaetness
as Captain White of the fire patrol.
Young George has no fear OF the element
he loves.
He boldly assists the linemen in pulling
the hose into the midst of the flames and
handles the nozzle and plays stream with
a skill that makes some of the older mem.
bers OF the department turn green with
envy.
He often proves valuable assistant to
ChiAf nd al oh