Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1893-01-05
mo- MORE FIREs FoR AlM.
Mr. Retts wants No More Experiences as a
Volunteer pfro rad.lie.


AR. Re,ts wants No More Experience as
Volunteer Fire Ladite.
II say, boys, this volunteer fire busi-
ness isn't what It's cracked up TO be-"
remarks a suburbanite. "lf fires would
only break out at reasonable hours 1t
might do very well, but when a man Ia
yanlScd out Of bed at FIVE o'clock on n
cold winters morning-ob, no, not any
more for me, THANK you"
whats the matter, Ed?' asked one
OF the boys one day last week, as Mr.
Belts was discussing with them the
merits of suburban volunteer fire ser
vice Mr. Belts, by the way, Is a resi-
dent OF Mount Vernon. n. ", and there,
too, his popularity is no less we'll estab-
lished than here.
"Matter?' responded AR Belts.
Matter enough. You see, I'm char
ter member Of the Mount Vernon vol.
unteer fire department OF course,
when the fire bell rings, no matter
what time, I'm expected to be on hand
with the rest of the boys There's n
fine Of seventy-6ve cents for every time
| fail 10 put in an appearance. And
I've got a red flannel shirt and a white
fatigue cap. a bnglc, and all that sort
of thing. | felt kind Of leery at first
about running with the machine (Mf
Belts weighs upward of two hundred
and ten pounds) and so just paid my
little fine right along.
But thea | thought, What's the useP
/ might ms well go out with the boys
l didn't like TO shirlS the thing, you see,
and so / resolved that the next time
there was n fire, why, I'd be in 1t with
the rest When | told the boys that
they laughed, but I said I'd show 'em;
so just waited.
'Well, you know the kind of a night
we had last night? Whewl how IL
raiuedl and along toward morning II
began TO snow, and nyl but wasn't II
raw and cold9 Well, was sleeping the
sleep of the just in my warm, comforta-
agoing and woke me up
"'Why, Ed said my wife, there's a
big FIRE down the block. Just see the
1amesir IL was pitch dark outside, but
could see the fire from my bedroom
window remembered my resolve and
just made up my mind that would
take in that fire II It was to be the last
act Of my official career as a fireman
Inst then the machine came rattling by
the house.
"'Get up Bettsr yelled the boys as
they ran by and one of them chucSed
billet of wood against my door. Well,
that settled it, jumped into my trou-
sers as quickly us could and then !
pulled on my boots. They were both
rights belonging 70 different pairs, but
| couldn't stop to change. Now for my
shirt I'd show 'em.
"But what do you think? My wife
bad put that shirt up in camphor so as
the moths couldn't get at it. And II
was packed away in the garret But !
found some sort Of fire outfit, anyhow,
and soon was tearing through the
mud aud rain TO the scene of the fire.
| was soaking wet, too but in the ex-
element didn't mind II bit
Throw some water on it, said l, as
soon as l had reached the burning
building. I'm an officer of the com
pany. you see, and just wanted to let
EN- know that was on deck.
"'Why, here's Mr.. Belts cried one
nth e tRf dAeoy5u PpiisheSRae your RSh29l'
"'You did, did your said /; why. I've
-ahem-been here for the last hour
You boys will have to be more-ahem-
prompt just throw a stream into that
front window
"Well, soon found that tho hydra 1t
was out Of order, 50 we did the best we
could with buckets and tubs Did we
save anything? Oh, yes The house
next door, about seventy feet away,
was saved, and one OF the boys saved q
aowor pot with soma chrysanths mum S
In II that was on the porch Of the burn
ing house The latter, though, was a
goner The fire made a clean scoop.
snow, tell you, boys when / got
home | was a wreck dripping. sop :
ping wet wreck but" and Mr. Belts
eyes sparkled with pride as he said this,
II went to that fire, though. VIII go
again?
Gentlemen, the next fire that breaks
out in Mount Vernon will cost me just
seventy-five cents ~. Y. Herald.