Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-18

X Y. am taere, TOO. MS popularity no
lsss veil established than here.
"Aattersf' responded NJ. Belts Nat
ter eaoaga. ioa see Pa charter uissA-
Der II the Mount Vefnon Volunteer FIRE
department. OF course when the IRE bell
rings. no matter what time. I'm expected
"a be on baud with the rest OF the boys
There a fiae Of seventy five cents for every
time fail % pat ia an appearance. And
I've got a red nApnsl shirt aad > white
fatigue cap. a bugle and all that sort OF
thing fs!f kind OF leery at first about
RUNNING with the machine tMr. Belts
weighs upward Of 2lo possndsl. aud 50 |
jass paid ray little tine right along.
but then ! thought What's the uses |
might a. we'll 20 out with the boys |
disint like IN sAlfk the thing you see, and
81 / rvsaiyea that the next time ther. was
a fim, Why, I'd be in IL with the rest.
Whsn told the boys that they laughed.
hut ] sald that I'D show 'em. 30 ] Just
wsitsd
We'll. Won know che kind Of night we
Aai last nixhts Whew, how II rained!
AMI along TOWARD morning II began 10
snew. and my. hut wasn't IL raw and colds
We'll. was sleeping the sleep of the just
In my warm. comfortable bed when the
ars bell started a. going and woke me up.
Why. Ell. said my wife. there's big
fire down the block. just see the names.'
IL was pitch dark outside, but could see
the Gro from my bedroom window. re-
menhercd my resolve. and just made up
niy'snind that I'd take in that fire IL 1t was
co be the last net Of my official life as fee.
nau. Just then the machine came rafting
by the house.
"sGet up, Bettsr yelled the boys rs they
ran by, and one OF them chucked a billet Of
wood against my front door. Well. that
settled il. l jumped into my trousers as
quickly as could. and then l pulled on my
boots They were both rights. belonging
To different pairs, but / couldn't stop TO
change. Now for my shirt. I'd show 'em.
but what do you think! My wife had
put that shirt up In camphor so rs the
moths couldn't get at il. And it WAS
packed away in the garnet. But ] found
some sort Of a FIRE outfit any how, and soon
was tearing through the mud and rain to
the scene OF the fire. ! was soaking wet,
too, but In the excitement didn't mind it
, bit
Throw some water on it. said as soon
As reached the building. I'm an officer
of the company, you see, and i just wanted
to let 'em know that was on deck.
"'Why, here's Mr.. Bette, ''cried oUe 81
the boys in astonishment. We boiiered at
you as wa passed your house
"'You did, did your said /. why, I've
-ahem-been here for the last hour. You
boys will have to be nore-ahem-prompt.
Just throw a stream into that front win
dow
"Well, I soon found that the hydrant was
out of order, so we did the best we could
with buckets and tubs. Did we save any
thing' Oh, yes. The house next door,
about seventy feet away, was saved, and
one of tho boys saved a nowerpot with
some chrysanthemums in it that was on
the porch of the burning house. The lat
ter, though. was goner. The fire made a
clean SCOOP. 4
Now tell You, boys, when got home
was a wreck-a dripping, .sopping wet
wreck; but land Mr.. Belts eyes sparkled
with pride Is he said this) went to that
fire though. Will go again!
Gentlemen, the next fire that breaks
out in Mount Vernon will cost me just
seventy-five cents. New York Herald.